New sufferer

Hi there,

I've started suffering almost two months ago, it started out quite small on my lower lip. Don't know exactly what got it started. I didn't lip/pick my lips. So it might have been caused by my excessive use of chapsticks (I've been using them as long as I can remember, really :)) I stupidly switched to using bepanthen cream about a year ago, then used vaseline for a while at the beginning of this year.. I always had kind of "dry" lips, but not that bad. So I probably messed up my lips that way.

My first dermatologist prescribed a cortisone/ Antibiotics cream called Diprogenta for 2 weeks, but it got worse (don't know if that was caused by the cream or if it would have gotten bigger without it anyway). It eventually started peeling on my upper lip as well. Currently my lips look somewhat like this: //www.curezone.org/ig/i.asp?i=57154


My cycle is about one week. I usually leave the flakes on, so I never have all of my lips exfoliated at the same time.

Currently, I've been on a "no creams/ointments" on my lips for just 1.5 weeks (the second one of the dermatologists which I've seen so far recommended it), no improvements so far. I try not letting food touch my lips. I do sometimes wash my lips with warm water.

What I've also been doing so far:

- got rid of sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate about 3-4 weeks ago, as much as possible (natural toothpaste (also flouride free), natural shampoo), so far no improvement.

- supplements (most of them I only started about 3-5 days ago, haven't seen any improvements so far (I know, I'm really impatient/"on the edge", I hope this does get better over time...)):

- evening primrose oil (3-4x 1000mg per day, probably pretty high dosage..)
- fish oil (1x 1000mg per day)
- vitamin b complex (1-2x per day)
- lysin (3x 1000mg per day)
- zinc (25mg per day)
- aloe vera drinking gel (3x 30ml per day)

- pretty much a very healthy Diet as much as possible, no sugar, wheat etc., lots of vegetables, fruit (not that much, maybe I'm scared that I have Candida, see below), sometimes high quality meat/fish... I use coconut oil for cooking.

- a lot of water, no coffee (I used to drink 3-4 cups a day), just 1-2 cups of green tea.

- dentist: as my Candida spit test was somewhat positive, my dentist prescribed me a suspesion containing Nystatin (antifungal), which I've been using inside my mouth 2-3 times a day for the last 4 days.

- exercise: 1-2 times per week (trying to do more), jogging & soccer.

My questions:

- What do you think about my condition? Any recommendations?

- Do you guys also get a very dry part in the inner part of the lips (blue part in my picture), especially while talking or exercising (I guess we all have to breath at least a little bit through our mouths when exercising :-))? This makes those activities really, really hard at times..

Thanks from Germany,
sirpreis