Okay, I have a spot in my mouth. I don't get these but once in a blue moon, and I can't tie them to stress, or food allergy, etc., so I don't know WHY they decide to pop up when they do.

What I want to know is how to get rid of it the fastest. I have bought some medicine from Wal-Mart called Zilactin that works in its own time, but burns like $#@!, quite frankly. I have also tried Lysine tablets, which work for a friend of mine, but don't seem to have much affect on me, and rinsing with salt water, which when used in combination with the Zilactin, seems to help somewhat. Any other suggestions I might have missed?

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), February 28, 2002

Answers

if it burns, its working,, could also try hydrogen peroixide on it, use as a mouth rinse, ,hold as long as you can

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), February 28, 2002.

I have used a tea bag soaked in very cold water, and held against the sore spot. Seems to give some relief for me.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), February 28, 2002.

Christine~

When my mom was taking chemo she would get these terrible! She swore that drinking buttermilk and eating yogurt helped. This would be a tastier, less painful method of treating them!

-- Ivy in NW AR (balch84@cox-internet.com), March 01, 2002.

Extreme acidity seemed to be what brought canker sores on for me. Sugar, even a lot of oranges, did it for me. (Maybe because the oranges are picked green?)

I no longer eat sugar (except the only whole one, Rapadura) and don't really care for oranges. (Love tangerines, fully ripe.) Lemons and grapefruit are fine.

Haven't had a canker sore in at least 20 years!!

-- HV (veggie@ourplace.com), March 01, 2002.

Oh yes, forgot to say that Vitamin C was the worst! Mostly synthetic anyway, even though they can call it natural because it is SYNTHESIZED from corn sugar.

-- HV (veggie@ourplace.com), March 01, 2002.

A touch of alum...tastes BAD but works!

-- DW (djwallace@sotc.net), March 01, 2002.

The quickest cure is tea tree oil. I put it on a swab full strength and give it a good goin over. It's usually gone overnight. Blessings Peggy

-- peggy (peggyan2@msn.com), March 02, 2002.

I have read that if you get them frequently, you are deficient in folic acid. My daughter used to get them all the time and when I put her on a low dose of folic acid, she never got them again.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), March 02, 2002.

I agree with Peggy--doctor them with tee tree oil----works fast --- then take acidophilus---to prevent them----

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), March 02, 2002.

Good news is this one is getting better. I haven't heard the Tea Tree Oil suggestion before, I will definitely try that one. It can't be any worse than the Zilactin, which forms a coating over, but is mostly alcohol, hence the burning (the package says you "may experience a mild stinging sensation" - yeah, the same as if you stuck your hand in the fireplace instead of the poker!).

I'll remember the Hydrogen Peroxide, if I don't have anything else around here I always have that and salt water!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), March 02, 2002.