canker sore treatment
No one likes canker sores, and from my research, no one knows how to prevent them either, so until a remedy is found, we’re stuck with them.
I don’t get them that often so it’s not a big deal, but it’s still an annoyance. It was unpleasant enough that I once wrote about having a canker sore which resulted in people finding my site searching for a way to get rid of their canker sore. In order to help those people out, I provided a few remedies I had found on the web, but none of them were the silver bullet I was looking for. I left it at that until a few days ago.
I received an e-mail from Tim Durham of Canker-Rid telling me about his company’s product. I was skeptical of the claims in the e-mail and on his web site, so I presented him with an offer. I asked him to send me a sample that I could try and in return I would write about it here.
He agreed to take me up on my offer and the shipment is on its way as I write this. My current canker sore will be gone by the time the shipment arrives, but the next time I or anyone else I know gets a canker sore, I’m going to test it out (or ask the person to test it out for me). I will then write another post discussing how it worked.
As I already told Tim, the fact that he’s willing to let me test it instills confidence in the product already. I’m almost looking forward to getting another canker sore, because if it’s as good as he says it is, I can imagine a lot of people would love to hear about it.
Then I feel the sharp pain in my mouth and am content to wait a while until I get another one.
Stay tuned.
Update: Thanks for all the great input folks. Keep the experiences, remedies and advice coming. Here are all the remedies everyone has listed, as well as a few products I’ve found to help relieve canker sore pain. Please continue to share any other suggestions or useful tips you may have so we can all benefit. I’ve put the most effective remedies at the top.
Potential cures / remedies / preventative measures
- Debacterol, supposed to cauterize the ulcer. Burns and stings on application, but it stops hurting. Has helped several commenters
- Biotene toothpaste or mouthwash
– Has been an effective cure for multiple commenters
- Use non SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) toothpaste like Rembrandt for Canker Sores, Squiggle, Mentadent, Wella. Dentist.net has several other potential remedies too.
- Ask your dentist for Aphthasol – prevents and stops the tissue from ulcerating, can prevent an early stage canker from forming. Dry your mouth before applying.
- Lysine once a day until it goes away. Ask trained medical professional for proper dosage.
- Silver nitrate stick (Can be purchased at pharmacy, follow directions that come with it)
- Slosh lukewarm saltwater or apply salt directly
- Chloraseptic throat spray or lozenges
- Orabase Soothe-N-Seal from Colgate – Some complain the seal only lasts 30 minutes and when it comes off it takes the top layer of the canker sore with it
- Lidocaine 2% solution
- Pain killer (Ibuprofen)
- Anbesol (20% benzocaine) – Dentist said it makes cankers worse
- Canker Cool Swab
– Soak a cotton ball with a small amount and apply it to the canker sore 3 times daily.
- Herbal Canker Sore Gel
Says it eliminates canker sore pain, speeds canker sore healing and forms a protective gel over canker sore. It includes a soft brush for painless application.
- G.U.M. mouth rinse – said not to be very effective
- Slosh with DGL powder (licorice herb) and water
- Dab with Hydrogen Peroxide then Milk of Magnesia, or soak Q-tip with 50/50 mix of peroxide and water and apply directly to sore
- Benadryl Elixir and Milk of Magnesia (or Benadryl Elixir and Kaopectate)
- Dab alum powder directly on the canker sore with a Qtip. Stings on application but dries up the sore.
- Penicillin (Keflex)
- Kanka – masks the pain for a few hours
- Baking soda
- White Oak Bark or Raspberry Leaf Powder Tea
- Canker-Rid
- Eating yogurt with Acidophilus
- CankerAid
- Apply Aspirin tablet directly on sore – numbs pain for a few hours
- Slosh apple cider vinegar
- Clobetasol Propionate ointment 0.05% prescription – apply twice daily, morning and night
- Zoxirax (Acyclovir) prescription – good for throat sores
- Ice cold water to numb the sore
- Tea Tree Oil on a q-tip applied to the canker sore
- Vitamin B12
- Cepacol Dual Relief spray
- Watermelon Frost – Chinese medicine
Potential causes of canker sores
- Toothpaste with SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate)
- Tomatoes (combined with beef?)
- Sugary products like chocolate, Coke, Mountain Dew
- Biting inside of your mouth
- Orange juice
- Citrus fruit
- Stress
- Autoimmune disease called Behçet’s
- Celiac disease (a Gluten intolerance)
- Lupus
- Allergy to Eugenol
- Codeine-based medicine
- Amylase deficiency
I’m not a doctor, just a guy on the internet, so if you’re in serious pain, go see your doctor. If you are given an effective treatment, please share it with us
Dan, I get canker sores almost on a monthly basis. In fact, I have two right now. If you get that sample within the next few days, I’d be willing to be your test subject.
Jason: Excellent. It should arrive in 4-5 days.
I actually have a canker sore too right now, though it’s probably been years since I last had one. Must be fate.
There IS a cure for cankers, as least there was for me. Use toothpaste that does not contain SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate). I switched from just any old toothpaste (Crest, AquaFresh, etc) to Mentadent or Rembrandt, and the only time I get them is if I cause them myself (biting into my cheek, usually).
Try it out!
Cameron: I’ll give you one of the bottles of Canker-Rid.
George: Is that really a cure? It sounds like a preventative measure.
I would like to know what works too. I have found a site that is trying to go non-commercial – seems like a good application of the internet to find a cure for these little suckers. It costs $4, but I believe what they are doing is right – trying to keep the peddlers out and letting those of us who suffer find each other and find cures – it is cheap and they seem to have lots of everyday things that really work for people. http://www.cankersorecure.info
Brig: Thanks for the link.
Dan, it may be preventative, but all I know is that I’ve lived with cankers my whole life (as did my father; it seems to be hereditary), and upon switching toothpastes, I rarely get them. To me it’s a cure!
Good luck!
George: Maybe I should try it then :)
i though that was pretty good, i have a canker sore too, so i look some stuff on the internet and i found this, this helped me a little thanks
I get cankers if I eat to may tomatoes and I have one right know I try to swish salt water in my mouth but I still sufer
I am only ten and I get them someone told me it is from the bacteria in your mouth I get them from tomatoes I have one right now I WHANT A CURE
I have 2 canker sores right now on my throat on both sides and by my ear canals. It is so horribly painful…I feel like I have a terrible earache, plus my throat hurts. This occurs at leat once a year, it would be nice to have a cure, but it would be great in the mean time to have some way to dull the pain for awhile. Any numbing stuff you get from the stores wears off in minutes, and makes you sick if you use too much. I feel helpless!
I really relate to all you canker sufferers, I get them all the time too. They are so awful… For those harder to reach ones in the back of the mouth or throat – spray a sore throat spray like Chloraseptic. That helps for a short time. I just keep spraying the dang things frequently. Also there is a product out from Colgate called Orabase Sooth-N-Seal which forms a protective coating over the sore and helps relieve the pain for quite a while. This is really good to use when you go to bed. I also got Lidocaine 2% solution prescribed once, it’s a gel that numbs the areas but doesn’t last that long. Helps long enough for a phone call or something. And I take ibuprofen for the pain if it’s real bad, it helps dull it. Thanks for the tips about toothpaste, will have to switch and see if that helps.
i get canker sores all the time
brianna: If you’ll pay for shipping, I can send you one of the samples I got from Tim.
I had minor surgery a few days ago. I didn’t get tubed, instead they just put an oxygen mask over my mouth. During surgery I guess I had bitten down on my tongue – really hard. A day later, I noticed a huge ulcer/canker sore(4-5mm) on the bottom side of my tongue. Nothing over the counter works. The Colgate Orabase Sooth-N-Seal ($8)only made it worse. The G.U.M. mouth rinse ($7)for canker sores didn’t do a thing but empty my wallet.
The Sooth-N-Seal stings alot when applied, but then when the “seal” comes off (usually w/in 30 min – one hour) – it would take the top layer of the canker off w/ it…..leaving a FRESH wound ! OUCH !! It’s been 5 days now. I can’t sleep – I keep waking to a “burning” feeling on my tongue. I use Anbesol (20% benzocane) which is the only thing that seems to give me at least a little relief, and I take advil to help numb the pain for only a couple hours of sleep at a time.
I’ve tried other home remedies such as dabbing it w/ peroxide and then with milk of magnesia -as read about on the internet- I couldn’t tell a difference. I even tried DGL powder -(licorice herb)& water as a mouthwash which was said to improve canker sores 50-75% the first day – still no relief. I’ve tried dabbing w/ baking soda as well – that stings too. It hurts so much, it feels like I am getting an ear infection too….strange?
Tonight I’ve started taking penicillan (Keflex) which I had in the medicine cabinet…(I have read that it helps canker sores too). I have run out of ideas. If it’s not getting better in a day or so- I’m calling my dr. I’ll keep you posted.
Any other suggestions?
Karen: It sounds like you’ve run through most of the things I would have suggested. I think talking to your doctor is the best thing to do.
i used to get them a lot. then i switched toothpaste and it helped. its caused by iron deffincies as well as menstruation, too.
i have gotten canker sores my whole life!! i hear you should take lysine 3000 mg a day until it goes away it suppose to speed up the process! but right now i have two on tthe tip of my tounge! i cant eat anything nor can i drink ne thing without being in a lot of pain!!! i dont know what to do! i cant even talk properly!! it hurts so bad this has been the worst i’ve ever had them!
please update us on that product and let us know if it really works and how painful it is!! thanks!!
“I have suffered from chronic canker sores in my mouth for years. I am now taking apple cider vinegar along with using a toothpaste without sodium lauryl sulphate in it, and I am canker sore free!”
Dude!ouch my canker hurts. Man i wish there was something that would take it away in a matter of hours well good luck hey if all possible iwana try that canker-rid if it works you can bet i will buy like 3 bottles cause i hate canker sores more than any thing i cant talk food doesent seem to be tastefull is horrible well got to go ime in school ttyl.
You all SHOULD really “Google” for a product called “Debacterol”. It’s only supposed to be able to be purchased by dentists, but if you Google , you can find it for sale. It really does cauterize the ulcer, which relieves the pain 100%. I highly encourage you all to invesigate thisproduct as a tool in your belt to help relieve the pain.
Please help!! I have just experienced canker sores recently, I have never in my life had problems with canker sores on my tounge, they are painful and I am getting so discouraged, plus reading and doing research on the internet has made me paranoid about this disease, I have read many different insights on canker sores, I have even read horrible stories that sometimes canker sores can develop into cancer, I am already a paranoid person, please if anyone can please tell me what causes canker sores and is there hope for curing? I have already experienced 3 canker sores back to back. I switched to children’s colgate, thought it was the toothpaste I was using prior to the canker sore dilema, then I thought it was the chocolate, I have always eaten chocolate never a problem in the past, I need some helpful encoraging advice PLEASE!!!!!! I would greatly appreciate any advice out there!!!!
Irene Gutierrez
Whatever happened with the Canker-Rid. Did it work? I have been having canker sores back to back. One would finally go away and another one would come. I am looking for some relief. Please help.
Gail
If you really can’t take it, call your dentist and ask for a drug called aphthasol. It is the only drug proven to decrease the duration of aphthous ulcers (canker sores). Unlike Debacterol, it doesn’t cauterize (burn) the canker sore, but prevents and stops the tissue from ulcerating. If treated in the earliest phases (when it becomes red and you can tell you’re getting one), it can prevent the canker sore from forming altogether. However, if its already in full-swing, the drug can reduce time time the sore develops and heals by a few days. Plus, its pain free. Kind of annoying to apply; dry your mouth first. But it works.
Hope it helps! I have one now, but I’m fresh out of aphthasol.
Yeah, i have a canker right now on my lower lip, caused when i bit myself eating a sandwich :(
Neways, yes the chemical a dentist or orthodontist gives you (Debacterol) burns like the dickens, but honestly the pain is totally gone after the burning stops – not only for an hour or two, but till the canker heals, it’s wonderful!!!
whoever suffers from a lot of cankers like i do should really try this.
I have always used baking soda for canker sores….damn does it burn when you apply it…it numbs your sore for a bit…it seems to cut the days to about 6 from 10. Also I always go to my doctor and what he does to get rid of hte sore is he gets this little stick and places it on my sore and it burns it… it hurts but instantly its gone…what is this thing he is using on me?
sometimes i get them really badly, mainly when i induldge in too many tomatoes, bite my mouth or drink too much orange juice. ive found that applying asprin directly on it, numbs the pain for a couple of hrs. i also heard that a daily doasge of apple cider vinegar prevents it. does anyone know if it helps?
As far as I know canker sores are mainly caused due to attack of our own immune system. Put some salt in luke warm water and gargle freqently. It helps to decrease pain and also frequent gargling will exfoliate the upper skin of the sore and thus helps in speedy recovery.
I need some help here. My family has been suffering from canker sores including me. For how many years of experiencing this problem, still i didn’t get any remedy just to even experience a canker sore free month. I used to have it all the time and it keeps on coming back. The worst think is that i’m from the Philippines and i’ve been looking for some medications for this. I’ve tried most of them but still it doesn’t cure me nor my brothers. If anyone could help me with this problem, i would really appreciate it and i’ll even introduce that particular medication to the drug stores here in the philippines. If anybody who’s really kind enough to help me with this just please do so. Please call me through my number (+639069694272) or you can send me a message. or you can email me e08738@etelecare.com … i badly needed anyones help for this. I will look forward to your emails and reaplies here… thank you so much…
-marlowe
i have got canker sores most of my life, but recently they have gotten worse. i have got two at the same time and they are so incredibly painful. i don’t know what to do, i can barely sleep. aspirin eases the pain, but only temporarily. it is hard to eat or even smile. salt water does not even work.
I currenlty have about 19 canker sores!! Just came off from a stressful week & they appear. I have suffered from them forever, and cannot get any help from my dentist…What Works????
I have alot of canker sores in my mouth, there all over the place! I’ve tried salt and water but it wasn’t been working! what do i do!
When i get them i get 4 or 5 and this happens all the time. I havent had no canker sores in the past six months so if anyone has an extremely good cure please tell me
I get lots of canker sores and later learned that mine are due to having an autoimmune disease called Behcet’s. Please tell your doctor about your canker sores if you have any other physical problems: skin sores, genital sores, eye inflammation, arthritis, gastrointestinal distress, etc. These symptoms can be related if they are due to your body attacking itself. Lupus and AIDS can also cause repeated canker sores. These diseases need serious treatment by specialists. You can Google these disease plus “canker sores” to get more information.
i’m a lifetime, 36 yr-old, chronic sufferer. pain so great i would talk only if i absolutely had to. around age 25 it seemed i was getting them continually. relief came around age 28 from two things:
1. a new toothpaste called biotene. yes it’s SLS free, and much more gentle than average toothpaste. i try to brush after *every* meal with it.
2. over a few months i also paid close attention to my meals. tomatoes & beef combined in a meal seemed to trigger large-scale canker outbreaks. this combo is very popular in north-american food.
since then i still get the occasional sore, but it’s usually very minor and goes away quickly.
ditto on the frequency and duration for me.presently two on my tongue,twon on my upper gums and atleast 2 in the back of my throat,I use Kanka on the ones i can reach with my finger ,it is a orabase product ,lasts for about1.5 hours of talking ,also get viscous lidocaine ,has the cosistency of snot ,but if you mix it with water ,you can garle with it.this stuff numbs everything ,if you were to dring a little bit you would have a hard time eating ,you could swallow boiling water and not feel it ,only lasts a short time maybe enoughto get a meal in ,beleive it or not if i go out and drink alot of tap beer ,to the point of a hangover in the am ,the sores are almost gone,anybody try the canker rid recently?
Someone mentioned a stick used for coterizing. I just went to the ER for a cancer sore that is huge, about 1cm across. It’s either caused by my chemo or by biting my cheek. They coterized it with a silver nitrate stick, which hurts like hell. It also ran down my throat and made my throat feel like I had been puking. Now I think the two Tylenol3s are finally beginning to kick in. Dang this thing hurts. Even with salt water and mouthwash this thing grew and grew! Any other miracle cure out there? I hope the coterizing helps, It still hurts a lot right now.
Russ
So they used a silver nitrate stick? is that like a stiptic stick (spelling)?
did it work?
“I have always used baking soda for canker sores….damn does it burn when you apply it…it numbs your sore for a bit…it seems to cut the days to about 6 from 10. Also I always go to my doctor and what he does to get rid of hte sore is he gets this little stick and places it on my sore and it burns it… it hurts but instantly its gone…what is this thing he is using on me? ”
This is a wooden stick coated with silver nitrate at one end. The silver nitrate is very corrosive so it basically cauterizes it without actual heat – basically a chemical burn. Once a canker sore cauterizes it heals quicker because you have gotten rid of the ulcer and all that is left is a burn that does not remain very painful (burns heal quicker than canker sores). What I do since I don’t have these silver nitrate sticks is taken a sewing pin, cut off the sharp tip, heat it in a flame until it is red, and burn the sore in several spots. It definately hurts when you burn it, but after that the pain is basically gone and it will heal within 2 days.
White Oak Bark Powder Tea – Great for cankers (Can get the white oak bark powder from herb shop for cheap and then make a tea). Swish it around the mouth and spit it out or sip on it.
Rasberry Leaf Powder Tea – Also Helps (Can swish and spit it out or sip on it). Info from Mr Christophers Herbal Solutions.
I started using Biotene from my local Wal-Mart without the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in the toothpaste and mouthwash products. Bit my lip without a canker sore a couple times this past three weeks! This is a cure for me also! Hope the rest of you try it! Good Luck
I HAVE 2 LARGE ULCERS ON MY TONGUE THAT ARE DRIVING ME MAD. I HAVE HAD A FEW MEDICATIONS RECOMMENDED BY THE PHARMASIST WITHOUT LUCK.I RINSE MY MOUTH DAILY WITH BI-CARB AND SALT PLUS USING A DENTAL MOUTHWASH. STILL NO LUCK.
WHEN I GET THEM THEY SEEM TO TAKE AN ETERNITY TO HEAL UP.I AM DESPERATE AND WILL GIVE ANYTHING A SHOT. CAN ANYONE HELP ME PLEASE ?
Mine were because of an allergy to Eugenol which was placed in my teeth by a dentist. See the following link:
http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v193/n5/full/4801539a.html
Did anyone ever try the Canker-Rid? Please tell us the results!
Staci: Sorry, I never provided links to the results.
https://dan.hersam.com/archives/2005/02/07/canker-rid
http://www.ahoyhoy.org/wordpress/index.php?p=446
http://cameron.harr.org/oldblog/archives/000179.html
To heal CANKER SORE use ALUM, disolve Alum with water and hold it in the mouth for 5 minutes and then spit it, repeat for 30 minutes more. Appy it for tho days…and ALUM is very cheap also.
I just received an e-mail about another possible remedy. If anyone’s brave enough to try it, I’d be curious to hear how it goes.
Hello,
This is not a crank e-mail; so, you hereby have the opportunity to help
others.
I have recommended this to doctors and I’m sure they have ignored it – it
doesn’t make them money.
Anyway, years ago, they had this nasty phosphorus stick that hurt like
heck for canker sores.
I hated it since it burned and hurt; you had to hold there seemingly
forever, but it seemed to work.
Then I came up with the logic: okay burn it.
You will think this is horrible, but frankly, it really, really is not.
Why hurt for many hours when you can “hurt” for less than one
second???????????????????
The instant you think you have a canker sore started, stop it in its
tracks!
You clean and take a metal item like a screw drive and hold it over a
fire until it is fairly hot.
Carefully and very quickly touch the canker sore with the hot item.
You’re done!
I’m amazed, it really does not seem to hurt (probably scared people could
use ice 1st to numb it).
What I have experienced is that it might come back periodically, but my
last attack was about 5 years ago.
I truly believe it kills the virus and it is permanently dead. It’s
simply wonderful.
If you need to call me, I do not mind, but you now know what I know.
Hopefully, you can end some other people’s misery!
Bob
Was looking for a cure for my canker sore and saw alot of good ideas, and alot that can be very dangerous. First Silver Nitrate sticks are poisionous so should only be used by health care profesionals, and second burning your mouth that’s insane do you all know how many GERMS are in your mouth. Besides u could end up doing more damage than than good. Just imagine you missing the sore and now your faced with 2 problems, not to mention the risk for a worse INFECTION.
supposedly according to my dentist, anbesol only makes it worse…I am very prone to cankers and get them the size of dimes every couple of weeks. When I talked to my doctor, the only thing he suggested was switch toothpastes, I had before I even talked to my doctor and instead of getting 3 or 4 at a time, I only got one. He also suggested mixing some Benadryl Elixer and Milk of Magnesia, I have yet to try it. I have also heard that Buckleys works well..just not on me. My personal favourite after using pretty well everything on the market and not finding anything(this doesnt’ work on children..well it probably would I just dont’ suggest you try it) is swish with some vodka. It’s going to sting like the dickens but it gets rid of my cankers within 48 hrs.
I also, suffer from caker sores all the time. It seems like I always have a couple. I switched my toothpaste from “Close-Up” to “Oral-B Rembrandt for Canker Sores.” It says on the tube “clinically proven to reduce and prevent canker sores by up to 80%” It has helped alot for me. I hardly ever get them! Only when I bite my cheek or something.. but when that happens, Alum is the only way to go. It hurts, but it is soo much better than being in pain for a couple weeks at a time!
ALUM worked for me, it cautroizes it (spelling) and i just wet a q-tip and dip it in the alum straight powder and place on sore, hurts like a mother but heals quicker and it was an old remedy my aunt used for me when i was a kid. woot woot. but i get them all the time as soon as i bit my cheek or something i can always assume a sore there. so i will try the toothpaste switch too thanks!!! also how did that canker-rid work??? take care all of you fellow suffers, ive got three in my mouth now.. :P
Quick comment on the Alum, make sure it is powder, not granular, or it doesn’t work nearly as well. Best of luck!
Went to the doctor with a sore throat. It became evident to me that it was really canker sores in my throat. The pain was excruciating went back to the doctor and the “expletive” laughed at me, and told me it was just a sore throat and to basically get over it. I have spent the last 5 days in bed in hopes that sleeping would keep the pain at bay.
For the past month and a half or so I’ve had anywhere from 6-18 sores in my mouth. The worst are the ones on teh tip of my tounge of which I have three. The other 8 are spread around my mouth, mostly on the underside of my tounge and around my lips. Since I can’t talk, eat or do some things that are important to a healthy relationship (*cough*) well it’s made life rather miserable. I guess I’ll just try the same things everyone else has…
Well I had those cankers from my childhood (now I’m 53) and there is no better cure for them that silver nitrate. I received once a small botle from a friend dentist and he told me how to use it. Take a tooth-pick put it only a bit in the liquid and then touch the canker. If the canker is big you will have to repeat this procedure. First you will experience a very strong pain (it will last only 10-15secs) but after this you will be able to eat properly without any pain. The canker will heal in almost the same time but without to bother you anymore.
I think I inherited this disease from my mother cause she had it for all her life. She used the same silver nitrate bottle we had for a very long time with very good results.
One more thing. Our friend told use to use silver nitrate only in very small amounts because it is a poison and to rinse the mouth with water after pain has gone. That will be after 10-15 secs as I said before.
I’ve had canker sores since I was a teen. Mine usually come from consistantly eating/drinking sugar products (chocolate, Coke, Mt Dew…). They usually last 2 about wks. Rinsing with Hydrogen Peroxide usually reduces the time it takes to clear up by a few days. Kanka will only mask the pain for a few hours but hurts like the dickens and does not reduce clear up time. I’m hoping to try some of the other suggestions here because I have an exposed canker sore on my lip for the first time and my wedding is in 5 days!
I have had outbreaks for the past two years. Sometimes I get one or two, and sometimes I get 9 or 10. Usually they are spread out all over my mouth. I came to find my largest outbreaks came when ever I would take any codeine based medicine (i was taking Perkaset for my back). I too switched toothpaste and it does help a little but I still get outbreaks. I am now about to get a large outbreak because my back went out and I had to take Tylenol 3 to even move. I never heard of the silver nitrate trick though. Is that something only a doctor can do?
Dave: Congratulations on the wedding and best of luck on getting it to clear up in time.
Lay off the sweets and acid forming foods like coffe and cornflakes etc. Take viamin C complex Use listerine and camphophinic on sores. I haven’t had a canker soar in years. When I do get one its gone in a matter of hours.
Now, If you get bad ones after much antibiocs do ALL of the above but get on asidophales as soon as possible. Keep on it. Talk to health food store if you don’t know what that is. Yogurt (plain) has it but capsules are better. It puts back the good stuff the anibiotics killed.
Clemons Utah
I too have suffered many years with canker sores but usually only one large one needless to say a nasty little blighter. I eat a healthy diet, I get adequate sleep, I exercise, I have less stress in my life but it doesn’t seem to really make much of a difference – occassional remissions but nothing long lasting. I feel that there is no miracle cure out there. I think that once your immune system reacts to this condition (whatever maybe causing it, that’s it! For some of us life is just unfair and as much as I would like to be an optimist, that is just life. Now I know that is no consolation when you are in agony or when you are so fed up and frustrated you go searching for clues, searching for possible solutions hence why I’m here right now but I really think it is going to be one of those ‘mystery’s of the world’ ~ unsolvabe. If only things were different. :-)
I don’t think this actually cures it but it really does help the pain. My primary doctor gave me this for a sore throat but I used it for months when I had canker sores. It works like a dream. It’s a mixture of Benadryl, Milk of Magnesia, and something else you swish in your mouth. If you mention the ingredients to your doctor, I’m sure they can tell you. Anyway, it really numbs everything and seems to make them heal faster. Since I often bite my lower lip and cheek, I get them on my tongue pretty often. Hope this helps!
Hi. I just found your site by accident. My family seems to carry canker sores. As I grew up, mine actually got as big as a dime, oozy, and my face and neck would swell and get sore as they drained. My uncle found that eating yogurt everyday, from the beginning when you feel the sore spot starting, helped him. My friend said she drinks more water at that time.
I did both of those things, and stopped getting them, even when I bit my lip. I used to have several at a time, but now I rarely get one. If I do, I eat the yogurt (with acidophylis -spelling?)and it goes away in a few days.
I am living proof that it works, because I even got them under my tongue. It was horrible!
Yes, my family and children suffer from the sores as well. We found that switcing to
a Laurel Sulfate free toothpast really helps.(LS breaks down the wall lining of the inner mouth). For young children we found a gel based
toothpasted called Wella and for older children/adults Kiss my Face makes a tothpast LS free. Believe it or not swishing/swallowing Coke with cafeiene also helps before and during a meal. Sounds silly I know but you d what you have to do.
At the risk of sounding like a commercial, there is one prescription treatment specifically for canker sores. It’s called Aphthsaol (pronounced AP-thi-sol). It’s a paste you put on a couple of times a day and it made my canker sores go away in days. You have to get a prescription from a dentist, but if you get bad canker sores it’s totally worth it.
I get canker sores all the time. At least4-6 per month. This is better then app. a year ago, I would get 3 or 4 at a time. Right now I have had one in my throat for app. 9 days. My ear is very very sore as well. I went to the Dr. this time to make sure its a canker because it’s so far down my throat I can’t see it, the Dr. couldn’t see anything either. I’ve read your other postings and tried all the remedies listed including others not listed but nothing helps. It hurts so much I have trouble concentrating.
I have been getting these or years, pritty much my whole life. When i was little they really hurt. Now the ones on my cheeks and lips don’t bother me much at all. The ones on the tip of my toung gives me so much pain.
People keeps saying they are going to be a mystery of the world. I think that the reaserches just don’t want to find a cure. I know that they can find a cure.
I have used canker-Aid. It works great in like a day, I just got one on my toung and now i cant find it. If you know where i can buy some of this please let me know
I am thinking about checking at CVS next time i am out.
I have had these since I was a kid and yes it is hereditary. 4 years ago, in August, I had a sore throat that was so painful I could not eat or sleep. I went to the doctor who put me on antibiotics. My sore throat went away and came back a week later. I went to an alergist, who said I had “large lesions (spelling) in my throat. Eventually they seemed to move to the top of my throat where I could now see them. They looked exactly like cankers. Ever since then, I have this sore throat which lasts for about 3 weeks every year in August – September. Obviously anything topical can’t be used as they are in my throat. It is so painful it is ridiculous. Today is August 30 and I have two cankers, one on the bottom of my tongue and one on my lip. This is usually how it starts. I have read that sudafed and advil have been suspected of causing cankers. So, for the last 6 months I have not taken a single dose of ANYTHING except lysine. So if it happens again, it has nothing to do with advil or sudafed and lysine doesnt help. I have also heard of this being possibly realted to alergies, namely ragweed season – yet to be proven. I do believe that these dam things are immune system related. They always seem to show up when I have not taken care of myself by working too much and lack of sleep. I also suspect sugary food like sweets are a strong possibility but again is just another guess. After reading this entire thread it seems my next step is that cider viniger stuff, changing toothpaste, and drinking lots of water. However, every August for 4 years tells me it aint gonna help. So anyone who has had a wicked sore throat, and gets caker sores, you may just have a throat full of these things. But hey, my freind is dying of cancer so I feel embarrassed even submitting this. Good luck everyone.
I’m prone to canker sores as well and do use SLS free toothpaste which usually keeps them away. But right now (sept 7) I have two major ones — one on the back of my throat and one inside the hinge of my jaw. So incredibly painful! Talking and eating are just excruciating. I’ve been doing the Orabase via Q-tip which does help for a short while but it’s so moist in there, it just seems to rinse away. I’m curious about the apple cider vinegar — does this help get rid of them or just a preventative. As a side note, I’ve been getting tests for immune disorders due to + ANA and SED rate tests. But so far, lupus is negative and they don’t know what’s elevating the ANA & SED. The outbreaks of cankers makes me think there is something going on though re: my immune system. Wish I knew what!
Please God I need a cure for these canker sores
I get the canker sores about one per week, the sores are caused by the herpes symplex virus, the way I control them is by taking lysene 1000mg pill, every few hours, after I started to use lysene I did not get those terrible head aches and pain around the sores. The lysene slows the virus action, even though there is no cure to kill the virus currently, it lives in your nervous system. I have also been using Zilactin-B gel to place over the sore to temporarily numb it. What I want to investigate further is the cauterization with Silver Nitrate, Alum powder or Debacterol, if anyone has compared these three?
I have gotten canker sores for my whole life..I am only 18 but I cannot remember a time where I have even gone a month without at least one canker sore. I do in fact have CANKER RID, and am using it. It hurts incredibly bad to put on but takes away the pain for quite a while..it forms a sort of film over the sore. I also use the rembrant toothpaste, and take lysine, and sadly to say I have not found a sure fire way to shorten them or reduce them. It seems like I won’t get them for like two weeks and then I’ll get like 5 of them at once. Currently I have a huge one on my throat, and two large ones on my bottom lip. I don’t know if having them weakens the immune system, but now I have a bad cold on top of it. It’s an awful vicious cycle, and I cannot wait until there’s a cure. I mentioned that I get them to my doctor and he recommends putting cinnamin or broken down tums on them…but I’m skeptical and haven’t tried them. I don’t know maybe someone out there will. I feel your pain!!!!
I have had an excruciating sore throat for about five days. I can’t swallow or talk. I am prone to cankers so I think i have at least a few down my throat from taking large potassium pills. When I took an kind of NSAID I would get a mouth full of cankers. I have used Kenalog in Orabase; don’t think it really helps. I don’t think anything helps but time. I not only have them down my throat right now, but on my cheek and the tip of my tongue. I think they are cause by stress.
My name is Brian, I wrpte post 70. Since those two caker sores, I have not had any. I have been taking the lysine non stop for months, everyday no fail. This will be the first year my sore throat has not occurred in 4 years. I really don’t know what is helping but here are the facts:
1. Ragweed was not bad this year, at least by me – Some think this is related to alergies.
2. I have not taken a single sudafed or advil in 8 months – also a theory.
3. I have taken lysine everyday for 6 + months.
4. I have basically eliminated sweets from my diet – yet another theory.
Finally, one thing to note, the two I had back in August were the really nasty painful ones on the bottom of my tongue. Historically, these have take a long time to heal. However, they went away quite fast this time. This is either because of the fact that I was taking lysine every day, or the lack of sweets, or the fact that i began using listerine whn I got them, or a combo of the three.
I hope this helps someone, I believe if we all watch our diet and keep notes, we will eventually see a trend.
Good luck.
OKAY!
Here is help! I have had cancer sores all my life just as horrible as the rest of you. I was diagnosed with Behcets just like a previous blog. If you go the the johns hopkins website and check out Behcets of Vascular inflammatory disease you might see your self there. A toothpaste with out sodium laureth sulfate is the first step and a must.( I use rembrant) The next step is to use Clobetasol Propionate ointment 0.05% when you first get a sore.(This is a prescription) Apply twice a day morning and night. Use a q-tip. I usually only have to do it for two days and that heads it off at the pass. I haven’t tried this yet but when I get them in my throat I thought of making a small paste and swollowing or gargling with it. As ichy as this sounds if you are a true behcets patient you will experience these sores on your privates. This also works there.
I have also incorporated special vitamins for inflammation that also help.
It breaks my heart to hear of your suffering. I know.
Please try this and let me know. Or if you have questions about Behcets.
I can be reached at martasalk@hotmail.com
Marta
I have one under my tongue and its not too pain full but it bothers me I have had one or two before.. but I dont have the insurance to go to the dentest or doctors right now to get a Prescription… I hate it… I really hope it goes away
Another vote for Debacterol. My daughter has gotten cankers since she was young and Debacterol cauterizes them and they are GONE in 24 hours or less. She used to get 3 or 4 at a time and this kills them. It’s a sulfuric acid solution in a q-tip applicator. Apparently hurts something awful, but the sores are gone, gone, gone! I found it on-line at Dr. Charles Smile Center. You can by 5 or 24. It’s expensive — $8/applicator, but it’s a CURE.
i have suffered from these all of my life. i’m now 35 and still get them. while less frequently, when they do come they’re still huge and extremely painful. don’t u just hate the tip of the tongue ones! im convinced that a major contributor to them is sugar. i’d like to know more/hear more about the Alum.
Ronnie: Just buy some Alum powder, put some on a Q-tip and apply it directly to the canker sore. It will burn for a few seconds.
My family has always used Campho-Phenique. I put a dab on my finger and put it right on the canker sore and by the next morning it is gone! The only thing is that it tastes AWFUL and I usually sit for a minute or two w/my mouth open.
I have had canker sores since I was 3. When I hit puberty, I had them all the time. I was always told canker sores were the same as cold sores and my cousin, my constant childhood companion, was diagnosed with herpes simplex. That is until she reached adulthood and found out she never had a coldsore, she simply had skin that was extremly sensitive to nasal dripage.
I had been test for herpes 3 times in junior high, all negitive. The last i heard canker sores are related to herpes simplex, but they are not the same, and it is hereditary. So, coldsore treatments don’t nessesarily help.
I get cankersores from anything acidic, hard candy, gum, any food that is sharp (chips, popcorn, nuts) eating to much sugar, or yeast, dehydration, stress, and bitting my lip.
My new dentist recommended using toothpaste without SLS. in the past 2 monthes I have had 1 cankersore! This never happens. He also recommended, as crazy as it sounds, swishing coke classic in my mouth followed by brushing 10 minutes later. This has worked to speed up the healing process.
I’ve used the Debactoral, too. It burned like crazy and smelled worse. My mouth became extremely swollen for about 18 hours. After that the pain stopped, but the cankersores still took a week to heal.
I used to get them all the time, and I’ve tried most home remedies with little success (mainly managed the pain via advil/tylenol, orajel, and–as a previous poster wrote–very cold coke with ice. I’ve come to believe it’s always caused by some sort of trauma (biting your cheek while eating is the most obvious example)–and that it’s important to be mindful of your sleeping position. While asleep, your teeth can rub against your mouth for hours at a time. Talk about trauma. Since I started modifying my sleeping position, using several pillows to alleviate the pressure of my teeth against my mouth, I’ve cut down 90% on these buggers. I’ve gone from having them about half the time, to having maybe 2 or 3 a year. Major relief.
Hello Everyone! I just found this site while looking for info for my mom. She has had chronic cankers forever. In my research I have found something that may be useful to all of you. There is a link between cankers and having an amylase deficiency. Your doctor can check your level with a simple blood test. He/she may argue but be insistant. If your doctor won’t do the test, find a good natrapath in your area. The lysine is good but you also need an amylase supplement and to gargle with licorice root extract. Just do a google search for amylase AND canker. The amylase deficiency is related to several other conditions – one of which is asthma. Amylase is the digestive enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates. Have you noticed how much worse those little suckers get if you feed them with sugar?? Maybe that’s why. I am still researching and learning. My mom’s Dr. says that it isn’t true but her dentist says it is. She is going to start the amylase, lysene and licorice root on monday. I know it could take as much as 3 months for her to make a full recovery. I will bookmark this site and will let you know if it helps her.
Hi, I’m a female 55 years old and I have been getting these canker sores since I was 14 years old. I’ve done, bought and tried it ALL. I know we all analize our diets, restful sleep patterns,and I can honestly say, I gave up sweets and fruit, even though I love them both, they always gave me canker sores. I broke down one week ago and ate a tangerine, it tasted so good, and within minutes I had a canker sore. The next morning I had 4 more. I’ll NEVER eat fruit again, I ate one apple a month ago, a few bites of it and thought of these horrible canker sores and I thre it away, within 10 minutes I had 2 canker sores. I’ve always known that strawberries gives me a mouth full of them, so I DEFINATELY, never !! eat them. I do use the toothpaste without sls, but that’s all if I get one, I let it or them run their course, because the more I doctor them, the larger they get. Good luck to all of you with these deamons.
I currently have a canker sore in my throat. Has anyone come up with a remedy for “throat” canker sore. The normal things you do for a mouth sore won’t work with one deep in your throat. The pain is unbearable.
Hi… I’ma girl of 20 years old. I’ve had two episodes of throat canker sores the past year.. It was terrible.. couldn’t eat, speak, swallow.. the things that helped me a little bit at first was benzocaine candy pills to help common throat pain I don’t know if they sell them in the United States, after a week i went to see a doctor and he prescribed me an antiviral medicine called Zoxirax (Acyclovir) and that was my cure.. I healed in about two days.. so if you can’t stand throat canker sores you don’t loose anything to go to see a doctor so he can prescribe some antiviral to you.. Some antivirals are a little pricy, but they really works. Well..hope you get better soon. Bye
Hello, I’m 15 years old and I’ve been suffering from canker sores for as long as I can remember.
Wow, I never heard of throat canker sores before. I didn’t even think it was possible, yet I got one. D:
It hurts like hell and I can barely eat. At first I thought I had a sore throat because I was getting sick. Well, this is the third day and I have no fever. I looked in the mirror (I did this the past 2 days and saw nothing) and saw the sore clearly! I was both grossed out yet relieved because I finally know what’s been causing me so much pain. Funny thing is, you’re not supposed to have acidic or spicy foods when you have a canker sore, but yesterday when I thought it was just a regular sore throat I ate some jalapeneos (they came with my friend’s fries) and drank orange juice and it actually made it feel better. :P
But other things that make the throat sore feel better are:
1) ice cold water
2) cough drops/throat lozenges
3) Soup/tea
Anything else seems to hurt. :(
So basically, avoid anything that’s room temperature.
I guess this goes without saying but salty foods also hurt to eat…
I’m a 30 year old guy, and I’ve had canker sores since I was a teenager. About 10 years ago I finally figured out the main cause if my sores was SLS in toothpaste. Now that I’m using SLS-free toothpaste, I only get sores if I happen to bite my cheek and then eat lots of sugary foods. Once I get them, I found that applying Tea Tree Oil on a q-tip to the canker sore helps them heal in a day or two.
The other problem I have is that I tend to get them in the back of my throat whenever I eat anything really sugary, like a donut or ice cream. But if I eat something starchy like chips or crackers immediately afterwards, I can usually prevent the canker sore from occuring. So I think somehow the sugar irritates the back of my throat. I’ve also found that I get canker sores easily if I only drink water with meals. I don’t drink coffee or tea or anything with caffeine, so I usually just have apple cider or root beer with my meals, and that prevents the sores. I’ve mentioned this to a variety of doctors and dentists, and they think I’m nuts.
So no one seems to know why we get them. I got a lot of them right now, but… for me they seem to pop up if I dont brush before bed (I’m 31, that shouldn’t happen, but what can I say), or when I am about to get sick or fighting off sickness, or as a doctor said whenever my immune system was weak. I never linked mine to any foods and I have always eaten A LOT. I did discover the most painful remedy that works for me anywhere in the mouth except the throat. Brush the hell out them. I usually wake up the next day and they’re gone. But the throat is where I need help. The back of my throat is covered and swollen. This has happened before and its never been any of the bad things like mono, strep, ect. What kind of research has been done on the actual mechanism that causes them, because I could care less about getting rid of them once I have them if I never have them again.
I don’t have the guts to try it, but the hot screwdriver may actually work. No, it’s not completely crazy, it cauterizes the wound which is the same thing Debacterol does. I haven’t used debacterol, but I have used negatan which I hear is essentially the same thing. (Don’t bother googling negatan – it hasn’t been made in many years) There are claims it doesn’t speed healing time. I believe such claims to be false – negatan did seem to speed recovery.
I’ve used the powdered alum. It gave relief but in the long run seemed to make it worse. However, I emphasize “seemed” because it wasn’t a blind study. There is no way to tell if it would have been worse or better without. It was a bad canker sore. Alum seems best applied as a slightly wet paste and it must be powdered – granulated does not work as well.
Debacterol can be purchased from the source.
https://www.epien.com/order_sec.html
They APPEAR (high emphasis) not to check if you are a doctor, they only have a check box that reads “Professional Use Only. By checking this box I certify that I am licensed to prescribe or distribute drugs.” I bet you could order it with no trouble. However, there is a chance that the police might show up at your door. If anybody has the guts to try this, PLEASE let us know. I recommend the bottle over the swabs; much cheaper, just use caution in applying it.
I believe the toxicity of the stuff is over rated – as long as you only use a drop and wash out your mouth well afterwards (DON’T SWALLOW!) you should be fine. Honestly, if this really is negatan incarnate, it should be available to everyone to end the suffering. Most of us can’t afford to go to the dentist every time we get a canker sore!!
I have the worse outbreak I’ve ever had. I have MANY throat cankers including on my uvula. L:ike a previous post I though I was getting a sore throat and a cold. But after two days with no sniffles etc…I figured it out. Changing toothpaste has worked for me before, but for me it was simple changing the ph somewhat in my mouth. Mentadent worked great-but I’m assuming this is a personal thing. The combo of baking soda and peroxide I’m guessing was the difference. I just came back from a vacation and the whole week I was using different (cinnamon flavored) toothpaste which I’m hoping it’s the culprit. I’ve also read that cankers are an immune system response, but more like an overactive response vs. a comprimised system- if that’s of some solace to folks here. I’ve read about the benedryl/milk of magnesia elixir on medical websites so will try that. Someone suggested Alum. When I was younger powered alum used to work OK but I forgot about it. I should get some again. God, I hope it works. It’s been 4 days barely eating. Maybe it’s God’s way of telling me to lose weight
Mfk’ers. I hate these d*** things with my entire being. I seriously believe they are brought on by stress. My wife recently was commissioned as a Captain in the Air Force, which caused me to have to relocate, quit my current, comfy and quasi well paying job, schedule everything with our moves, practically exist in 2 places at once a state apart, unpack, paint etc…compound this with her finding out her dad was very ill back in the philippines in like the 4th day of her training. Immediately she wants to stop training and rush home. Of course we just bought a house, I’m unemployed and she’s understandably reacting on gut instinct. So stress was living high on the hog around me. Then, what’s that in my throat? It’s a little sore…hmm…feel fine everywhere else, maybe it’s strep. Strep comes back negative…ah, it’s been dry, maybe I just slept with my mouth open and the air was irritating it….
Then the glands on the side of the neck start swelling a little. Can’t see anything except it’s a little red. Cutting to the chase, I now have 4-5 nice long cankers running the lengthwise down my throat. One of the so deep I can only reach it with a q-tip and can’t even see it with a dental mirror. They also just happen to be in the folds by the entrance point to the auditory canals, which makes for this fantastic earache that’s been there for a week or so. For those of you that only get them in your mouth picture with me if you will, someone sitting with a pair of sewing scissors clipping away at your tonsils, and sometimes they don’t work…like when you swallow, so they just have to grab the skin and yank it off nice and slow. That’s what they feel like. I also had them bad in the mouth when I was active duty in the military. The dentist actually took a picture to put on file they were soo bad. For 2.5 years, I never had less than 3 at any one time. I used to walk around work with a mouth full of 2% lidocaine, so I feel for you mouth sufferers as well. The ones in the throat really kick your a** though. They were so bad at one point, I was getting paranoid of sleeping because I thought I was going to wake up with my throat swollen shut.
What I’ve been doing personally, that’s allowed me to survive for the last 1.5 weeks without clawing someone’s face off.
Motrin 800’s (Ibuprofen) can be taken by most people up to 3200 milligrams a day. Typical dosing is every 8 hours, so 2400 milligrams is typically what’s prescribed. The literature however goes up to 3200. This is just me personally and I’m not a trained physician, so take it with a grain of salt. I alternate mot800mg’s with 1000mg of tylenol in a staggered dosing, so every 4 hours something for pain is going in. motrin, then tylenol, motrin then tylenol etc..so there’s always something on the way up, when the other is on the way down. You should not take these togethor by the way if you have any type of renal impairment. For those of you who are waking up feeling like you’ve been gargling jacks all night and have that nice dry razor blade feeling with hellacious uvular/tonsular swelling, I typically try to take the motrin before going to bed to keep the swelling down at night and i can actually swallow a little bit in the morning. That little regimen keeps things generally dulled a bit.
Now for immediate screaming death pain. I mix 1/3 of each, maalox, bendaryl and anbesol (or whatever 20% benzocaine solution you have available) in a childs oral syringe. It only taks a dab of this and it can hold you, assuming you’re doing alot of spitting and not swallowing too much for 45min to an hour. It’s convenient if you can get the ones with the little tops that fit on the syringe casing that way you can make a couple of these, leave them around the house, or take them with you. You don’t have to swallow this, usually I put the tip of the syringe right on the sore, give the plunger a little push, let it set for about 10-15 seconds then hock up what I can and spit it out.
Finally alot of the pain with these sores are caused by the secondary bacterial infection from the mouth entering the skin through these openings. Enter a 50/50 mix of peroxide 3% and water. If you wanna see something that looks like that volcano you made in 4th grade, get a couple q-tips soak them and lay them flat against one of these puppies. Prepare to look like a rabid dog. You may want a bib. This usually makes me feel alot better and actually numbs them up for a good while. I just started doing it in the morning when I get up and at night when I go to sleep. Results have been very satisfying. I love watching the little ba****** foam and suffer. :-D
That’s pretty much it, mostly blathering on I know, but I know when i go to sleep that tomorrow I’m going to wake up with a sore throat again. For those of you that made it this far into my rant, congratulations, you’ve not thought much about your issues for like 20 minutes or so I’d guess. :-) Everybody have a pain free night.
Hi Everyone
The first thing I want to say is to Chris. Please stop taking Advil. I am absolutely convinced that it is one of the triggers for canker sores among the many others. I also wanted to say thank-you to everyone who shared their stories and their pain. I am 37 and I have kept track of these canker sores for years. If you want to see if your diet is playing a role, check out the websites that give you the Lysine/Arginine ratio in food and you will quickly see that what you are eating can be a trigger. I have tried many of the treatments listed above, but the best ones are the preventative ones. You cannot eliminate stress from your life. But when you are under stress, don’t fall off the wagon with your diet. I have been canker free for so long. But this week I have developed two excruciating ones – one right on one of my tonsils and the other a little deeper in my throat. I started a new job a month ago after being on a maternity leave for a year. Lack of sleep, stress, taking advil for headaches, too much coffee and eating junk food have definitely, without a doubt been the cause of this. Please God let it be over soon!
Thank you all for helping me realize that my first two sores in years and years are really nothing at all and I am just a crybaby. And thank God that I have never had them on my throat. These are VERY deep and are excrutiating. I have no idea how all of you who have to go through life tolerating these annoying little pieces of hell can function in daily life. If I hurt this badly I can’t imagine how you feel. Thank you for your suggestions on treatment. I doubt I’ll try the more sadistic cures (though I can see why some of you would want to) but I will definitely make my way through every other home remedy listed here. God bless.
does anyone find they cannot stop biting or picking at thier sore, no mater how hard they try. I am having this problem. I am using Triaminoclone paste for my canker sores. And it helps but I cannot stop picking in it. Does this inhibit the healing process??
I hav a solution to canker sores!
It’s working for me at least. Take L-Lysine (1000mg) once to twice daily. Since doing this, a month to two months, i have had no break
outs of canker sores. I’m 35 now and have dealt with them since i was 12 or so my entire life. I usually have multiple sores at once all over and i feel everyone’s pain. Try this, it’s totally working for me!!!
The brand name of the L-Lysine that i am taking is Country Life.
Not sure if that matters or not.
I’ve been reading the comments and reviews about Canker-Rid. I have not tried the product yet but I have a applicator suggestion for those of you giving it a try. I still have a bottle of Negatan solution from a prescription a dentist gave me over 10 years ago. The solution was compounded by a local pharmacist, and was provided in a small glass bottle. The bottle has a glass wand applicator, like what you get with wart removers. A glass wand applicator seems like it would work perfectly for Canker-Rid. The applicator can help get the solution on the upper areas of the mouth, without losing solution to the absorbency of a q-tip. Perhaps your friendly pharmacist can get you a bottle with a glass applicator, or I bet you could clean one that comes with Compund-W and give that a try.
I am in the sad situation of seeing my 9 year old daughter suffer with her first canker sore. I’ve always gotten them, but now that I’m 46 they are much less frequent. It is breaking my heart to see that it’s gotten passed down. Nice to find this site, I was doing some research and hoping there’d been more progress in the last 10 years! I’m going to give the Canker-Rid a try, and have it on hand for next time.
I just got one hellacious canker sore and it was driving me nuts, so I bit it off. I’m pretty certain I’ve never felt the amount of pain I did in the first 15 seconds, in fact I almost passed out, but I’m glad I did it. Two days later and alls that’s left is a little cut that doesn’t hurt nearly as much, since abrasions in the mouth heal so quickly.
Those initials moments though…. If you’ve got the stomach, give it a go.
Ok, I stumbled onto this forum and was seeing me defined several times. One of the things that struck me was the infromation that pertains to SLS being an overly caustic substance that we use in our mouths to clean our teeth. In skip reading several entries I found the names of several toohpastes that were free of the ingreadient only to go to the store and find all of them had SLS in them. Now I am lost. Is there really any brand without SLS that is local or does it have to be orderd? Help
I just got my first throat canker sore – at least the first one that I’ve recognized. I thought it was a sore throat since I had swollen lymph nodes on that side of my neck, but apparently that’s normal. I think I got it from the stress of flying — and here I am again in a foreign country with all kinds of spicy, sweet, and acidic foods to eat if you want to be polite. Now I also have a canker sore inside my lower lip from where I held a lump of sugar while drinking tea, Persian-style.
The lip sore I am using this canker patch thing that comes in a foil package, they are pretty expensive but worked pretty well for about 6 hours. The package claims that one or two are enough to cure the sore–we’ll see. Doesn’t seem to last too long if you’re eating food, but lasted a lot better than Kanka and didn’t hurt as much to apply.
For the throat I can recommend Chloraseptic lozenges. They have cherry & honey flavors .. they don’t eliminate the pain but they help a lot. Chloraseptic spray just doesn’t seem to work very well for me but the lozenges seem to work well. They also make little breath strip-style ones, I have them but haven’t tried yet.
Good luck & sympathy to everyone out there. And remember, don’t just lay around waiting for it to get better, try some treatments — I think giving up and accepting the pain actually can make it last longer, I am serious.
IT’s still working! I’ve been taking Lysine for around a month and a half to 2 months. I’ve only had one canker sore and it cleared up very quickly..no change in diet or anything else, just the Lysine.
i have two canker sores and i have always gotten them but these are the most painful and my toung is numb… has anyone elese had this problem?? i am starting to think it is something elese!!!
My dermatologist tells me I have herpes symplex virus in the tip of my index finger. I am a 76 year old man who has never had anything like this any place. Suddenly the tip of my index finger became painful, the skin broke and the redness began to spread.
Does anyone know if this is ths herpes virus?
I have a canker sore and i cant seem to get rid of it and i need some good advice????????
I’m suffering from canker sores in my throat. This not ony cause incredible throat pain, but I have an awful earache also. Does any one have a remedy for throat sore. Everything I see is for putting directly on the sore, but I can’t reach them deep in the sore. I need something I can drink> The pain is almost unbearable.
I have been getting canker sores since I was a teenager maybe once a month or so but in the last 7 or 8 years I find I get them when I eat anything with sugar, usually it takes 6 days for the canker to appear and it lasts on average 9 days. 3 days coming 3 days pretty bad pain and 3 days to heal up, I also have tried everything and the only thing that helps is mouthwash ( sugar free ) of course any sugestions to help the healing process would be welcome. somebody made a comment earlier that prevention is better than cure, in my case if I avoid sugar which is not always easy as there is sugar in a lot of medication and not always listed as sugar. Hope somebody finds the root cause soon.
i have a sore toung it feels like i burnt the tip of it but i didnt
what can i do for this problem can i rince my mouth out with warm salt water.its very hard to talk with a sore tounge please give me some advice thank you Donna
I get cankers in my throat near my ear canals. Horrible pain when I swallow + bad ear aches. I can’t find anything for the pain. I use Acyclovir for cold sores. My doctor says cankers are caused by a simular virus and acyclovir should work for them as well. But thats for prevention when you feel one coming on it doesn’t do much once they pop up.
I have been using a sodium lauryl sulfate free toothpaste made by The Natural Dentist I purchase at Wild Oats. I used to get canker sores every month. One time I had four in my mouth I was in tears. I am allergic to the anbesol stuff and had no relief. Since I have been using this toothpaste I have only gotten one canker sore in the last 7 months. Once I used my husbands colgate cause I ran out of my toothpaste and I had a canker sore two days later. This has worked well for me,try it out and dont go back to the regular toothpaste!
Hi everyone…I just happened upon this site while looking for something else , I have only read a couple of postings. This may have been discussed before but have any of you been checked for celiac disease it’s a Gluten intolerance! Forgive me if someone else has written about this already I have celiac disease and my mouth used to be filled with cankers…my tongue full of white lines’ patterns that the dentist called geographic tongue and it had no known reason or cure… After being diagnosed with celiac( which took aprox 3 years) I cut out everything containing wheat…my mouth healed within weeks and now the only time I get sores is if I cheat and indulge in b-day cake or other wheaty treats…check it out….gotta go to work…good luck!! Kim
I have had a Sore throat, with swollen tonsils for the past 4 days. My Doctor called it “Pharyngitis. Well I have MAJOR Canker/Ulcers on the side and back on my tongue. It makes it hard to swallow any food or liquids. My doctor says I have no ear infection, but My ear is killing me. The gave me a Z-Pack(Zithromax) and a steroid, along with a shot in my hip for the Throat and ear pain. That was good for the night.
In search for some relief I found this at a health food store for some of the pain, and inflamation “NOW D-Flame”. I started last night Garggling with Warm Salt water mixed with Baking Soda(NOT Baking Powder!), and 50/50 mixed solution of Peroxide and water every hour. Right now I can atleast swallow enough to get pudding down my throat,but my tounge is still acting up which makes it hard for me to eat. I am going to go garggle again in a bit, and try some of this liquid “Echinacea & Goldenseal” herbal supplement.
I have heard the Eating onions help because of sulfur..Some say B5 or B12 Vitamins may help with Canker Soars or burning sensation.
*Sigh* I am so desperate I would settle for a bullet (Not really just want this to go away badly)
I have one in my throat right now….ouchy! But when I have them in my mouth I put Allum (Alum?) on them. It burns like crazy but heals faster than anything I have ever tried. I put in on several times a day as soon as I even think it might be a canke sore forming and by the second day it is cleared up. (Alum is found in the spices in the cooking section….definitely the best thing I’ve done to help…along w/ Rembrandt toothpaste.)
Try having 14 canker sores in your mouth right now! I have tried EVERYTHING! Salt water, milk of magnesia, anbesol, orajel, debacterol, carafate, canker cover patches, peroxide w/ water, SLS free toothpast, melaluca, propilis, vitamins, and I can go ON AND ON. I am getting ready to try Apple Cider Vinegar because of all the good responses on this website! I’ll let you know if it works!
I found this site looking for a “cure”. I get canker sores occasionally, but I have one now, that is 1 inch long (runs from back of mouth, along gum line, all the way to the front two teeth) My whole face hurts. I am dying from the pain, I can’t believe how bad it is. I Had it cauterized with silver nitrate by a Dr., but obviously it didn’t get it all. I’m going to try the alum, since I have some powdered in my cupboard. Thanks for all the insights!
Your site has saved my sanity. I have had canker sores all my life in my thoat, often near my ear canals. I assumed I had swollen glands, ear infections, etc. Ear drops never worked nor did any of the usual such as antibiotics. I finally figured out they were canker sores. I cant get to them with anything except Listerine, which I let run down the inside of my throat. It helps somewhat, or at least shortens its life.
James: Keep up with the Listerine. I hope the cankers go away soon.
it suckss! i get like 5 in my mouth at oncee
i finished havin mono so i think it is from that
my immune system may be low so i have a feelin it is from that!
it sucks thooo thye are opena nd kill so bad!
I have canker sores in my mouth and one on my throat, which makes it feel like I have a terrible ear infection, for the one in my mouth I have just been putting raw salt on it, shortens the life of it as for the one in the throat I just take advil to numb pain……after reading all these posts iam going to try some other things, thanks to all of you for the great ideas!
I have had problems with canker sores for years. Often, I get them right before I am about to get a cold or get sick. Let’s face it. There’s no great way to get rid of ’em. But, you can prevent them big-time if you’re smart about it. Vitamin B-12 is a big thing. Make sure you keep your levels up. Just take a B-12 supplement or some type of B complex vitamin every day. And, the biggest thing…you’ve gotta sleep enough – especially if you have a lot of stress. Stress and fatigue are, without question, major causes of these things. Even if you have a lot of stress, you can prevent most instances of canker sores by getting plenty of sleep. I really believe they occur much more often when people are worn out. The immune system gets weakened and BAM…the canker sore(s) appear. Once you’ve got ’em, you can’t do much about them. People say that various things help with pain control or speed up the healing process, but it stinks to get them in the first place. There is a product that is applied with a little sponge-like Q-tip thing which puts a coating over the canker sore so it’s not exposed to saliva or food or whatever. It can be helpful for pain control, but it’s hard to stop biting at the coating once it’s in place so it usually falls off. I haven’t tried silver nitrate and, frankly, it seems kind of extreme (but I might try it anyway). When you’re suffering with these things, burning and cauterizing sound pretty appealing! Other than that, if you get one, try sleeping for about 13 hours on Saturday and 15 hours on Sunday. It helps! Also, it’s not herpes so whoever said it was similar to a cold sore (above) or was caused by some kind of virus is probably wrong. It’s just some kind of little ulcer and our greatest scientific minds don’t really know precisely what causes them or why. I figure whoever really figures them out will win some kind of Nobel Prize or possibly become ruler of the universe.
Is it possible to have like 5 canker sores at one time? I’ve never had them in the past, if I’ve had one in my life up until now it would be a stretch (I’m 30)
All of a sudden I have like 5 or 6 canker sores, 1 on my top lip underneath the lip, 2-3 on the bottom of my lip outside of the lip, 1 under my tongue, 2 on the sides of my tongue. It’s ridiculous and I have no idea why I have such a breakout of them all at one time. I was really scared and went to get HIV tested, it wasn’t that, went for a strep test and a general checkup and my doctor just prescribed me a 5day antibiotic course. I have an appointment with the dentist tomorrow. My gums are really bothering me, I had a fever, swollen glands, etc, so maybe it’s just a local mouth/tooth infection or something that prompted this.
I was sick for a couple of days last week. Stomache sick. I woke up in the middle of the night with a very bad taste in my mouth (yep, its what ya think! Talk about a bad case of acid reflux!). Anyway, about three days later, I thought I had a sore throat, but voila! Nope! A Canker Sore at the back of my throat. I rarely get them, but despise them! Usually, for the ones I get at the front part of the mouth, I have always found that applying pure salt DIRECTLY to the sore does a great job of eating the cankar sore. Im not talking about a salt water mixture. Im taking about wetting your finger tip with a bit of water and pouring pure salt on the finger and then putting it on your sore. I try to keep the area as ‘dry’ as I can for a few minutes as I feel the salt eating away at the sore. It stings, but usually does the trick for me. The back of the throat is another story! Ive been trying everything the past couple of days. I just found a tip that might work. It was suggested to take a clove of garlic and a table spoon of olive oil. CHEW the mixture and swish it around your mouth for about 10 minutes. Completely disgusting, but as I sit here writing this at 2:30am, it already feels a little better. Ill let you guys know how it works out in the next couple of days! Good luck combatting those evil little critters!
If you still have any samples available, I would love one. I grew up getting canker sores all of the time. I have a period where I get very few, and then they pop back up. This time I have them around the lining of my throat. It’s the first time I’ve had them there and boy it hurts. I feel like my ears are infected from the referred pain. Again, if you have a sample, please let me know.
Thanks!
Tricia
Tricia: Sorry to hear about your canker sores. Unfortunately, I’m all out of samples.
I currently have numerous cs’s in my throat and am in excrutiating pain. The last time I had this my doctor recommended mixing kaopectate and benadryl elixir (50/50) and gargle. It works to soothe the area with the kao, then reduce the soreness and inflammation with the benadryl. I know this is a very old post, but I wanted to give you at least another option for relieving the pain. I felt it helped heal faster, too. I’ll be stopping at the pharmacy in the morning to get my crazy mix…there is also a dental antibiotic paste that clears them up in my mouth within 24-36 hrs.
I’ve had CS my whole life. Some were horribly painful. About 3 months ago i made a switch to a new toothpaste. I had been doing some research on the internet and it seems that they had done a study(?) that showed licorice helps heal them/etc very quickly. IT WORKS. I’m serious, the past 3 months have been pain free. I STILL GET THEM, but they are fewer in number and the pain is little to none. Right now i have a big one and it doesn’t even hurt! I guess they are bringing this stuff to market or something. I found my toothpaste at a health food store…wasn’t even that expensive. Give it a try, anything is worth it!
Hey all, I get them occasionally too. Apparently it can be hereditary because my Mom always gets them and now so do I and one of my sisters.
I mainly get them if I bite my lip, cheek, tongue or scrape my mouth with something sharp like bread crust.
Last Wednesday, I slit the underside of my tongue on a freakin’ potato chip and now I have the WORST canker sore I’ve ever had on the side of my tongue.
Hurts to eat, talk, you know the drill. I’m miserable right now. But hey, at least I’ll lose a couple of pounds because I can’t eat, too painful.
Anyway, what works for me is first, I don’t use toothpaste with SLS. The brand I’ve been using for years is called Squiggle, specifically made for canker prone people. Google it, the stuff is awesome.
And I’d also throw another vote towards Debacterol. I haven’t had any success with it on tongue cankers although I may try again with this one. Trick is to get the canker with it at just the right time…if you use it too early, it doesn’t work and just inflames the canker even more.
Use it at the right time though and it cauterizes it on the spot, you’ll be pain free and the canker will heal in a day or two.
I really cannot recommend Debacterol enough. Some dental supply companies are pretty lax about checking to see if you’re a dentist before selling it to you and it is expensive but worth it.
And what’s the risk? Do you really think the Feds are going to come crashing down your door for freakin’ Debacterol?
Doubtful.
Canker Sours are awful! I have one right now! (two actually) I get them a lot. They are so painful. I die for a cure! Ive tried everythign and finally found somthing at Target that seems to be working. I asked the lady in the Pharmacy where the medicine was and she gave me ” Professional Strength Kanka” It stops pain and keeps a coating over it so you can eat better. Once in the second grade, I had six in my mouth at the same time! It was awful. Hope it doesnt happen to you. Anther time, I had four. LUckily, i usually have two or three at a time. I get them pretty much once or twice a month. So theres my sob story. Try the medicine though. And yogurt smoothies, milk, and Maalox. Dont try salt water, it doesnt work.
I just went to my doctor today for what I THOUGHT was strep throat…a horrible sore throat on my right side. It turns out it’s a dang CANKER SORE in my throat! It hurts SO bad. I’ve had canker sores before…get them all the time usually in the winter, but never in the throat. My gland is swollen, I have a headache on the right side of my head, ear hurts and everything…and it’s a small little one too, causing all of this agony. I’m counting down the days til it goes away :(
i dont actually no the meaning of a canker sore but from what im reading it sounds like i have one on the back left hand side of my throat it kills me to eat or drink .. is that a canker sore ?
i have cankers all over my mouth i find its from a slight lung infection (smoking too much) and stress ( gastro intestinal system not working great)
try rinsing with saline solution (salty-water)
take advils
drinking a black tea (like orange pekoe, the tannins numb all of the sores, lasts for about an hour)
short of that you have to get yourself healthy as possible to rid yourself of them, fresh ocean air helps i find
I used to get canker sores when I was younger but then never did for awhile – I recently got one on my throat and come to find out, they’ve come back because I quit smoking. They’re not too bad like some of these stories I’ve read, usually just one at a time but I’ll try the SLS free toothpaste and just wanted to say thanks to everyone who posted remedies – very interesting to say the least. Anyone else here have the direct correlation with the quitting smoking and cankers?
I have a solution for cankers that works for me. My doctor suggested chemical cauterization I can do myself at home. Purchase Silver Nitrate sticks at the pharmacy. Dry the canker sore. Press the stick tip to the sore – it will sting a minute. Rinse your mouth with water. The sore will turn black and heal. The pain stops right away. I get them when I eat pineapple or other acidy fruit. This is the only thing that has worked for me.
I know all of your pain. I have a sore in my throat and get canker sores more than I care to admit. For throats…try Cepacol Dual Relief spray (new product), it looks like an inhalter. Also…chew kewi fruit around the outbreak of a canker sore in the mouth, it seems to help me well.
I have had so many canker sores that friends of mine who are dentists/dental students say I should go into the field.
Hello guys I have a remedy for the canker sores. My father has a problem with canker sores when he was having a radiation therapy for his eye. After about 7 session, he’s having a lot of canker sores in his mouth due to the effect of radiation. I bought a dequadin paint in the drug store but my father doesn’t like it because it was very painful when it was applied to the sores. There was a Chinese doctor, she told me to buy a Water Melon frost, in the Chinese drug store. I bought one for only 10 php. pesos. At first I was hesitant to apply this medicine because it was too cheap to be effective for the sores, but it takes only 2 days to 3 days the sores was gone and my father did not complain for anything painful unlike dequadin or Alum. this kind of medicine you can buy usually in the Chinese drug store, but some drug store also sell this kind of medicine, especially here in the philippines. I hope this can help you guys out there. but first and foremost pray for the medicine, only God can make it effective.
THE TIP OF MY TOUNG IS SO SORE
I hate canker sores and get them usually when im sick, well I am sick right now and have had a temp of 100-101 the last couple days, and canker sores are heretitary, unfortunatly for me my dad and my mom have always gotten them, especially my mom. I have two on my tounge right now and one huge one on my lip, my mouth is swollen from them, last night I put salt on them, it hurts super bad but is suppost to help them go away faster, but I woke up this morning and my whole mouth was swollen I can barley talk! please someone give me some advice I am in so much pain.
Rembrandt Canker Sore tooth paste (available on Amazon) or some Walgreen / Rite Aid is best for preventing canker sores. If you have one already then the Canker Patch is the way to go. I had heard it doesn’t work on the tongue, but I can confirm it does if you can get it on there and can stay for 30 mins without doing much while the patch melts.
Someone posted previously about phosphorous sticks and burning the ulcers… he was right partially. These are actually silver nitrate sticks. They’re used by many doctors (I’m a medical student) to cauterize small wounds of many kinds. You could either go to a doctor and ask them to use silver nitrate to cauterize it (I would ask when you call for the appointment if they have these sticks and could do it). You might be able to buy these online, but I would not recommend it. They’re a little tricky to use. Whatever you touch (teeth, finers, nails, will turn black. You also need to know exactly how long to touch the sore. If it’s too quick, it won’t heal. If it’s too long, it will burn to deep and make it worse. In my opinion, these should only be handled by health care professionals.
There is another option for home use though. You could also try holding a full strength aspirin (not the 81 mg) on to the ulcer. This is painless because it also applies an anti-inflammatory(whereas silver nitrate does sting for a bit). Aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid…key word being acid. If held on to the ulcer long enough for it to start to dissolve, it will eat away at the white part of the ulcer (sounds painful but it’s not I promise). This white part of the sore is dead tissue and it prevents fast healing. After it is removed, the clean tissue underneath should heal faster. If I use Aspirin, I have to repeat it a couple of times. It’s just not as strong, but each time, it decreases the swelling and makes it feel better, so there’s no problem repeating it. I do it as often as I see white ulcerative tissue and it speeds healing. Another warning: avoid putting the aspirin in direct contact with a tooth – people used to apply aspirin to aching teeth, but it can eat away at the enamel. Also, aspirin works best for more easily accessible ulcers since it has yet to be sold on a stick : )
For throat ulcers, if you can see them, you should be able to get a doctor to use silver nitrate.
Hope that helps.
PS all of the “caine” ending pain relievers for cankers should be used as sparingly as possible, because if used too much, they can actually slow healing.
For kittenprincess: you need to go to the doctor. Your temperature is high enough to consider strep/mono etc. Although cancker sores are not always related to any illness, they are open sores and can become infected. If you’re having that much swelling, you should go see someone in case you need an anti-biotic or steroid.
@ash Thanks for all the information on silver nitrate. That’s good to know.
When I get them in my throat, my glands become swollen and I get body aches. Does this happen to anyone else?
I’ve got my first set of canker sores 2 weeks after immigrating to Canada. Never had anything like it prior to that. Mine would appear mostly in the throat and would never go away without serious antibiotics (tetracycline). I would ALWAYS end up at the doctor with a swelling in my throat, sub-fever, body aches, unable to eat or turn my head. Usually one side, but if left untreated, the other side would develop a sore too.
I personally believe that the sores are caused by virus or bacteria. Everybody bites on their cheek or tongue once a while, but the damage should heal in couple of days (normal healing rate). In people who get canker sores, the initial damage is then exaggerated by bacteria/virus. The 2 week un-aided healing period corresponds with getting sick and then eventually getting better (e.g. cold) if your immune system returns to normal. To make a long story short, I’ve found that (mine) sores ARE NOT caused by:
– biting or hard foods
– acidic foods
– regular toothpastes (Colgate)
but WILL BE caused by:
– STRESS, #1 cause, completely in line with lowered immunity
– any damage done by dentist in North America (don’t ask me why) (scratch from sucking equipment, x-ray insert, etc). It seems to me that regular biting (when eating), wouldn’t cause infection as much as done by dentist. Saliva?
– birth control pills (would get once a month for sure while on them). Estrogen lowers immune system response.
what HELPS & cures:
– antiseptic mouthwash/spray (the stronger, the better), take Advil and rinse. I’ve found that sprays are topical and aren’t good as extra strength Listerine.
– Biseptol (mix of Co-trimoxazole and Trimethoprim) wide range antiseptic, Sulfonamides or antibiotic that isn’t used too widely (Apo-Amoxy won’t help). God bless whoever invented Biseptol. 100% of my friends who had canker sores and who had agreed to be my guinea pig and take polish medication got rid of the sore within 2-3 days. When started early (first day the blister becomes a sore), the sore would close the next day. If the sore has grown to 4-5 mm, the center would yellow the next day and would close in 2-3 days. If over 8 mm, I used Biseptol and tetracycline together, it would take 3-4 days for the sore to close. The only danger is for pregnant women during the first trimester.
– glands removal. These provide first line defense against lots of nasty bugs, but after years of inflammation due to constant canker sores had become a source of infection. When infected for too long can cause arthritis (in my case), heart problems, kidney problems (in my case)
– any kind of cauterizing the sore. I’ve tried acid, heat, silver nitrate, kerosene (antiseptic + oilfilm) – all of them help to some degree. It will be still up to your body to help off the infection that is causing the ulceration.
Going to buy some Debacterol right now. Hope i dont need a Rx for it. Thanks for all your opinions and help. I need to cauterize this thing as it sounds like the best way to fix if you ask me.
Gluten. I was diagnosed with an intolerance to Gluten. I stopped eating and and they went a way. Annoying test (stool sample) but life changing.
My experience has been that I don’t get these often, but when I do it seems to be when I brush my teeth too hard, or cut my tongue on a (particular) sharp tooth.. I read where one poster commented about eating fresh pineapple, and I remember once I ate exactly that (fresh pineapple), and the very next day..whammo! I had one. Now how these “triggers” are related, I don’t know..
I also would like to comment to Ann (above), who said that cankers “were defintely not herpes related”. A claim like that is neither valid, nor credible. Some diseases hav various manifestations of symptoms for different chemistries in different people…couple that with another claim you posted: (that) “Dr’s and scientists don’t know what causes it”, and you hav a full blown contradiction of terms. (If we don’t know what causes it, you can’t rule out Herpes). I personally (hope) do not believe they are related, however I will not make a statement of fact based on conjecture or opinion. For the sake of accuracy (and avoidance of rumor and innuendo) I would hope you would avoid the same.
I hope everyone finds a cure that works for them! (in the meantime, I ~really~ love fresh pineapple…)
~MOMMY
I have gotten canker sores since I was a child. About 4 years ago I had two that were so bad all the glands in my neck swelled up and I was absolutely miserable – couldn’t eat, drink, etc. I tried everything over the counter – nothing worked. . I tried putting Alum on them (super painful) and did slighty cauterize them, same idea the aspirin and salt and baking soda – but it affected all the tissue around the sore as well. Then I ordered the silver nitrate sticks online, but the sores went away before I got them.
Around the same time, I had dental work done and had an ill fitting crown put on one of my molars and food would get caught around it and bacteria would form that I could taste. The dentist told me to use Listerine. At the same time I started using the Listerine I also started using Arm & Hammer baking soda toothpaste.
It’s been 4 YEARS SINCE I’VE HAD A CANKER SORE! It feels like I discovered the miracle cure! I don’t know if it is the Listerine or the baking soda toothpaste – but I don’t dare stop using either of them. I use the mouthwash every morning and night after I brush my teeth. Also, I just use the store brand version of Listerine – I find that it doesn’t feel like it burns my mouth as much. Also, I don’t keep it my mouth for longer than 10-15 seconds and then I rinse my tongue (because the alcohol in the mouthwash burns).
I started taking birth control pills a week and 1/2 ago and now have two canker sores – for the first time in years. I don’t know if that’s the cause – but it’s the only thing that has changed.
Last night I decided to try using the silver nitrate sticks. Learn from my mistakes – once you wet the end of the stick you have chemical cautery agent that will burn/kill whatever tissue it touches.
1) Make sure you dry the area of all saliva first, otherwise the silver nitrate from the stick will migrate to other tissue surrounding the canker sore.
2) Make sure you wear gloves because you get dark brown stains on anything it touches – your skin, your nails, your countertop, etc. This doesn’t show up until hours later and it doesn’t come off.
Yes, it burns for as long as you are touching the silver nitrate stick to the sore. Yes, it did cauterize the ulcer, and by doing so killed the raw nerve endings that were exposed by the ulcer. Even though I rinsed my mouth out afterwards, it still felt “raw” where I touched the stick. An hour later things started feeling better and I could eat without pain. It’s been about 24 hours since I did this and the canker sore is still covered, healing and not painful.
To sum it up, to PREVENT canker sores:
LISTERINE (morning and night)
BAKING SODA TOOTHPASTE
For IMMEDIATE attention:
cauterize with a silver nitrate stick (or another method).
You have my sympathy and I hope this works for you, too.
I suffered from canker sores my whole life until I used Tom’s of Maine Fennel flavored toothpaste…it takes a while to work. Recently I ran out and had to use my family’s crest toothpaste for a week and guess what…yep, canker sore returned.
Where we can buy debacterol. I’am staying in Davao City Philippines
Omg I have a canker sore and I cry during class it’s so bad it takes up about 1/4 of my mouth and I want ot to go away. It’s been there for about 2 weeks and I’ve tried everything. I’m only 10 and I want a cure!!!!!:(
Silver Nitrate is the cure for pain. It literally destroys the cells and nerve endings. It is not easy to find off-line but you can find it online and is relatively inexpensive though you’ll need to buy a vial of a bunch of them (they don’t expire if you keep them sealed from moisture).
I recently encountered these evil varments. Had fluish symptoms, doc gave me 5 day antibiotic…..horrible sore throat (guess they were there too) 4-5 lower lip, 1 upper lip, but the killers were on side of tongue (OMG!) I’ve never had that much pain, I’m pretty sure. I would cry and scream trying to eat/drink/brush. It’s been almost a week, after seeing doc who told me “he doesn’t handle pain management” and to go see an ENT. Thank God for this doc! I asked him to use silver nitrate and he agreed. He put something to numb first, then did the nitrate, which wasn’t too bad on lips. Once the numbness wore off (2 minutes, maybe) they stung really bad for several hours. I do feel much better now….I can finally eat again, although carefully. YAH for SILVER NITRATE!!!!
bit a whole in my lip developed tried oragel it burned alot then tried topcare sore throat spray burned for a second then completely numbed it madeit feel so much better:)
You mentioned that Benzocaine could make the canker sore worse,I went to Walgreen’s and the doctor told me to use the benzocaine. I have though been experiencing a lot of pain since I’ve started using it should I stop? I should probably go see a doctor..
I agree you should trust your doctor over us weirdos on the internet :)
The cause of canker sores for me seems to be having too much acidic food (tomato pasta sauce, citrus, etc). I avoid most canker sores by watching the quantity of acidic foods I eat. Note, there is a huge distinction between canker sores which is an inflamed spot on the mouth without broken skin which is caused as a reaction to acidic foods, and cold sores, which are open sores caused by the herpes virus. To quickly heal canker sores, I wash/gargle my mouth with witch hazel. I found the “generic” witch hazel I find at my grocery or pharmacy to be much preferable in taste to the name brand. I make sure to keep the liquid as much on the sore and surrounding area as possible, then spit out. Do NOT swallow. Then if a rinse to the mouth is required due to the taste, I try to only rinse my tongue avoiding the sore, while trying to retain as much of the remainder in my mouth. The witch hazel will numb the sore. Repeat several times a day as it becomes sore again, especially before bed. It is usually completely gone in 2 -3 days getting better continuously. It seems to work well for mouth abrasions as well, such as when you bite your cheek, helping to reduce the swelling. I don’t have cold sores, so I don’t know if it would help with those or not.
Have had canker sores since childhood and never had any relief until a doc precribed some kind of corticosteroid ointment…was wonderful but my new doc gave me something different…didnt work. Any other meds to zap them like that one did?
This is probably the longest thread in history – 10 yrs! I believe I can help most of you if your cankers are triggered by stress, fatigue, tissue trauma (i.e. dental procedure, braces), chemo or radiation, hormonal changes, or a lowered immune system (i.e. cold, flu). What I’m going to tell you about will NOT work if you have them from any kind of food. I suffered from canker sores (and cold sores) since childhood, always from stress or fatigue. I’ve had a couple of cankers that were so painful, I couldn’t help it, I cried. To make a long story short, I developed a remedy initially for my own cankers, but later, went on to distribute it in the natural products industry, Canker Sores Begone Stick. What most of you will experience is that it starts to soothe almost immediately. It doesn’t sting. And best of all, for most people, the sore heals within the range of hours to a couple of days. Try it, don’t try it – it’s up to you. There’s a money back guarantee if you’re dissatisfied, including the shipping fee if you order it from my site. I believe the URL will be shown. Not expensive, shipping is cheap, what more could you ask? :) Seriously, hope it helps. I’ve had 20 years of very positive reviews, and there were a few people along the way for whom it didn’t help. Everyone’s body is different, but it’s worthy of a try, most people love it. http://www.cankersoresbegone.com
Hello I’m a 15 year old and this is my very first canker sore, and I don’t know how to get rid of it. Any suggestions?
TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK!!
As a chronic sufferer of canker sores I have tried every over the counter temporary remedy with nothing that seems to permanently assist in healing them in a timely manner. With decent results from using topical raw honey applications I decided I would try my hand at heat based cauterization. It worked amazingly although it is quite dangerous to pull off. I obtained a sterile piece of copper, held it with pliers and then heated it until it glowed red. I let it cool for a few seconds and then began the nerve-wracking process of targeting the infected tissue specifically with the “hot iron”. After a brief pain from the process (literally 1-2 seconds) relief was upon me. Not even a slight pain persisted. If you feel up to challenge and are able to thoroughly sterilize the location before and after I can’t recommend it enough. This is definitely an advanced solution and should not be attempted lightly. Good luck!