My tongue is disintegrating

[CLASH]

Possible sign of B-vitamin deficiency. @TheSir

 

[Soren]

Possible sign of B-vitamin deficiency. @TheSir

Agree with this. If it is an infection you might want to try a mouthwash of methylene blue

 

[TheSir]

Possible sign of B-vitamin deficiency. @TheSir

Agree with this. If it is an infection you might want to try a mouthwash of methylene blue

Since my alcohol consumption has been quite high for the past couple of years, I would be inclined to take this as the most likely explanation. Would there be any particular B-vitamin responsible for this?

 

[atlee7757]

Six months ago I was having a disintegrating tongue problem as well.

Deep fissures were forming, and the surface felt inflamed.

Alcohol and drinks with high levels of Citric Acid were becoming intolerably painful.

I solved the problem with powdered Reduced L-Glutathione.

I would take 50mg orally, letting it dissolve on the tongue and moving it around in the oral cavity.

It dissolves completely within a couple of minutes and then I swallow it.

I did it once or twice a day in the beginning. Now I only do it once every couple of weeks if my tongue feels sensitive.

Probably Fungus.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

"Alcohol dries the mouth and can even dehydrate your entire body. The drying effects of alcohol can result in white tongue, a condition that occurs when papillae become inflamed and bacteria and dead cells become trapped within them, causing a white film to cover the surface of the tongue. The absence of saliva also means that bacteria and food particles that settle around your teeth are not effectively washed away. Conditions such as bad breath or even black hairy tongue can occur as a result."

Alcohol & Oral Health | Effects Of Alcohol On Teeth, Gums & More | Covington Center For Family Dentistry

Learn the effects of alcohol on oral health - from tooth decay and gum disease to overall wellness - and how proper dental care can help.

www.covingtondentalcenter.com

 

[Ben.]

Since my alcohol consumption has been quite high for the past couple of years, I would be inclined to take this as the most likely explanation. Would there be any particular B-vitamin responsible for this?

If i recall correctly then thiamin deficiency is a big one in alcoholism.

 

[TheSir]

If i recall correctly then thiamin deficiency is a big one in alcoholism.

You recall right. I've been supplementing thiamine every now and then, but never consistently since it produced no observable effects. Perhaps I should give it a good chance in any case.

Six months ago I was having a disintegrating tongue problem as well.

Deep fissures were forming, and the surface felt inflamed.

Alcohol and drinks with high levels of Citric Acid were becoming intolerably painful.

I solved the problem with powdered Reduced L-Glutathione.

I would take 50mg orally, letting it dissolve on the tongue and moving it around in the oral cavity.

It dissolves completely within a couple of minutes and then I swallow it.

I did it once or twice a day in the beginning. Now I only do it once every couple of weeks if my tongue feels sensitive.

Probably Fungus.

Fascinating experience, thanks for sharing! I think my problem is slightly different though.

"Alcohol dries the mouth and can even dehydrate your entire body. The drying effects of alcohol can result in white tongue, a condition that occurs when papillae become inflamed and bacteria and dead cells become trapped within them, causing a white film to cover the surface of the tongue. The absence of saliva also means that bacteria and food particles that settle around your teeth are not effectively washed away. Conditions such as bad breath or even black hairy tongue can occur as a result."

Thanks for keeping pasting these bits. Interestingly, alcohol always had a cleansing effect on my bowel/tongue. I would typically see the tongue completely cleared of its coating for the next 24 hours after drinking a few beers. I don't know if the loss of all coating is preferable to a healthy thin coating, but it sure is better than a thick and smelly coating.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

You recall right. I've been supplementing thiamine every now and then, but never consistently since it produced no observable effects. Perhaps I should give it a good chance in any case.


Fascinating experience, thanks for sharing! I think my problem is slightly different though.

Thanks for keeping pasting these bits. Interestingly, alcohol always had a cleansing effect on my bowel/tongue. I would typically see the tongue completely cleared of its coating for the next 24 hours after drinking a few beers. I don't know if the loss of all coating is preferable to a healthy thin coating, but it sure is better than a thick and smelly coating.

I don't think beer or wine is nearly as hard on the tongue and throat as hard liquor, though I can see those two exacerbating any yeast issues on the tongue more.

 

[TheSir]

I don't think beer or wine is nearly as hard on the tongue and throat as hard liquor, though I can see those two exacerbating any yeast issues on the tongue more.

Perhaps not for the tongue in itself, but I'd imagine any and all alcohol to be equally destructive to the gut (assuming that the marks in the tongue are a reflection of gut health).

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Perhaps not for the tongue in itself, but I'd imagine any and all alcohol to be equally destructive to the gut (assuming that the marks in the tongue are a reflection of gut health).

I agree, but I the damage from each is different. Beer and wine creates yeast problems in the gut, more so than hard alcohol.

 

[TheSir]

I agree, but I the damage from each is different. Beer and wine creates yeast problems in the gut, more so than hard alcohol.

Very true. There even seems to be considerable differences between various brands of beer/wine. Some brands of market-lager give me diarrhea & flatulence, whereas others do not. They all would list the same ingredients in the label.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Very true. There even seems to be considerable differences between various brands of beer/wine. Some brands of market-lager give me diarrhea & flatulence, whereas others do not. They all would list the same ingredients in the label.

I wonder why?

 

[TheSir]

I wonder why?

My hypothesis is that some brands use barley starch in addition to barley malt.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

My hypothesis is that some brands use barley starch in addition to barley malt.

It doesn't clarify, the label just says "barley"?

 

[CLASH]

Since my alcohol consumption has been quite high for the past couple of years, I would be inclined to take this as the most likely explanation. Would there be any particular B-vitamin responsible for this?

I'd go with a B-complex as multiple B-vitamins can be depleted and they all interact with each other.

 

[Vinny]

My brother and mother both have something similar. Their tongues have canyons all over. Not sure why they have this issue. AFAIK, they have been this way all of their life. Since yours may not be congenital, you may want to try an all meat diet for a while and see if that clears up the matter.

 

[BlueEyeWolf]

Geographic tongue is one name. Effects 3 % of population.

Definitely alcohol effects. B vitamins help. As Jon2547 said his family has tongues with canyons. This can be heredity and my dentist mentioned it to my son and said it was very uncommon. My daughter has grooves too.
Acupuncture has great info on the tongue and how your tongue is related to your gut and health. They can give you herbs too. I also get burning tongue of I drink too much so I try and be careful. B vitamins help a lot for me.

• Vitamin deficiencies: People who don’t have enough zinc, iron, folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 are more likely to have geographic tongue.
• Fissured tongue: Doctors think there might be a genetic link between geographic tongue and fissured tongue, a condition that causes deep grooves or wrinkles on the tongue.

 

[AlaskaJono]

@TheSir First off, the cracks do not look very deep or 'bad' at all. Also, in TCM, this diagnostic of the tongue is only 1 of many signs that may point to an organ disharmony. It is for sure liver/GB area, but do you have other symptoms of poor liver function? Chinese or Western medicine style? Low or slow energy since the cracks? You do not appear to have heat symptoms of RED tongue body, no tongue coat is thin and clear or slightly white, etc.. Also if you have been drinking Alcohol more in the last 2 years, join the crowd! (Hmmmm... what happened 2 years ago....??) Do you notice the Alcohol has affected your bowel movements? Loose or dry stools? Dry mouth? Irritability? Etc..

Definitely monitor these cracks, but my recommendation is that you observe changes or not. It could be related to a lot of things in your life/environment as many stated (like heredity - I have seen similar tongue cracks in adult brother sisters with no particular similar diagnostics,etc...) Also, I have had my own tongue surface fall off as a teenager, and was super sensitive to tomato acids for almost a year. It healed over time. I have seen a lot of tongues in 30+ years of doing TCM, and for sure it is one thing to notice amongst 10-100 body signs and symptoms.

Our mucosal lining of the GI tract is more or less the same from the mouth to the bottom. So the tongue/mouth is a great pic of what the cells may look like in the intestines. This from a Ear/Nose/Throat Specialist MD.

 

[TheSir]

Thought I'd share an update on this. My tongue no longer has any grooves. They went away within a year of quitting alcohol and eating a ton of cooked vegetables.

 

[peter88]

Thought I'd share an update on this. My tongue no longer has any grooves. They went away within a year of quitting alcohol and eating a ton of cooked vegetables.

View attachment 61285

what about the whiteness?