Gingivostomatitis

Hi C.,

Bless your heart! This condition is one that only appears if the immune system is not working at it's optimum level so immune boosters are needed. Beta Glucan and elderberry syrup are the two that I keep around my house. You also need to get her on an absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex

Melaleuca alternafolia oil will actually heal these blisters. It is an antiviral, antibacterial, it's non-caustic, it has an anesthetic quality and it absorbs deep into the tissue so it will get to the inside of the sore and start healing as well as the outside. My sister, when she had a tooth implant, actually used a mouthwash made with this oil and gargled it and it kept the teeth clean. She chose not to use the antibiotics that the dentist gave her and she had no problems, including no plaque buildup over the 4 months she could not brush that part of her mouth.

If you'd like more info, let me know. I know how painful this must be for her!

Regards,

M.

My dd and ds had that also. However, she was only two and still sucked her thumb. It spread to it - her thumb also developed horrible painful blisters. She wasn't able to suck it for a month ... now she doesn't (so one good thing). I would say don't worry about brushing her teeth if they hurt. Is there a mouth rinshe that she could use that won't sting? I would try that. Is this the first time your daughter got this? I believe that it is only a one time occurrence - especially in this severity. Don't worry about the eating as much, but she definately needs to drink.

Don't worry mom (I know easier said then done), it will pass. I know it is awful!

Take care, D.

We just went through this with my 2 year old a couple weeks ago. It was brutal. As much as I hated it, I didn't brush his teeth for a week. If I could get fluids and medicine into him I was happy. Once he started to eat a little more (he lived on pancakes for 3 days) I started to lightly brush his teeth but his gums were still so swollen that any excessive touching caused them to bleed. One of the symptoms of this illness is bad breath, whether it is from not being able to brush your teeth or from the sores themselves, I am not sure. Tell your husband to back off. The sores are extremely painful (doctor said 2-3 times worse than a cold sore) and her bad breath should be the least of his concerns.

We haven't had to deal with the future breakouts yet but it I think you and your daughter will need to figure out what triggers outbreaks in her. My husband gets cold sores when he is terribly stressed or eats certain spicy foods. My mother in law used to get them with the hormonal changes from her period and would get them instead of colds. My uncle gets them when he is out in the sun without sunblock. It seems to me it is different for everyone. My husband uses Lysine which has helped with his breakouts and I will look to get my son on that. Just try to boost her immune system by making sure she eats healthy and gets enough sleep and hopefully stay as stress-free as possible. The doctors tell me the 1st outbreak is by far the worst. Good luck.

These types of issues are passed genetically, and remain dormant until high levels of ongoing stress occur. So a big task to work on is decreasing the stress in one's life (which could be occurring in or out of the home, or just emotional for a person) In addition consider doing the following:

- Avoid sugar completely, especially soda pop, shakes, candies, cookies, cakes, and ice cream. These sources of sugar fuels viral growth and shut down your immunity system for about 2-3 hours. Completely AVOID any products containing aspartame, or other artificial sweeteners, as this ingredient can trigger an outbreak within hours.

- Avoid all fried foods, and fast foods, these harm the liver with needed toxins. Vegetable oils and margarine are the worst offenders as they are both hydrogenated and trans fatty acid. Eat loads of fresh vegetables. Eat with uncooked and unsweetened salad dressing, such as olive oil and lemon if desired. Partially boiled eggs is helpful as it contains lecithin and will help the liver.

- It would be helpful to also follow a Candida reducing diet to help decrease the overall yeast in the body which further strains the immune system.

- Taking Apple Cider Vinegar (if you can afford, buy type with "Mother" in it). 1 - 3 Tbsp @ least 2 X's daily. It may be mixed w/ water and/or some honey to help drink it. You may also 100% juice w/out added sweeteners. In addition, try swishing 1 - 3 minutes 2 - 3 X's a day. You may dilute w/ water, but use as much ACV in the ratio as you can tolerate. ACV is naturally antiviral.

- Take a digestive enzyme called Lysine. One may take 500 - 1500 mg per day. Large doses while the outbreak is occurring may decrease the length, as it helps the immune system. However, it should be continued in a lower dose for at least a yr (5 months minimum) to really help the body, and may greatly lower the potential of future outbreaks.

- One of most challenging things to consider doing is to STOP consuming foods containing gluten (wheat, barley, rye, and non organic oats). In short, gradually eliminating all things consumed containing gluten: typical processed foods, breads, most cereals, pasta, gravies, and such. There are other Whole grain options available. Just search "Gluten Free food list." Note: one may not have Celiac Disease, but have an intolerance or sensitivity to gluten (most of us do cause our bodies haven't evolved to properly digest the GM protein). Whole, nutrient foods, are the way to go.

I have dealt w/ similar issues throughout my life. Talk about pain. I've had so much inflammation & open ulcers in my mouth that all I could eat was soggy rice crispies of frozen yogurt, basically nothing that required any real chewing. All of the above have been extremely helpful. So much so, I haven't had a bad outbreak in years. Eliminating gluten, rather recently, has been VERY helpful to say the least. I wish I'd know about all the health issues it's linked to years ago. I may not have suffered through as much as I have.

I wish your daughter and you the best of luck in getting through this episode. Just know that if you make nutritional changes, then they may be completely avoided in the future. Believe me, it can tremendously painful, so changing habits now can prevent them.

It has to be painful for your daughter as for your husband tell him to shut his mouth our daughter is in pain it's not her fault who cares that her breath is a lil stinky right now.Remind him how it hurts to bite your cheek while chewing our daughter is i'm sure x's 10.Your focus is getting your daughter well i don't know anything on this diagnoses but I do wish you well

I would be livid if my husband derided my child (his child for that matter) while she has a painful illness. LIVID. Tell your DH to keep his mouth shut and back off! What kind of father is this?

I had a mild case of gingivostomatitis as a teenager - it is PAINFUL! What might help is offering her drinks and liquid food (soups) with a straw. I could also eat mushy foods such as oatmeal and yoghurt.
There is a chance of recurrences, I have had a few since, but for me the are usually small and take about a week to heal. I only experience them every few years, much like a fever blister, just on the inside of my mouth, not on the lip.

Since this is a virus infection, there is not much that you can do, other than wait for it to heal - and tell your husband to let the poor girl alone!

Good luck!