Allergic reaction? Cold sore? other?

[ny biker]

Thanks for all your replies, ladies. Since we're on a holiday weekend, I've got a couple more days until I can try to get in to see a doctor. It's almost time for my annual checkup with the allergist, but since this might have a viral component I will try to see the PCP or dermatologist first. I took some photos yesterday and this morning so I'd have evidence of what's been happening.

I'm starting to think the Vaseline is part of the problem, because I think it's causing the skin around my lips to break out. I used it last night without using any lip balm. The right corner of my mouth was a mess of small pimples/blisters when I woke up this morning, and a few more white spots had appeared on my lower lip. Since then I put the Vaseline away and have used just enough lip balm to keep things from feeling dry and chapped, with nothing at all in the corners of my mouth. Things have improved over the course of the day.

My usual treatment for the chronic hives is 10 mg of Zyrtec each day. My allergist has told me I can double that if things get worse, and that's what I did for most of the summer, and just recently went back to taking one tablet per day. I also was taking 150 mg of Zantac twice a day over the summer since that's helped me in the past when things have flared up. I recently reduced that dose to 150 mg per day (I had stopped taking it completely but started to have some symptoms of acid reflux, which I think may have been a rebound effect from the drug, so I've been taking the lower dose since then). I will double up on the Zyrtec again to see if that helps calm things down overall.

The really frustrating thing is not knowing what the cause of the lip problem is (yet). I want to treat it but I'm reluctant to try anything else for fear of making things worse.

BTW if I can't wear wool anymore then I will have to move farther south. I can no longer get through the winter without my Ugg boots and wool socks to keep my feet warm!! But fwiw I haven't worn anything made from wool in months, so if I do have a problem with lanolin it's not being made worse by my clothes.

[Blueberry]

Oh don't get me started on Zantac. I had occasional acid reflux for years, and my doctor finally told me to start taking Zantac continuously. My acid reflux got so much worse. My doctor wanted to put me on a proton pump inhibitor (I was opposed to that for a few reasons). I was absolutely miserable. As a last ditch effort, I did a ketogenic diet for 2 weeks and threw out the Zantac. I went back to my regular diet. At first, there were things I couldn't eat (but I was ok with that). Over time (6 months?), things improved. Now, no acid reflux unless I do something egregious (giant pizza I ate a big chunk of right before bed back in June, I'm looking at you). Seriously. Night and day difference. I eat a fairly clean diet (and did pre-getting off the medication). I am 100% convinced that the medication was causing the reflux.

I'm sorry I don't have good answers for you in the lip issue (which sounds miserable) - but I wanted to at least share the Zantac story.

[ny biker]

It looked like things were healing. Then last night before I went to bed I noticed a couple of small white spots on my lips again. Woke up this morning to the worst outbreak yet.

PCP had no available appointments today so I went to Urgent Care, which is actually a different office of the same practice. By the time the doctor there saw me, the pustules (what a gross word) were drying out. She said it's not viral and it looks like an allergy -- perioral dermatitis. She gave me an Rx for a low dose of prednisone. (So I'm in for several more weeks of bloating -- between the steroids and perimenopausal hormone swings, I haven't been able to fit into most of my clothes for more than a month now.)

My allergist is out of town so the earliest available appointment with him is Oct 2. The urgent care doctor suggested that I follow up with a dermatologist, so I have an appointment there in two days. I took more photos of my lips this morning so I can show them what's going on.

As for possible causes -- who knows? If it's food, I had orange juice last night and also had some on Saturday. I had an oatmeal raisin cliff bar yesterday and I think I had one on Saturday. I was out all day yesterday helping at our club's century ride, in the sun on and off throughout the day. My forearms were red and itchy during the afternoon which I figured was a manifestation of the chronic hives. Stress has been high lately due to a situation at my job.

I'm kinda tired of playing "what am I allergic to now?" I'm sure many of you can relate.

The corners of my lips are now very dry and cracked from this latest episode. I don't want to use Vaseline on it. The doctor today said that I could use a very small amount of hydrocortisone cream.

[OakLeaf]

Ugh. Hope you get it sorted soon.

[ny biker]

Thanks! The support from you ladies helps a lot.

[Crankin]

I really relate, though the worst of my issues were in the late 80s and mid 90s (that one was stress). I am much better after living in MA for 25 years. Being in AZ literally made me sick.
I am mildly worried about Zantac, which I take on and off to help with stomach and allergy issues. Also concerned about the fact I seem to be developing a wool allergy, even with my beloved merino stuff. I can wear wool socks, or a wool sweater over a shirt, but wearing my Shaks or Smart Wool base layers cause itchiness and/or hives as the winter goes on. I only wear merino and that concerns me.
Hope you get this resolved soon.

[OakLeaf]

The other thing is, I know your weather is pretty much the same as ours, a day or two later - the weed pollens here have been insane. Could be your allergic load is just so high right now, that you're reacting to things you can normally tolerate? I've been barely coping with the pollen, with way more treatment than I usually need. It might be a thing all over - and not just for humans, my sister's dog in Texas has the first hot spot he's ever gotten, and a friend of hers commented that her 8-year-old dog has his first hot spot too. I've read that as atmospheric CO2 goes up, so does pollen. Bleh. There's nothing more I can do here but wait for a frost (which I am NOT looking forward to for any other reason!)