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I have noticed that my mom’s bottom lip is peeling. It actually gets a little bloody. I have used cold sore meds, Vaseline and lip balm. Could this be a side effect to a med or perhaps hypothyroidism? She does not bite her lip or have a nervous habit like that. Very strange.

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My mother was lip picker, and I finally talked her into putting Chapstick on every single night before going to bed, and it solved the problem.
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My niece has this problem and it was dx as an allergy.

Any changes in food, laundry detergent or anything recently?
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Msblcb Oct 2022
Thank you. I still do all of her laundry, even through she is in an ALF. The food has certainly changed some since she has been placed. She does not eat meat and has a hard time chewing, so they serve soft vegetables. She is crazy about sweets. So, food has changed a little. I tried Abreva (cold sore), vaseline every night and lip balm.
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My mom had that situation with her lips for a while. It turned out she was dehydrated. But more to the point she was mouth breathing in a nervous huffing puffing way, while repeatedly wiping her nose and mouth with tissues. Eventually her nose would redden and her bottom lip would peel and bleed some. Some lip balm helped. Your mom doesn't seem to have these behaviors. But maybe try the lip balm a few times a day and bedtime to see if it helps. Maybe she is mouth breathing at night while asleep? Or her lips could be dry from heating or air conditioning. It could be a medication side effect too. My son had peeling lips as a side effect of an acne medication a while back. Just a thought.
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Msblcb Oct 2022
I think you may be on to something. She keeps a tissue constantly and her nose drips constantly. He has done that for years. Perhaps that is it. I also fight with dehydration. She loves coffee and that can add to dehydration. I will keep using the lip balm but ask the aids to dry to get more fluid into her.
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Does she have the heat on? Lips can become dried out and chapped with heat and low humidity.
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Msblcb Oct 2022
We are in South Florida so the AC is on most of the time. That can also have an effect on the air quality, for sure.
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A cool mist humidifier located near her favorite chair or near her bed (wherever she spends the most time) might help. Vaseline or chapstick type materials are good - try a beeswax based lip balm for a week and see how that goes.
Dehydration can show up with changes in skin and lips cracking....
Has she had any new meds? or a generic drug that is now from a different manufacturer?
If it doesnt clear up with these ideas, I'd get her in to the MD or NP. They can determine what is most likely the problem, and may have suggestions that group won't come up with. If the peeling lips is related to a medical problem, they need to know.
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Dry lips can be from many things. Vitamin B, Zinc, Iron deficiencies. Yes, low thyroid function is a culprit also. Has mom had bloodwork drawn recently? Might be a good idea. My mother had hashimotos in the 70's (partial thyroid removal)
which can reak havoc on your metabolism.
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Msblcb Oct 2022
She does have hypothyroidism. We have had to adjust her meds over the course of the last months. We increased the Synthroid and it over corrected and then reduced it again. It has been a little unstable. She had blood work in June and will have her next blood work this month. I will ask the doctor to watch for any signs that may have made this happen. Thank you for your advice. Wonderful!
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There are many autoimmune conditions hallmarked by Lip peeling. After my initial vaccine I had this occur, and after a year of misdiagnoses, was diagnosed with Oral Lichen Planus NIH and pubmed data confirm a correlation, post vaccine. An oral pathologist made this diagnosis. There are also other autoimmune conditions with this as a symptom.
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You might want to try a herbal lipstick; there are more healthy ingredients and they apply more easily, i.e., they're smoother than lipsticks that aren't herbally based, which I've found to be thicker and less smooth.
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It could be a herpes infection if the tissue is fragile. It might require a specific prescription. See if you can get her to a dermatologistnor her PCP, whichever is sooner
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My Moms nose ran all the time. Her doctor suggested an OTC allergy pill. It worked.
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Msblcb,
You may want to have her placed on a good multivitamin; lips peeling may be a sign of deficiency in B vitamins. Minerals and probiotics are also good. And the suggestions of cool mist humidifier and non-petroleum lip balm (bees wax base).
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Msblcb Oct 2022
Thank you! I have started the lip balm and she takes a multi vitamin. The humidifier may be great got her lip and her dry skin. Thank you for the suggestions, Very grateful!
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If your mom brushes her teeth regularly, try a different toothpaste like Sensodyne or Jason Simply Coconut. Many of the well-known toothpaste brands contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), which is a sudsing ingredient commonly used in shampoos. It can irritate your gums and tongue. I discovered when I changed to a SLS-free toothpaste, that my lips became a lot less dry and chapped.
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