According to the pictures, I have enlarged circumvallate papillae. I noticed them because I started having bad breath, suddenly. Even after brushing my teeth. what causes them to enlarge?, can this create the sudden bad breath? Could it be the use of Listerine mouthwash causing a reaction or inflmation?
I usually never used a mouthwash,
and recently started doing so. PS: I breathe through my mouth in and out a lot.

That is so wierd!! I just recently started Listerine also and this Monday I noticed the bumps on my tongue. My tongue looks exactly like the pictures I've found for enlarged circumvallate papillae!! I can tell you this much...NO MORE LISTERINE FOR ME!!!

I have been really panicing today because i noticed some large spots on the back of my tongue. How can you be sure they are circumvallate papillae and not something else? They look like the circumvallate papillae do you know what could cause them?

Hello Puddycat

Some lumps seen at the back of the tongue are often part of the normal scenery. There are large bumps on the top surface of the back of the tongue called circumvallate papillae located along the "circumvallate line" and contain taste buds that confer the sense of sour and bitter to the back of the tongue.

Best wishes
Vinod

Hey,

So just an few hours ago it was bothering me to swallow, when i looked at my mouth in the mirror and doing some research on the web i figured i have this 'enlarging of the circumvallate papillae'. I cant recall this ever happening. But i had noticed the bumbs on the back of my boyfriends tongue a little while ago.

My question is, Is there a way to reduce the size of these bumps? And is there a way to avoid them from getting big again?

Hello Stephita and Jason

I don't think anyone knows much about the workings of Circumvallate_papillae and why they enlarge. This dicussion on enlarged circumvallate papillae has made me realise that that it is a problem that needs an answer. If anyone finds a way of getting enlarged circumavallate papillae to shrink, please let us all know.

Best wishes
Vinod

quote:

Originally posted by meeetooo:
That is so wierd!! I just recently started Listerine also and this Monday I noticed the bumps on my tongue. My tongue looks exactly like the pictures I've found for enlarged circumvallate papillae!! I can tell you this much...NO MORE LISTERINE FOR ME!!!

No way!!! I noticed the bumps, and looked at your post. I whent into the bathroom, and what do I find? LISTERINE!!

No more mouthwash for me. I'll have to brush my teeth for extra long time in place of mouthwash... It's strange though, cos I've used mouthwash for over a year with no problems, then Listerine comes along and BOOM! Enlarged circumvallate papillae hit me 1 week after I started using it.

Hi Fredstermaster

Instead of quitting mouthwashes altogether, you could switch to one that does not contain alcohol. I've been using Crest's Pro-Health Mouthwash (wintergreen--yum!) and have no problems.

Hope this helps.

Julia

I've felt like there's a hair stuck at the back of my throat for several months now. I'm 40 yrs old, a moderate smoker and drink probably a little more than I should, so naturally was starting to get a little concerned. I can feel a couple of raised small nodules right at the back of my tongue that don't seem to be enlarging but then again don't seem to be going away. I've visited my GP who couldn't see or feel anything major but has referred me to an ENT specialist as a precaution. After doing a bit of research myself I'm thinking that I've probably enlarged Circumvallate Papillae. Their onset seemed to coincide with the time I started to drink red wine rather than ale. I understand there's no treatment but I'm going to try and cut down the smoking and drinking and see whether things calm down.

I have noticed the enlarged bumps on my tounge as well and have been very concerned about them. After looking on several web sites and pictures I self diagnosed as Enlarged Circumvallate Papillae. I didn't notice them after using mouthwash like most bloggers. I however noticed them after being on 4 different precriptions from a Nasal Infesction. I believe it was either the nose spray or the anti-biotic that I had never used before. I used both Nasonex and Avelox. I hope this helps someone else....

My friend just used listerine mouth wash twice and it stang. Just yesterday she noticed small sores at the back of her tongues as well but they are just on the sides of the tongue. They look like the circumvallate papillae everyone is talking about. The sores dont hurt but lately her mouth is feeling more dry. And her throat hurts in the mornings. Does she need to see a doctor?

So nice to see this post. I was scared I had oral herpes or something worse like cancer. The pictures really helped. From reading some of these post I notoiced two things I have in common with the writers. #1 is using Listerine..the gold one.. #2 is a sinus infection... I had a sinus infection that was the worst I ever had.. I felt like the bridge of my nose was swollen underneath the skin and my eyes and cheek areas were full of a thick mucous that only me massaging my face with a Neutrogena Microderm abrasion mechanism helped. Needless to say my face had bruised from me pushing the mucous out. I used everything including the Neti-Pot which after doing the nasal rinse my throat started hurting and I looked at it and noticed the tongue bumps (circumvallate papillae). A few weeks before this I was having bad breath and noticed those things called tonsil stones and I picked them out. I am a long time smoker but stopped because it seemed the nose/sinus swelling was worse when I smoked.
Anyway I have had the swelling sinus feeling since I flew home to NY during landing, then I started getting bad chest pains and fatigue, not to mention the stress of a move to a new place away from family and friends(this was back in October and its now February). I finally am feeling 85% better(more energy, no more sinus swelling or feeling like my facial nerves are being attacked (tingling in face)), but I still have the bumps that I found about two weeks ago after doing the nasal rinse but they are getting smaller and less red. I used antibiotics to get rid of the sinus infection, but it didn't get rid of the bumps. I have now stopped any meds and use a warm salt water rinse to rinse and gargle. I also started homeopathic things like garlic and apple cider vinegar as a natural antibiotic and would put warm olive oil on a q tip and then in the ear, which helped the sinus pain. I also started taking vitamins such as B-12, Potassium, Zinc, Garlic Oil, and Ginger Root, and an Aspirin due to my scare with the chest pain that wasn't subsiding. Chest pain is practically gone and bumps are going away. I think Listerine may not be the cause, but it may be bringing those infectious germs to the surface causing the bumps. I also had gargled with Peroxide and had vomitted tomato sauce(was getting nauseous-not pregnant) right before i noticed the bumps. Not sure what caused it, but Listerine is supposed to be one of the best mouthwashes even used for tongue piercing to prevent infection. So I am wondering if the Listerine is helping the infection leave the mouth or if it is the actual cause of the bumps. Anyway I would def try natural remedies. When sick with infections your PH levels can be thrown off as well and this can cause many reactions to things you may have never reacted to before.

Hi Vic
About 25 years ago I had ongoing problems with chronic sinusitis. When you can smell your own breath, you know you have a serious problem! It is very socially isolating quite apart from anything else.
I had three sinus washouts and two surgeries, all to no avail. A co-worker recommended garlic and horseradish tablets and after just a couple of weeks all signs and symptoms were gone. I have had no issues in all the years since and can't speak highly enough of this simple treatment.
I can't remember when I had so much as a cold because at the very first sign I do steam and eucalyptus inhalations 4 hourly to kill off any bugs ~ only takes a couple if you get onto it right away. My family and friends never complain to me about sniffles anymore because they know they'll get the sales pitch of the steam inhalation. I swear by it.
Good health to you.
Deborah

Hi Deb

I've heard about using scented steam for sinus trouble. Years ago, my then-landlady had put ginger and lemon in the teakettle but neglected to tell me what she'd done until after I'd ruined my instant oatmeal.

Do you think that just including garlic and horseradish in your regular diet might help (I love them both and use horseradish in all kinds of stuff), or would you have to eat them by the bowlful to get any benefit?

We're just sbout shoveled out up here. Need some snow?

Julia

Hi Julia
That outmeal would have been a real treat! Not.
I don't know about any kind of steam inhalation other than the eucalyptus and I love it. It's very, very soothing and it feels terrific to get it right down into the bottom or your lungs. I think the trick is to have it not too strong and I don't stick my head under a towel or anything as intense as that I just sit the bowl under my nose on the table and breath it in easily with a few 'to the bottom of the lung' type breaths. Ahhhh beautiful!
I also eat a lot of garlic (about that bad breath I mentioned earlier ........) so maybe that is also a contributing factor to my lack of coughs, colds and sniffles. Maybe I smell so bad no-one gets close enough to give me their bugs! I think if you have both ingredients in your diet regularly, you might have yourself covered. I'd rather die of a cold than eat horseradish though.
Thanks ever so for the kind offer of snow. It's about the only thing we don't have happening in Australia just now! What a dreadful time we have had of it over the last month with floods, bushfires and then this week a massive cyclone the likes of which has never been seen in the country before. Fatalies all round have only been about two dozen which is amazing and could have been much, much worse. So, the short answer to your question is 'no thanks'.
At least the shovelling should help keep you warm????
Keep smiling
Love
Deborah