Hello there

I am a (very mature) full time student approaching my final exams (in four weeks, aargh!) and mother of four.

On the day I started my degree (3 October 2005) I gave up smoking and started chewing nicotine gum. I have been chewing ever since, pretty much all day every day. I know it's pathetic, but at least I wasn't smoking.

I knew it was causing problems because I quickly started to get gum problems which have gradually got worse. I now have a largish (well it feels huge) white lump on the side of my tongue and a kind of lumpy white inflamed bit on my inside cheek over the other side of my mouth. They are sore and annoying. Does this sound like the beginnings of mouth cancer? I have seen things on the internet about oral lichen planus and it sounds a bit like I might have that.

I guess you are going to say that I should go quickly and get them looked at even though I should be revising, aren't you....? Has anyone else heard of nicotine gum causing problems of this kind?

Many thanks!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: vanlea73,

Hi Vanlea

Good luck on your exams.

Would it be possible for you to switch to nicotine patches? I've never smoked, but I've heard that the gum can cause tingling in the mouth; I'm not sure if it's supposed to be used long-term.

On-line diagnoses are pretty much impossible. It could be any number of things; please see your dentist or GP when you can. The sooner you get checked out, the sooner you can get on with your revision.

I'm hoping for the best for you. Let us know how you get on.

Julia

Hello Julia

Thanks for your reply. You are right of course, it's not supposed to be used long term, but I know of many, many people who have become dependent on the nicotine gum. I have today sworn to myself that I'll give it up so have bought ordinary gum and am chewing that instead.

I have made an appointment with my dentist for next Monday so will let him have a look and see what he thinks. When the trouble first started a few months ago he prescribed antibiotics saying he thought it was a wisdom tooth infection but since then things seem to have evolved into more specific areas.

Thanks again,
vanlea