# Geographic tongue and IBS



## Guest (May 14, 1999)

Here's a new twist. I'm wondering if anyone else has been told the same. I've had IBS for years and my tongue sometimes gets sore with spots that are reddish and move around, then disappear..weire. My Dr. told me it's to do with the IBS, and that it's related to stress levels. That because my stomach is "not right" my whole digestive system is out of whack too. Anyone have any input on this?


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## flux (Dec 13, 1998)

It just means your tongue is inflamed in certain spots. As far as I know it has nothing to do with IBS or stress, so your doctor may just be telling you that because he doesn't know the cause. One possibility is that you are doing something to irritate the tongue, eating some kind of different food, chewing tobacco, different toothpaste, or a reaction to a medication.


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## moldie (Sep 25, 1999)

My tongue is coated white and cracked. I suspect most IBSer's are like that. I've heard it is a sign of possible GI problems. Do most of you have this kind of tongue? Sorry I'm not much help with the red spots. ------------------[This message has been edited by moldie (edited 05-16-99).]


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## flux (Dec 13, 1998)

Why would anyone with IBS have a coated white tongue? I canï¿½t see a connection between that (which sounds like a hairy tongue) and IBS.However, the two conditions, geographic tongue and hairy tongue, might be related.


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## Guest (May 17, 1999)

I have had sore spots on my tongue that my dentist said were inflamed taste buds. She said this sometimes happens for no particular reason, but could also be due to some outside irritation like tartar control toothpaste or spicy foods.As for the white tongue, mine looks that way when I've been popping alot of antacids. Black after pepto-bismol!


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## Guest (May 19, 1999)

Well, I decided to do some more invetigating and this thing is also called "benign migratory glossitis". It is apparently harmless and the true cause is not know, although stress is implicated. There are patches on the tongue that become denuded and the edges around the spots have a white border. All the info. I've read, says that stress, heredity, and perhaps a minor autoimmune disoreder are possible causes. I've just learned my mother has the exact same thing!! Oddly enough, she also has IBS! Any one else out there have this or other input.


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## moldie (Sep 25, 1999)

Hey flux, maybe it's yeast!------------------


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## colleen (Jan 13, 2005)

Hey Moldie, I don't want to get involved in this but that was precious R.O.T.F.L.M.A.O.**(rolling on the floor laughing my ass off)


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## Guest (May 19, 1999)

Hi Mine,Just wanted to let you know that I have the same exact thing you do with my tongue! I get random sore inflamed patches on the tip of my tongue with a thin white border surrounding it. It will last for a few days and then disappear. I too have IBS. Can you tell me a little more about this weird condition? I have showed it to doctors and have heard everything from "you have a yeast infection" to "it must have been something you ate". But I have long suspected that it must be something else. Of note is the fact that my tongue often swells up for no reason and hurts like crazy..it's only when I eat certain things I think (like walnuts) but I haven't been able to pinpoint them exactly.


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## Guest (May 20, 1999)

Gena,Well, I've done a lot of research on the topic. It's definitely NOT related to yeast. Yeast manifests as white patches in the entire mounth, or as a red patch in the back third portion of the tongue. Yeast does NOT move around and will not go away on its own like geographic tongue. My dentist told me it's just the way some peoples tongues are. More sensitive, just like some peoples stomach are more sensitive. My tongue gets sore or itchy if I eat certain stuff like Brazil nuts, or smoked meat. I just figure there is a connection of some sort. It's all part of the "digestive system", really. Weird, that my mom has it too. Also, I just found out a girl at work has it and she also has IBS!! Anyway, it comes and goes and anyone I've talked to about it says it's harmless, a variant of normal, and hereditary. Take care. (also, I've noticed more flare ups when my stomach is in an uproar..how about you?)


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