You need a mega dose of B vitamins and extra B2. (Riboflavin).
ANGULAR CHEILIITIS:
A deficiency of B2, Riboflavin. Very common on a modern Western diet. Don’t be a vegetarian! Don’t drink any kind of soda, cola, fizzy pop drinks. Take 1 x B2 + 1x multi-B tablet for a week, (!00 to 200mg) Recommended dose i
s 1.5 to 2 mg, this is much too low for young people. 100mg once a week thereafter or 10mg daily.
Source: Experience, Merck’s manual, Upjohn’s vitamin manual, the Nurient bible by Henry Osiecki. Newton’s pharmacy.
NHMRC riboflavin recommendations for Australian adults:
1. – RDI men: 1.3 mg/day
– RDIwomen:1.1mg/day
“The most common signs are pallor and maceration of the mucosa in the angle of the mouth (angular stomatitis) and vermilion surfaces of the lips (cheilosis), followed by superficial linear fissures that may leave scars when healed. When these lesions are infected by Candida albicans, greyish white exuberant lesions (perleche) result. The tongue may appear magenta/ Cutaneous lesions usually affect the nasolabial folds, alae nasi, ears, eyelids, scrotum and labia majora. These areas become red, scaly and greasy and sebaceous material acccumulates in hair follicles producing dyssebacia or shark skin. Treatment: 10 to 30 mg orally per day until a response is evident. Then 2 to 4 mg until recovery.
Merck’s Manual 17th edition, section 1 Page 47
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.
From Earl Mindell’s vitamin bible: This is an easy to understand book for those with less science:
B2 Riboflavin. also known as vitamin G.
Deficiency is Arobflavinosis, sores and rashes around mouth, lips, skin and genitalia.
Found in Milk, Liver, kidneys, yeast, cheese leafy green vegetables, fish and eggs (so you can see why being a vegetarian is a bad idea.)
No known toxic effects. If you are taking the pill, pregnant or lactating, you need more.
It is the most common deficiency in the American diet. (I’m Australian, we eat lots of fish and lamb’s liver).
Destroyed by light, hormones and alcohol and food cooked in water which dissolves it out. US RDA is 1.2 to 1.6 milligrams (mg) per day.
Cracks at the corner of the mouth look ugly and feel terrible. Can castor oil help?
Q. A year ago I read your newspaper column and discovered a remedy for cracks at the corner of the mouth. I’ve had cracks and a red fungal infection around my mouth since a trip to Africa in 2014. My doctor prescribed Nystatin and it helped, but did not eliminate the problem.
I tried swabbing the castor oil around my mouth for a couple of weeks, which completely cleared up the problem. Thank you People’s Pharmacy for another great remedy!
A. Cracks at the corners of the mouth are called angular cheilitis (AC), perleche, cheilosis, angular cheilosis, angular stomatitis or rhagades. These fissures can be quite painful, especially if they become inflamed or bleed. Eating can be especially problematic when these lesions get out of control.
The Fungus Among Us:
The causative factors underlying cracks at the corner of the mouth are varied. We suspect that in the winter, when lips dry out, people are tempted to lick their lips repeatedly. The saliva could increase the risk for infection because moisture allows both bacteria and fungi to flourish. Some of these cracks at the corner of the mouth are related to an infectious process, which is why some doctors prescribe a topical anti-fungal cream or even oral medicine like nystatin.
Castor Oil to the Rescue:From the people’s pharmacy.
One reason the topical application of castor oil (Ricinus communis) to lips might be helpful is that this ancient remedy has antifungal and antibacterial activity (Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, Dec., 2012). The original article that you referred to resulted from a message from a visitor to this website:
“After successfully using castor oil to heal those pesky fingertip cracks I get every winter (my cousin’s suggestion), I decided to try it on the corners of my mouth. They are always cracked and sometimes bleed.
“Nothing I’ve tried previously-from switching toothpastes to topical and systemic antibiotics or antifungals-has made a difference, and this has been a problem for several years.
“After a single night using the castor oil, the cracks had healed significantly. After just one week of use, healing was complete. I continue to use the oil around my mouth and on my hands every night. I will never be without it!”