Hello:

I will start off by saying, thank you! I appreciate the time to consider what I'm outlining below. Also, if this isn't the correct spot, please feel free to move this message. Thanks.


I am a 40 year old male that’s in good health. I smoke an occasional cigar in the summer months on the golf course. I drink craft beer 3-4 nights out of 7, but not to excess. Other than that, I drink 2 cups of black coffee a day and at least 80oz of pure water every day. I work out 5-6 times a week for an hour each time. 3-4 workouts a week are vigorous – I will burn at least 750 calories, as indicated by a chest strap. I don’t have a history of cancer in my immediate family; however, my dad’s father did pass of cancer back in the 70’s. The type of which, I’m not certain – it was an organ based cancer, as much of it I know, anyway.

About 20 years ago, I had a small lump removed from the underside of my tongue that was discovered by my dentist. The lump was benign and, I believe, the result of a clogged salivary gland. It’s been so long, and I’ve had no additional issues, that I really can’t remember and the doctor is no longer around. When that procedure occurred, I lost feeling in the tip of my tongue, slightly to the left. I’ve dealt with it since then and it’s never really been a major issue. I notice it, but it has not impacted my daily life in a major way. I should also note that I’ve suffered from canker sores all of my life. From as long back as I can remember – my father did, too, until he retired from work. I’ve noticed they come on with stress. I take a heavy dose of B12 and Lysine and it seems to help. I also take a fish oil supplemental and a multi vitamin, daily. The B12/Lysine cut it down to the point I only have about 4-5 outbreaks a year and, when I do, they only last about 5-7 days. I never get them on the outside of my mouth.

About three months ago, I was dealing with a lot of stress in my life. I had a bad outbreak of two canker sores on my back throat area – almost on my tonsils. At the same time, I experienced neck pain/aching in the front – around my throat. It felt very stiff and made it difficult to swallow. When I would swallow, I felt a cracking sensation in my throat/neck – almost like cracking knuckles as I swallowed. About that same time, I also noticed my entire tongue became very sore. Like a sore muscle. It doesn’t burn, etc. – it aches and is hard to move, like an achy shoulder. I dealt with the canker sores, sore/ache in the throat and the sore tongue for three weeks. I used heat/ice and stretched and it made the situation manageable. After three weeks, I went to my GP. He said I had oral thrush and game me some meds. They did nothing. He referred me to an ENT we use with our children who we feel is very good. He diagnosed the canker sores and suggested I try a new med called Acyclovir – 400mg, 3 times per day. I’ve been taking that since the middle of September, 2017. During his examination, he also looked deep in the back of my throat with a magnifying device on his head. At the same time, he looked all through my mouth and said he saw nothing that caused him concern. I asked him about any lumps in the tongue, etc. He said nothing concerned him and that I shouldn’t be worried about cancer. At this time, I also focused more on relaxation techniques and the stress in my life moderated. I also started stretching more at the gym and throughout the day – my neck, that is. I noticed that the throat tension/aching subsided some after this. In the same way, my entire tongue no longer aches, which WAS the case a few weeks prior. Now, it just aches at the tip of my tongue.

Now what I am dealing with is an odd muscle that pops out of the tip of my tongue near where I mentioned it had been numb all those years. It is not a vein as it’s not purple colored. If anything, it has a faint white tone to it. When it pops out, people can see it if I show them, but it’s not large; however, it feels huge in my mouth. There is always a very faint red colored section on the tip of my tongue in that area where this occurs. But, here is what’s so odd. If I sit and type this message – no lump. If I have a phone conversation with someone, it will pop out. When it does, it aches and causes that side of my tongue to become stiff and sore – much like had been happening to my ENTIRE tongue above. I can also make the muscle pop out if I press that part of my tongue on my lower teeth. Or, if I stretch it to one side. By the middle point of the day, it becomes far more frequent relative to how often it pops out. When it does, talking forces it to touch the bottom row of my teeth and it hurts even more. The pain isn’t a sting or burning, it’s an ache and it causes my tongue to stiffen up. The biggest issue becomes my ability to speak. That area of my tongue becomes very sore and almost freezes – like a Charlie horse. It becomes very difficult to speak!

So, after I saw the ENT in September – above – I worked through the situation for a while on my own. I was stretching, relaxing, having massages every few weeks, etc. It seemed to help the aching throat/neck pain/tension, but not the tongue, really. It got bad again for me, so I contacted my dentist. He referred me to an oral surgeon. They met with me, examined my tongue and said they could feel the scar line from the surgery I had 20 years ago, but saw no issues with my tongue, floor/roof of my mouth. They also said they felt no lumps at all. I asked them if they would scan it to be sure and they said they didn’t want to because there was nothing to see – no lumps, or other areas of concern. I left and dealt with it a few more weeks and eventually had it flare up again and talked to my GP about having it scanned, tests for vitamin deficiencies, thyroid issues, etc. He told me he would do what I wanted, but he felt I was worrying too much about it. He felt like stress was what was causing the issues for me. I agree, I need to manage the stress and I have been. He referred me to another ENT for a second opinion. I met with them two weeks ago and he said my tongue looked find – felt it, examined, etc. Said he saw the red tip, but felt it was probably from me playing with it in my mouth, etc. He gave me some gel – Clobetasol Propionate to rub on the tip where the muscle pops out. It doesn’t do anything, really. It may numb it a bit, but that’s it. He said he really couldn’t do much more because that muscle that pops out sort of comes and goes. Nothing to scan or biopsy was his contention. He did feel that area of my tongue and said he felt no lumps. I asked him if I should be concerned with cancer, etc. He said he didn’t see anything that pointed to that.

So, here I sit. I admit that I struggle NOT to play with this area in my mouth. I often find myself rubbing it between my teeth, biting it slightly, or pressing it against the inside of my bottom teeth, etc. without even knowing I am doing it!! Like a person that bites their nails without knowing it. It’s that subconscious state that occurs without you know it. I’m focusing on not doing that as much as possible. I literally tell myself – STOP MESSING WITH YOUR TONGUE, DUDE! If you bite your finger all the time, it’s going to be sore – duh!  I also notice that this issue doesn’t manifest itself in the morning. When I wake up, that tip of my tongue is numb, as it has been for 20 years, but it’s not until I start talking that the muscle pops out and my tongue gets sore.

My GP is worn out with me – basically punts me down the road. I’ve been to two ENT’s, my dentist and an oral surgeon. They all say they feel no lumps and see no issues with my tongue/mouth. But, I still have this odd muscle that pops out of my tongue from time to time. When it does, my tongue gets very sore and it becomes difficult for me to talk. I talk for a living, so you can imagine the compounding effect of the stress that creates in my mind. I.E., if I can’t talk, I lose my job, etc. It’s a mental mind game that’s simply not good. I continue to focus on relaxation techniques – stretching, time away from work, life, etc. I also focus on continuing to go to the gym, eat well and stay fit and active. I haven’t lost any weight; candidly, if anything, I’ve put on a couple of pounds. My cholesterol, blood pressure, BMI, etc. are all fine.

So, where do I go from here? Do I force the ENT to scan/MRI my tongue and take some blood samples? What if they won’t? I mean, can you DEMAND they do something? I’ve basically met my deductible for the year, so I’m inclined to do something in the next month if I decided to do that. I have another appointment with this ENT on Friday, 12/1, to review how well that gel was working. Ahh, not at all, really.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story. I appreciated any insight you may be able to give me.

Thank you!