Anyone dealt with one before? I have one that bothered me in my teens and every so often, but it always went down eventually. Then a few weeks ago, it really flared up, but again, went down. When it swelled back up this week, I finally went to the doctor. My general care doc gave me an antibiotic and told me to eat lots of lemon drops. After 24 hours of lemon drops, I can tell this is going to get really old. I don't usually eat much sugar, and the tart is really abrasive to the inside of my mouth.

I can feel the blockage but it seems too large to really move around, and it is painful if I try to move it. If the abx and lemon drops don't work after 10 days, off to the ENT. (i.e. something sharp) I'm pretty freaky looking after a meal - looks like I'm holding a golf ball under my tongue.

Funny this just came up, because I'd never heard of it until I had it happen to me at the beginning of April.

I tried to wait it out, reading that they could go away on their own but could take a month or two. After over a month I said screw that and went to the dentist. They agreed that's what it was, numbed me up, cut a small hole in it and squeezed the bejeezus out of it. It hasn't swelled up again, so I'm hoping that was sufficient.

Reading your post, I'm not sure it's the exact thing I had. I had a mucocele, caused by biting my lower lip. The bump was on the inside of my lower lip.

Thanks. Pretty sure it's salivary gland with how it swells when I eat. It might be a good diet, though, since eating is a chore! I hope it goes away without involving any cutting.

Wife had one about a year ago. Lemon drops didn't do the trick, so we tried some warheads. (She hates them, but was desperate.) With the first warhead, the blockage began to clear, and within the hour she was fine.

Gigem and spike...you are talking about two different things.

The mucocele (spike) is a minor gland of the lip that becomes blocked and forms a small cyst like swelling of the lip. They are generally removed surgically and will occasionally recur, but generally don't.

A blocked salivary duct happens when a stone forms in one of the major salivary gland, usually from the parotid gland. This is really no different than a kidney or gall stone, but happens to be in the mouth. They are generally not a big deal, but the swelling can be impressive. Sucking on a sugar free mint or gum will often cure it. Antibiotics are only indicated if it becomes painful or reddened. You can also dry to "milk" the stone through the duct. Ultrasonics may be needed, and surgery is a last resort.

Question: Why did you go to a physician for this? Did you not realize there is a whole field of professionals out there who are specialists in the oral tissues? Next time see your dentist or oral surgeon.

Hope you feel better soon.

[This message has been edited by Endo Ag (edited 5/17/2013 6:07p).]

Endo, I think you're mixing up my post with a reply? I absolutely have the saliva gland issue. I have tried to milk it but nothing comes out.

Endo - are you saying I should see my dentist for the saliva gland?

Sorry, looks like I got the names backwards. Also sorry if my reply was snarky. Didn't mean to be so sarcastic.

I think you got good advice from the md, and aside from possibly unnecessary antibiotics, the correct treatment. At this point just keep doing what you are doing until it either gets better our worse. If it gets worse, your best next step is an oral surgeon. These rarely get infected, but you'll know it if it does.

Generally speaking, you are better setting a dentist for anything in front of the tonsils. There are certainly some primary care MDs that are comfortable in that area, but most will readily admit to not being oral experts.

My wife had one below her tongue. I was able to see a slight foramen and with a #10 end file, open it and drain. This after lemon drops and abs from ents and oral surgeons.

I didn't think you were snarky. Thanks for the advice! I am experiencing pain and what I think may have been puss (sorry, gross, I know!) did come out of the opening, which is probably why he gave me antibiotics. On the inside, under my tongue is obviously red and swollen.

I have purchased Warheads (thanks for the rec, haven't eaten those in about 20 years!) so we'll see what happens!

Spore - English!! I'm guessing you poked it with something sharp?? I'm all ears!

Sorry. OK get magnifiers, gauze to pull the tongue back, a good light and an extremely thin needle. See if you or who ever can see an opening. Poke it. Actually go to a dentist and see if he can do it.
It

As an MD I agree with Endo!

I've been able to put some pressure on it from the inside and get it to drain quite a bit. The gland's swelling from the outside has gone down quite a bit, but I still feel like it is not operating correctly when I eat (flares up, doesn't drain without help). I can still feel the hard lump inside so I think it must be a stone in there. I'll wait until the abx are done after 10 days and then maybe call a dentist, I guess?

i wouldn't wait 10 days after the ABs are done; more like 3-4 days.

I meant the abx are for 10 days, then I will call if it's still bothering me. So just another week.

Werd

seriously, find a lymphatic therapist to drain your lymph nodes and the pathway thereof. there is only 1 certified in the Brazos Valley that I know of.

And who would that be?

I'm not exactly sure what a lymphatic specialist is. I can say quite certainly that in any training I've gotten, sending the patient to a lymphatic specialist never came up.

Best of luck, let me know what happens if you go that route. I can always learn something new.

PS: Pass the stone yet?

Nope. I can feel it still and when I look at the area in the mirror, it looks like it might be Youtube worthy.

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread, but interested to know the final treatment/outcome on this.

I've had stones in one of my submandibular glands for a while. It's typically not too bothersome, but periods come and go where I have to regularly message it to keep it from swelling and feeling uncomfortable. Then typically I won't have to mess with it for a few months. When I'm in one of those periods, it is definitely annoying.

I had a consult with an ENT who deals with glands a while back, and gland removal seemed to be his go to option vs. sialendoscopy and attempt to remove stones that way.

Bump