[UPDATE: 03/29/2006 10:37 PM] There is obviously a great deal of discussion going on about this topic, so I have disabled comments on this post, and dedicated a forum to mucoceles. You can find it at LumpInMouth.com. Please share your experiences!
[UPDATE: 09/15/2008] I’ve summarized what I’ve learned since writing this post in a special mucocele section of the site.
Right before New Year’s, I noticed a lump inside of my lower lip. Now, being the hypochondriac that I am, I was naturally petrified that I had Oral Cancer. Why? I’m certainly not at risk. I don’t have a family history of Cancer. I’m 25, not a smoker or chewer, and am otherwise healthy. Because any Google search for “lump in mouth” or lump in lip will likely have even a reasonable person convinced that this is a sure sign of Oral Cancer.
Fortunately, I don’t have Cancer – well, at least not in that growth that was in my mouth. It turns out I had a Mucocele, which is a kind of mucous retention cyst, and is apparently quite common, or at least it is to an Oral Surgeon. It’s funny though, that if you search for the symptom: “lump in mouth” along with my diagnosis: mucocele, on Google, you will get zero pages. Until now. Even the page on Mucoceles I keep linking to describes it as a “transparent structure“. Who is going to go to the doctor and say “I have a structure in my mouth?” So for all of you people out there who are frantic about that lump in your mouth. Don’t get health advice from me. Go see your doctor. But it may just be a Mucocele.
So here is almost exactly what they did about my Mucocele (warning: gross pictures). It took about ten minutes, and they just used Novocain, followed by Ibuprofen for pain relief. I had to eat alot of soup for a couple of days, and it hurt to smile for a bit afterwards. This was easily remedied by pinching my cheeks together with my hand when I smiled, which looked ridiculous and made other people laugh, which made me laugh, so I had to pinch harder and I looked more ridiculous – it was quite the vicious circle. I was ready to eat nachos with gusto after about five days.
They did a biopsy, just as a precaution, and it was quite amusing:
Multiple sections show stratified squamous epithelium covering fibro-collagenous tissue containing lakes of mucinous material. Viable and necrotic polymorphs and lymphocytes are entrapped in the mucin. Regional mucous gland lobules exhibiting ductal ectasia, acinar degeneration, stromal fibrosis and an infiltrate of lymphocytes and plasma cells are also seen. Regional striated muscle bundles are also noted in the stroma.
Then there was the important part:
Diagnosis
Mucocele
So I live a few more days.
Oh, and here is my good semantic deed for the day:
Lump in Mouth
Lump in Lip
If you think you have a mucocele, you should see a dentist or doctor. Now might be a good time to get a health insurance plan, or a dental plan.
- - -You should follow me on Twitter here.
Renee said,
January 30, 2005 @ 6:59 pm
“lakes of mucinous material”
lakes??? How big is your mouth? Are you often compared to Steven Tyler or Mick Jagger?
Jose Lopez said,
February 10, 2005 @ 10:46 pm
Hello there. I just came back from my doctor’s appointment and for the first time in my 23 years I heard the word mucocele. I’ve had it for over five months and two times when I called to make an appointment with the university healthcare system they basically told me to just wait for it to go away since I was describing it as a canker sore. I can relate to your story. I hope the surgery is not painful for me. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
kadavy said,
February 10, 2005 @ 10:54 pm
Five months! Holy cow! I had mine for two weeks, and it was so huge I could hardly stand it (1 cm). Don’t worry about the surgery, it’s not really a big deal. It’s a good excuse to lie on the couch for awhile and watch movies
Gsil said,
March 9, 2005 @ 11:05 pm
I was just diagnosed with the same thing -musocele which was in the upper back part of my mouth. My throat was bleeding, & so I was really scared & went to emegency. The doctor there said you can have blood in the mucocele, which he said I did & that it was nothing to worry about.
Laura said,
March 10, 2005 @ 11:50 am
My daughter has been diagnosed with a mucocele in her lower lip. The doctors are recommending excision under general anesthesia, which seems extreme to me.
How often are they removed just under local anesthesia?
kadavy said,
March 10, 2005 @ 11:59 am
Yeah, Laura, that does seem extreme to me, but I’m no medical expert. You would have to talk to one to get an idea of how often they use general anesthesia.
All I know is that they said, “Oh, those are no big deal. We usually remove them with just local anesthetic.” It was such an apparently minor ordeal that they offered to remove it during my first visit. It turned out they were too busy though.
Cristina said,
March 29, 2005 @ 3:11 pm
Finding out that I merely have a mucocele comes as a sweet, SWEET relief. I’m a student and was at the hospital today for my rotations when I saw a little kid being treated for one. I was like, “hey I have that too!!!” and felt like a complete idiot, but am extremely relieved to know I don’t have mouth cancer or something equally as terrifying. I went to a doctor a few weeks ago, and the lady drained it and told me it was just a wound from biting my mouth and that it would go away. Well, it still hasn’t gone away and I’ve drained it myself a few times. Now I understand why the secretions look exactly like saliva; because it is!
It makes me giddy to know the doctors shrug it off as being so minor, when I’ve been obsessing over it for the past month and a half. Thank you for posting your pictures of the procedure so I’ll know what to expect. It seems simple enough.
-Cristina
Brinda said,
May 3, 2005 @ 2:01 pm
I have a mucoclele and I was just told by my oral surgeon that I had the biggest mucocele he had ever seen. That opinion was seconded by my PCP. I feel like a freak. But you’re right; at least it’s not oral cancer. What is the difference between getting the mucocele excised and getting it marsupialized?
kadavy said,
May 3, 2005 @ 7:32 pm
Biggest he had ever seen? How big is that? send us a picture!
Don’t feel like a freak, it’s no big deal. I don’t know the first thing about marupialization or excisation.
atwelliott said,
May 16, 2005 @ 10:57 am
What a great blog! I too was certain I had mouth cancer. It’s true that when you google “lump in mouth”, all these cancer pages pop up. I just came back from the clinic and the doctor took less than 0.08 seconds to diagnose the mucocele. She recommends I see a surgeon to remove it. The med-secretary told me it could be 2 weeks to determine an appointment with the surgeon! Huh? (pick up the phone … dial . . .). Canada’s health care system may be free, but not fast. Well, I’m relieved it’s not cancer. I can breathe easier now. Thanks for the great info on this site!
Jessica said,
May 23, 2005 @ 5:32 pm
I’ve got a mucocele as well. I can’t say those pictures made me too excited to have the removal done, but it’s not going to naturally rupture at this point. Did they numb you up so much that you couldn’t really feel anything? I hate even getting a tiny shot; I am such a wuss. :\
kadavy said,
May 23, 2005 @ 7:47 pm
Oh, Jessica, don’t worry. They DID numb me up so I couldn’t feel a thing, though, yes, they had to inject some novocaine to do so. That didn’t bother me because I’ve had so many fillings done in the past. Just look at it as an opportunity to eat alot of ice cream and rediscover soup. Hey, it’s better than cancer!
bob said,
May 24, 2005 @ 9:50 pm
Are the mucoceles soft or hard?
kadavy said,
May 24, 2005 @ 10:45 pm
They’re pretty firm, bob.
Jean said,
May 25, 2005 @ 5:01 am
I just woke up this morning with a “lump” in the inside of my lower lip. It definately wasn’t there last night. It’s small and doesn’t hurt at all but it’s annoying b/c I can feel it rubbing on my teeth and cant keep myself from touching it with my tongue. I’m not sure if it’s what you have because it doesn’t look bluish in color. Just looks like a lump under my skin. I found it ironic that my lump is in the exact same spot as the one you had removed in your pictures. Does the lump get bigger over time or just stay the size it is? I’m basically asking because I dont know whether to wait and see if it goes away on its own or if that’ll make it worse or if I should see my doctor asap. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
kadavy said,
May 25, 2005 @ 8:14 am
I’m no doctor, but that sounds like a mucocele to me. Mine wasn’t bluish either, and it seems that is a popular spot to get them. While you’re sleeping is a good time to get them, because sometimes people will bite their lip in their sleep, thus resulting in the ruptured salivary gland that becomes a mucocele. I would be surprised to hear of it going away on its own, so unless you can handle the annoyance, it would be best to see a doctor.
maggie said,
June 6, 2005 @ 1:32 pm
This blog is amazing. I have had this lump in my mouth for weeks (exact same as yours from the pics!), and everytime I do a google search on ‘lump in lip’ all I get are web pages talking about oral cancer. Freaked me out. I’m so relieved now. I can breathe a lot easier.
Thanks a ton!!
kadavy said,
June 6, 2005 @ 2:37 pm
I’m so glad I could help. That’s why I wrote this post – I was terrified that I had mouth cancer, and it was all because Google searches yielded nothing about mucoceles.
arun said,
June 9, 2005 @ 3:21 pm
hello david,
very useful information. thanks for that.
i have a mucocele in my mouth and my oral surgeon says i can leave it like that and dont need to do anything.
doesnt it have to be removed ?
thanks
arun
kadavy said,
June 9, 2005 @ 7:14 pm
arun,
That’s pretty interesting. I don’t see how there could be any medical need to remove it, but in my case it was pretty annoying. It kept getting bigger and would have surely taken over my face eventually.
arun said,
June 10, 2005 @ 2:06 pm
david,
mine is very small and is hardly noticable unless i put my lower lips out. so i guess i have to live with it.
Jessica said,
June 11, 2005 @ 6:44 pm
I certainly wouldn’t want to just live with one! For some reason while I was eating dinner yesterday I bit my mucocele 12 times! I haven’t done that for quite a while, and I ripped some skin off of it, and now it is kind of painful. Besides that, it is large and is so annoying that I can’t imagine having it for much longer. Unfortunately, my oral surgeon couldn’t get me in for about a month because of my whacky schedule, so mine will still be in until June 1st!
kadavy said,
June 11, 2005 @ 10:33 pm
Jessica, I hope you mean July 1 and not 11 months from now.
Jessica said,
June 12, 2005 @ 6:41 am
Hahaha, yes, oops, I did mean July 1st. There’s NO way I’d wait a year!
Hope said,
June 14, 2005 @ 8:37 am
David,
Thank you very much for the info on this page! My 6 year old daughter had her mucocele removed on Friday, 6/10/05. She was put under anesthetic, I believe do to the fact of being young. Her lip is still pretty puffy. Did you experience this as well? It has only been 5 days now, but it would seem as though most of the swelling should be gone. I appreciate your response.
Hope
kadavy said,
June 15, 2005 @ 10:54 pm
Hi Hope,
Not a fun thing for a 6-year-old to go through. For me, most of the swelling had gone down within five days, though the stitches restricted the flexibility of my mouth, making it painful to smile. Asking the oral surgeon is your best bet, though.
Tyler said,
June 21, 2005 @ 8:43 am
Hi, I just had a mucocele removed yesterday and i will say my mouth hurts today. After the novicaine wore off it does feel like you got punched in the mouth. My lip is still really swollen and i hate when people make me smile or laugh because it kills. Opening my mouth to eat a sandwich was a chore in itself and painful. So today i will stick with soup or something i can eat with a fork or spoon.
DAVID, i just want to thank you for this site and your pictures. After reviewing your site i diagnosed myself went to a plastic surgeon and had it removed. I was so worried what it was and your site put my mind at ease. So how long before the pain and swelling was gone? I am at work now and it is hard to concentrate with the pain. Anyways, thanks a lot i see that this site has helped numerous people. You should be proud.
Tyler
kadavy said,
June 21, 2005 @ 12:05 pm
Tyler,
While I hope people still consult real doctors when they have this problem, I am so glad that I can put mucocele suffers’ minds at ease. If only this page were here when I was worrying myself to death!
I imagine you’ll be in pretty good shape after about two weeks. I’m amazed that you were able to eat a sandwich. I really enjoyed trying all of the different soups at Panera while I was recovering.
-David
(Just to clarify, the pictures I’ve linked to I actually found on the web. The guy pretty much fits my description, but it wasn’t me.)
Ann said,
June 22, 2005 @ 8:57 am
I just had one of these removed yesterday. It doesn’t hurt at all now except for eating but my whole lip has swollen up and seems to be still getting bigger.. Yikes! I have to go back to work tomorrow and am going to feel very silly.
Tyler said,
June 23, 2005 @ 1:32 pm
I had mine out on monday and my lip is still swollen and it still hurts to eat sometimes. The pain has diminished a lot, but the swelling has only gone down a little. It should be back to normal in a week…i hope…
Mary said,
June 29, 2005 @ 9:35 am
First of all, thanks SO much for the info…I’ve been obsessing about this thing for weeks. Quick question: After having the procedure done, how long will it take for my lip to look normal again (where clients won’t notice it, in pics, etc)?
kadavy said,
June 29, 2005 @ 12:02 pm
Hi Mary,
People generally shouldn’t notice after a couple of days, unless you point it out to them, but it gets pretty difficult to smile and eat food. That stuff is easier to do after about two weeks. Best of luck to you.
Jessica said,
July 1, 2005 @ 4:07 pm
Hey, just wanted to let you know I finally had my mucocele removed today! I had had it for at least 2 months, and my surgeon said it was the biggest he’s ever taken out. He said they always pop and are very liquidy when he removes them, but mine came out as a solid ball, kind of like a marble! It had a diameter of 1.5 cm! (It was quite disguisting, he showed it to me when he was done) I am the queen of wusses, and I am doing just fine and didn’t feel a thing. I sure am glad my surgeon is cautious to the fact that I am such a wuss!!
kadavy said,
July 1, 2005 @ 7:51 pm
Hi Jessica,
My mucocele was about a centimeter, so you must have had a huge one. Mine stayed solid as well, though, and I got to look at it. I sure wish I had brought my camera.
Good luck with your recovery! Congratulations.
Melissa said,
July 7, 2005 @ 3:33 pm
Thank you so much for posting this information. My husband is 26 and has had the same exact lump in his mouth for over a month. Sure enough he went to an oral surgeon and it was a mucocele. I tried searching online but couldn’t find anything until your page.
Thanks again!!
Jamie said,
July 8, 2005 @ 9:18 am
I’m really greatful I found this website. I found a lump on my lip a few days ago and I was freaking out. I looked at the pictures you had on the website and it looks exactly like it.
Thanks again. I hope that this is what it is.
Van said,
July 8, 2005 @ 1:45 pm
Thanks for the useful information. I do belive I have one of these. It has been almost two weeks now…and I was very concerned. Now I at least have an idea what I may have in there!
Jessica said,
July 10, 2005 @ 8:07 pm
So, my stiches have come out and my lip healed great, but one question… how long did it take for the feeling to come back to your lip? It’s been over a week and my lip is still numb!
kadavy said,
July 10, 2005 @ 11:12 pm
Your lip is still numb, as if the novocain were still in effect? I could imagine there being numb feeling from swelling, but that seems pretty odd. Maybe you should talk to your surgeon.
sam said,
July 12, 2005 @ 2:47 pm
my mucocele appeared out of nowhere one day and has lasted for about 3 weeks. its still there but has been getting smaller and smaller on its own for the past few days. i was on vacation with a large groups of my friends and started googling lip sores because the cold sore meds i had weren’t doing any good (3 cycles of meds) i was totally freaking out. turned out my good friend had the same thing, but i wasn’t convinced until i found this site. Thanks, and thank you mucocele
Lori said,
July 12, 2005 @ 3:32 pm
I just found your site today and wish I had found it earlier. I second the sentiment on looking up “lump in mouth” on google. That had me really worried. I am having my mucocele removed tomorrow by an ENT surgeon and that is not a moment too soon having had it for 8 weeks now. What kind of dr has everyone else used?
I saw 3 doctors before a 4th (ENT dr) was able to identify it as a mucocele. Two said they did not know what it was at all and one diagnosed it as a fever blister, which I knew it wasn’t and told him so, but I still spent the $50 on prescription meds that did nothing for me. That burns me up!
Anyway, thanks for the info on what to expect!
Tiffany said,
July 12, 2005 @ 8:23 pm
My 3 year old got a fat lip (I thought) three weeks ago, and I noticed on Friday afternoon that it was getting bigger. I freaked out and was a nervous wreck the whole weekend praying that he didn’t have mouth cancer. Well, we took him in today and the doctor knew within a minute that it was a mucocele. She said he’d have to go to a plastic surgeon because it’s so visible. 3 to 4 months to get him in because no one wants to deal with a pediatric case I guess…It’s already huge! Does it stop growing, or is he going to have a 2 lb. lip by the time they get him in? Has anyone had theirs drained?
kadavy said,
July 12, 2005 @ 8:50 pm
Tiffany,
Yes, I would think that it would get bigger. I know my doctor punctured mine one time, and that made it go down for a few days.
Tyler said,
July 13, 2005 @ 5:24 am
hey, i just recently had a dentist appointment, and everything was good, except they told me to floss more. after my dentist appointment a few days later was my 19th birthday so i decided to get my lip pierced. after 4 days, the swelling as gone down, and everything seems normal, except for a lump i have next to the lip. its the size of a pea. im nervous. should i go back to my dentist and get this checked?
kadavy said,
July 13, 2005 @ 8:13 am
Hmm….a lip piercing sounds like a perfect way to get a mucocele. Don’t take medical advice from me, but personally, I would see a doctor or dentist.
Jessica said,
July 16, 2005 @ 5:34 pm
I talked to my surgeon about the numbness in my lip, and some nerves were definitely damaged or something in the procedure, but he assured me they’ll grow back in to that area within 5 months or so. I’m glad of that!
jt said,
July 18, 2005 @ 11:31 am
thanks yall. i don’t have insurance…and am a poor grad student. my uncle is my dentist and has been the one to sew me up through out my life. it’s good to know that he’ll simply be able to carve this thing out of my lip when i see him next week. cheers…..yeah no cancer!
Ann said,
July 19, 2005 @ 3:19 pm
A month on and I have a large numb area too. I’ve been told that it will *probably* cure itself over the next few months but there is always the chance that it won’t. All around the numb area it is sore. I don’t think mine has worked very well.. sigh.
Johnny said,
July 20, 2005 @ 12:22 pm
Reading all of these entries made me real comfortable with the removal of my mucocele that’s going to take place on thursday (07/28). I must admit that I have had to deal with mine for about two years. I really busted my lip when I ran into the soccer post after scoring a goal (long story). But anyway, same here, when I searched for “lump in mouth” I also received “cancer in mouth” results. Went to numerous doctors and finally found one that was amazingly smart. I didn’t even have to show him and he knew what it was. I am a wuss too but reading about everyone that got this done, I am more calm now. Thank you for this site. Come to think of it… We’re all MUCOCELE FREAKS! LOL!!!!
- Johnny
Lori said,
July 20, 2005 @ 2:25 pm
I had my surgery 8 days ago, the stitches have fallen out and I swear the mucocele is still there. I have a firm lump like before, maybe even a little larger in a slightly different place. Can the surgery cause another mucocele or did he just not get mine?
kadavy said,
July 20, 2005 @ 2:52 pm
Lori,
I would think that surgery would be a prime way to start another mucocele, however, I noticed a similar lump after my surgery, but I assumed it was just scar tissue. I think I was right, because it gradually went away.
Jessica Soucy said,
July 22, 2005 @ 12:12 pm
Lori, I also felt like I had a mucocele still, but just as kadavy said, it is most likely scar tissue. I still have some hard scar tissue, but I was told that will gradually go away and that if I “knead” it it will go away slightly faster.
Amy said,
July 24, 2005 @ 1:26 pm
I had my mucocele removed 2 days ago and my lip is really swollen. How long will it take for the swelling to go down? Also, there is a spot on my lip that is still numb and from reading the above comments, it seems to be damagaged nerves. Is it true that it could be permanent and how long before the numbness will go away?
Amy
Jessica Soucy said,
July 26, 2005 @ 10:52 am
Amy, after I had my surgery it took just under 3 weeks for the swelling to really be gone. It’s been a month since I had the surgery now, and I also still have a numb spot. Yes, it is true that it could be permanent, but there is chance the nerves could grow back in within 5 months time.
Paul said,
July 26, 2005 @ 11:14 am
Great info here.
I have been worried about my “lump” for a couple of days. My main concern is that its pretty hard and it dosent feel like it could be drained. It just feels like solid tissue.
kadavy said,
July 26, 2005 @ 11:50 am
Paul,
Mine didn’t feel like it could be drained either. It felt totally solid, however it developed a sort of membrane over it that would fill up with fluid and could be popped.
Amy said,
July 27, 2005 @ 11:11 pm
It has now been 6 days since my surgical removal of the mucocele. Part of my lip is still numb and one of the stitches came apart. There is still a hole/wound there. How long before there is no hole/wound?
scott said,
July 29, 2005 @ 6:38 pm
my doc said it will go away but I didn’t think to ask when. I will go back in a couple of weeks and ask some more questions
Lesley said,
August 10, 2005 @ 8:16 am
Thank you so much!! I’ve had the exact same thing on inner lower lip for almost 3 weeks now, and like everyone else, i searched the net and came to inaccurate conclusions such as cancer and hiv!! (I myself am a hypochondriac!!) Even though the surgery doesnt look too fun, youve still given me peace of mind knowing that its nothing serious…Thank you for giving me the wonderful word MUCOCELE to bring to my dentist next week!!! haha
Lesley said,
August 10, 2005 @ 8:36 am
And so i forgot to ask you what exactly causes these Mucoceles?? Are they associated with any other health problems or diseases?? (Im sure you know where these questions are rooted from, Fellow Hypochondriac!!) Thanks!!!
nate said,
August 11, 2005 @ 1:01 pm
I too had a mucocele… here is the horrible story. I bit my lip and when i say bit my lip, i dont mean a simple OUCH…. i bit my lip and it felt like someone had shot me in the face with a shotgun! Well it was really sore for a few days but the bite mark started to heal. Unfortunately i started to develop some swelling that i didnt think anything of and it started to form into a more circular lump instead of just a fat lip. My first instinct was to go home and take a razor blad to it. Being able to tolerate pain well, i sliced it open and a bunch of liquid-ish stuff came out along with alot of blood. So i thought i just had some sort of blood clot in my lip due to the bite. It instantly went down and felt alot better. A few days later the little bugger was back so i was determined to take care of it once and for all. I sliced it open again and turned my bottom lip inside out pushing on it to get the “lump” out…. i saw a small piece of what i thought was my lip tissue start to stick out, so i grabbed a pair of tweezers and just ripped it out!! OOOUUUUCCCCHHH yeah i hurt and i had a few choice words to say. That was yesterday, so today i woke up with another swollen lip… so i caved and went to the dentist today. He commended me for my surgical procedure saying that somehow i did it well enough to not require stitches. But now i am on some antibiotics and hopefully this swelling will go down and i wont have to have anything else done to it! I will keep my fingers crossed!
Thanks for this site! It is great!
Chelsea said,
August 15, 2005 @ 6:24 pm
Hello, my name is Chelsea, I am 15, and I have the same problem. I have had it for about 2 years on and off but at first I never thought anything of it because it would come and go. Well, sometime this year it came back and ever since then it hasnt gone away. At my next dentist appointment I asked him about it and he told me what it was and that I had to have it surgically removed!!! I am terrified of needles so you can imagine what my reaction was to the word surgery. I am so scared and my appointment is in September. It is on a thursday and I have to go to school the next day! I haven’t worked up the guts to look at the pictures yet but I have read all the comments. Please, somebody talk to me I need sympathy, and I want to know if it will be painful but keep in mind that I am only 15.
Thank You,
Chelsea
ammie said,
August 16, 2005 @ 10:13 am
David,
just today my 16-year old daughter was diagnosed to have this mucocele thing and was scheduled for excision on Thursday morning. I’ve seen your photos, did you feel pain after the effects of anesthesia is gone? I’m so worried if my daughter could bear the pain. What I found gross in your photo is the stitching. David I’m really afraid my daughter will feel the pain, she’ll be given only local anesthetics.
thanks a lot.
ammie
kadavy said,
August 16, 2005 @ 10:55 pm
Yes, it did hurt a little after the anesthesia wore off, though I didn’t feel a thing during the “surgery.” I just stayed home from work the next day, and ate soup and ice cream and watched my Seinfeld DVD box set. It was actually quite pleasant.
Ann said,
August 18, 2005 @ 4:33 pm
Nate.. I love your story. The thought of you excising this little bugger yourself is wonderful. I love it! I wish I had your courage.
Too late to say anything to Ammie but really it’s no big deal. You don’t feel a thing and it’s just not a problem. It’s only mildly sore afterwards too.
For me, I’ve got another one developing right on my lip.. on the bit that shows to the world. There’s also a kind of tube in the tissue going from it to some distance away which I assume will all need excising. Nice!
Ann
Rodney said,
August 20, 2005 @ 12:28 am
I looked into the mirror today and noticed a lump on the line of flesh that is just below the tongue. You know, the thing that is really slimmy and doesn’t have much substance to it. It’s more like a sack, then a lump. And one side of it is bloody. Small. Doesn’t hurt.
I was looking on google and too got scared. Im going to make a docters appointment on Monday and hope it’s just what you had. Please pray, I certainly don’t want oral cancer.
Theresa said,
August 22, 2005 @ 1:55 pm
I have the same thing…and being paranoid I thought the same..CANCER as well. Anyways, I just wanted to know what type of doctor do I need to see to have it removed?
Thanks!
scott said,
August 23, 2005 @ 10:07 pm
My mucocele lasted for 5-7 weeks then it started to shrink on its own. It is still present but not very noticeable. I am glad I didn’t have the surgery. I think it will be gone on its own in a week or two.
Jessica Soucy said,
August 24, 2005 @ 1:42 pm
Ammie and Chelsea,
I wouldn’t worry about the pain at all. I am a huge wuss, and I hate needles, but they numb your lip up before taking a needle to it for the deeper numbness. It hurt me a little when he had the needle in my lip, but it didn’t take long for it all to be totally numb. I closed my eyes for the whole procedure and felt absolutely nothing at all. I never felt any pain at all in my “recovery.” It’s really nothing to worry over at all.
scott said,
August 25, 2005 @ 9:18 pm
My mucocele lasted about 7-8 weeks before it finally started to shrink and disappear.
The dr. said they disappear on their own and that is what happened.
Terry said,
August 26, 2005 @ 10:07 pm
Most all I have read talk about the lump on the inside of the lip. I developed a hard lump on the outside of my lower lip. I tried to pop it, to no avail. Then I tried to dig it out but couldn’t. It bled for a long time – thought I was bleeding to death – but eventually stopped and seemed smaller. After several hours, it was just as big. I constantly bite or fool with it and it starts bleeding again and is hard to stop the bleeding. Could this be a mucocele?
Mary Beth said,
August 27, 2005 @ 7:48 pm
My son just went to the dermatologist for a lump a lip that started after he bit down on it hard. The Dr. said that it was a lip polyp and that there is a chance it won’t heal by itself. He said he could take it off by cutting it and cauterizing it. Based on most of the experiences I have read here this sounds different. Is there anyone who has been to a dermatologist rather than an oral surgeon? I’m thinking I should probably get a second opinion with an oral surgeon.
I am also curious to know how long individuals recoveries were after the surgery so as to time this appropiately.
Thanks for all the great info. Mary Beth
matt said,
August 27, 2005 @ 10:33 pm
hi all, i recently noticed about 2 weeks ago what apeared to be a fat lip, but a few days later it went away, only to show up a couple days later as a really big canker sour only it wasnt right on my lip like the first one but parrellel to my bottom teeth on the left side… anyhow the first 5 days i constantly rinsed with salt water thinking it was a canker sour, after 5 days it appeared to be going away because it felt softer but its stayed the same size for another 5 days so iwas geting worried and decided to do a google search now im hoping its a mucocele it is like blue bubble with dark viens throughout and a darker shade of red around it, does anyone know if it is simmilar to looking like cancer, im only 21 and i dont want to go into the doctors thinking its a mucocele and then it turn out to be cancer i would be devistated… any thoughts
thanks
scott said,
August 28, 2005 @ 11:06 pm
My mucocele lasted about 7-8 eight weeks before it started to shrink. It took about two weeks but now it is gone completely on it’s own.
Lucy said,
September 7, 2005 @ 6:39 pm
Can you put anything on the mucocele to shrink it or make it less visable?
michelle said,
September 14, 2005 @ 3:23 am
This is indeed reassuring. I was actually searching for cysts or blisters but never once saw mucocele. Er I did have the same thing.
It was a little strange, started with an annoying bump under my tongue which disappeared! Then that evening suddenly there was one on my bottom lip, i expected that one to disappear like the first. Instead it grew do maybe half a centimeter or less and was sorta hard and rather clear (no blue >This is indeed reassuring. I was actually searching for cysts or blisters but never once saw mucocele. Er I did have the same thing.
It was a little strange, started with an annoying bump under my tongue which disappeared! Then that evening suddenly there was one on my bottom lip, i expected that one to disappear like the first. Instead it grew do maybe half a centimeter or less and was sorta hard and rather clear (no blue >
michelle said,
September 14, 2005 @ 3:27 am
change er i did to “er, did i….?” sorry. Or given the nature of the site i guess it’d be do you think i had the same thing? sorry for the trouble, feeling kinda antsy.
Matt said,
September 15, 2005 @ 3:41 pm
Wow – thanks for the site. Just had my surgery to remove 2 mucoceles removed. I actually had mine for more than 7 months before they were removed.
Everyone – do yourselves a favor and get to the doctor so that these can be removed! The actually surgery isnt bad but it will leave you with a fat, swollen and blue lip! I’m on day 2 since surgery and am getting by but the stitches make it hard to eat. For those wondering, in my case it wasnt very painful after the surgery. I havent had to use the pain medication yet.
marty said,
September 22, 2005 @ 1:16 am
Okay, I’m reading these posts and am wondering if I’m the only one that had a mucocele removed and then it came back?! The doctor said he would dig a little deeper if it turned, but this does not seem to be a common occurrence. Am not looking forward to going back again…
Thanks for this website; it’s comforting to know that your’e not the only one with this random problem!
LauraHelen said,
September 23, 2005 @ 4:56 pm
Looks like I have the same thing. Pretty scary at first. I just put a call into an oral surgeon to see about getting it excised. In the meantime, I have been poking a hole in it draining out the fluid in an attempt to try to hold onto my sanity. Loved the story, Nate! The thought of a bottle of rum and the steady hand of my husband has crossed my mind quite a few times. We even have a sterile suture kit! (LOL) Anyhow, thanks for posting this, it certainly puts my mind at ease.
Tracey said,
September 23, 2005 @ 5:18 pm
My mucocele lasted for 8 weeks before I went to a DR. to have it excised. I had poked it with a needle to pop it, cut it off with scissors twice, but it always came back. The surgery itself wasn’t bad, but for three days after, wow I hurt.(and I’m not much of a wuss)
So it’s been a month my lip still has the numb tingling thing going on and I just discoved another one. Next to the scar from the last one.
Went to Dr. today and he is going to remove this one next week. Not looking forward to it at all.
I just don’t want to hurt like last time. He took salivary duct and all last time. Has anyone else had a re-occurance like this? Thank-you for this site, pretty informative.
Leslie said,
September 26, 2005 @ 4:24 pm
My 6 yr old son has had one of these before and it went away. This morning he woke up w/ a really big one in his upper gum above his front tooth. Today when i picked him up from school, he lifted his lip and said it had popped. I asked him if it hurt, he said it didn’t. Now it looks smaller but still a bit of bump there. I have had one more then once under my tounge but it always goes away. What exactly causes these, they are very weird.
Bobbi Lynn said,
September 26, 2005 @ 4:26 pm
Oh thank you so much for this site! I, like everyone else who has posted, was freaking out thinking it was cancer or some sort of STD.
*Deep sigh of relief*
I’m just a poor Grad student, with no insurance, and with the scholarships I have I am not allowed to work anywhere full-time, eliminating the possiblity of insurance anywhere in the near future . . .
So does anyone have any advice as to how to deal with the nasty little bugger WITHOUT having to go to a Doctor???
I would kill for an Oral Surgeon in the family about now!
Jennifer said,
September 28, 2005 @ 12:08 pm
My 18 month old daughter has a mucocele, and the dr. said she would be completley out for the surgery.. i wonder if that is too extreme for a baby?? what do u think?
Jennifer said,
September 28, 2005 @ 12:08 pm
My 18 month old daughter has a mucocele, and the dr. said she would be completley out for the surgery.. i wonder if that is too extreme for a baby?? what do u think?
Robbie said,
September 28, 2005 @ 2:17 pm
Thanks for the site…I think I have one but it is on the top of my bottom lip is that normal for them to be there? My Father-In-Law is a Dentist so I am going to let him look at it tonight. It has been here about a week but has been getting smaller…
Theresa said,
September 29, 2005 @ 9:58 pm
Thank you so much for your info on this site. I stumbled upon this tonight after doing a search on “lump in lip”. I definitely think what I have been dealing with since early July is a mucocele.
It first looked a bit like a pimple just inside my lower lip. A couple of times it swelled into a blister and then burst. What I have noticed the past couple weeks is a hardened lump under the surface with a definite bluish tinge.
My question is do you recommend seeing an oral surgeon or a plastic surgeon? My SIL said her sister had a cyst excised from her lip by a surgeon but regrets not having had a plastic surgeon do it. SIL did give me the name of a plastic surgeon. I have just been putting it off but I know I need to have it taken care of.
Thank you again!
jin said,
October 3, 2005 @ 10:31 pm
ok im freaking out people, have the same old thing everyone else does whaaaaaaaa. ok ive been thru worse but this looks gross, I dont want to ruin my smile ;-{ do you think after this surgery i should get some mouth wash to gargle with to help the healing process? and i dont have insurance dose ne one know how much this is going to set me back, im kinda scared ;-{ thanks Jin
Fatlip said,
October 5, 2005 @ 2:04 pm
I’ve had this lump for about a month. I tried Kanka, I tried icing it–nothing helps. Unfortunately for me, I just started a new job, and I have no benefits for the first three months. I’ll have to wait out this muceole or whatever the heck it is. Has anyone else tried icing it regularly? Does anyone else notice that theirs is extremely sensitive to heat?
Amy said,
October 24, 2005 @ 2:54 pm
Great site! Thanks!
I went to the dentist, he said I had a cyst and sent me to an oral surgeon. I called the surgeon and he said it would be $500. I have health insurance but not dental, so I went to my GP today and he sent me to an Ear, Nose and Throat doc. I am hoping it will be covered. A lot of cysts are considered “cosmetic” and well not be paid for by insurance. Anyone have trouble with this?
I have heard that the lump may go down or away but it will always come back until it is taken out.
eloina said,
November 9, 2005 @ 10:20 pm
cani go tot he dentist to see if i can have it removed by them or do i have to go to an private doctor/ hospital?
Whit said,
November 11, 2005 @ 10:15 pm
hey. thanks. I have the nasty little habbit of biting my lips (as I’ve read can cause Mucoceles) and found an unpleasant swollen little bastard of a Mucoceles. SCARED MYSELF TO DEATH. I’m glad I researched it. I’ll probably go into the health center tomorrow, though I don’t really think I’m too pleased about the prospect of oral surgery.
Thanks for posting this.
rob c said,
November 13, 2005 @ 8:50 pm
Thank ypou for your site, I have been living in quiet fear for 2 weeks not daring to see a doctor, sure I had oral cancer. But your pictures looked EXACTLY like what I ahve in the EXACT same place. Thank God. I am going to stop smoking now I am so grateful. My daughters need their father.
Christine said,
November 13, 2005 @ 11:41 pm
Oh mu gosh I have had mine (in the same spot) for like 4 months! Thats crazy, I know. I am just hoping it will eventually go away. I hate the thought of surgery especially (if like in some other stories I have seen on this site) if it has a possibility that another one will grow. I dont know but I need it gone already, I feel like i cant wait any longer. Will it eventually just go away or should i just go to the doctor already???
anonamous said,
November 16, 2005 @ 4:19 pm
could this be the cause also of being in a fight and then afterwards this coming on and getting scared and thinking this is something else. for when i got into the fight afterward my lower lip hurt and felt hard for a while then the lump came up but finding this site helped me realize that it is nothing to be scared of just ten minutes under the knife and there done well thanx it is quite a relief.
Ann said,
November 19, 2005 @ 6:48 am
If you’ve had it for months then it is unlikely to go away on its own. Surgery is no big deal. I shall begging my doctor to have another go soon because what he has done is brilliant and I now want him to do some more.
Dan said,
November 19, 2005 @ 12:46 pm
I also have one!!!
I do have an insurance question for the people that already had it removed.
If you went to a oral surgeon, was it covered by your health insurance or your dental insurance?
My ‘general’ doctor referred me to a oral surgeon, but this one is not covered by my health insurance.
ardy said,
November 27, 2005 @ 8:42 pm
it’s been since september that i’ve been dealing with a lower lip mucocele/surgery – all gone horribly wrong. first surgery backfired, mucocele came back with a vengence. second surgery, ok for 2 weeks, then 2 more mucoceles came out of the incision site. i feel like a leper – i want to hide. i hate this. now seeing a specialist (an ears/nose/throat/reconstructive surgeon) to see what, if anything, can be done to help me and fix my lower lip. if i had a worst enemy to wish this on, i would. this has been hell and i just want it to go away and be normal again – doubt that will happen. i’ve pretty much given up hope. sorry for the downer, wish i could post another successful story – thanks for reading.
Larry B said,
November 29, 2005 @ 3:07 am
As someone who suffers from hypochondriasis, I can tell you that you are a hero to me! I found a lump in my lip about 3 weeks ago, and I naturally freaked out. I found your blog and it put my mind at ease (somewhat). I had it removed and it was a mucousele.
I had to wait a week for the biopsy but, without your blog, I am positive that I would have had to been sedated daily!!! Thanks again!
Larry
Dennis said,
November 29, 2005 @ 1:57 pm
I have had these mucocoeles for most of my adult life and never knew what they were called. I have about 6 in my lower lip. They feel like small bbs. Is this an accurate description anyone? They never bother me, except for one that is sometimes sore. I guess I will go to a doctor now. Thanks for this site!
ardy said,
December 1, 2005 @ 7:15 am
the e/n/t specialist has scheduled me for surgery..at the hospital..i’ll be completely out for this…on monday. he said there’s no other option but to cut into my lip (for the third time) and surgically remove the mucocele. one plus is he is a facial reconstruction plastic surgeon so, hopefully, he will be able to make my lip look normal. downside is there is no guarantee this mucocele will not come back. please have a good thought for me – i need it.
kadavy said,
December 1, 2005 @ 9:14 am
Wow, ardy, your story does seem to be a rare one. All of us mucocele survivors wish you the best on Monday. Thank you for sharing your story.
steve said,
December 1, 2005 @ 11:32 am
How neat. I just came across this, a day before I go into have a mucocele removed from my lower lip. I did a self diagnosis on this, thanks to a few Google searches. Went to the oral surgeon who agreed that it should come off. From the sound of previous folks who have gone under the knife (Or in this case sounds more like it will be a laser), I should anticipate a few days of discomfort, and some funky swelling of the lip? I am heading to the store to stock up on ice cream and soup to wait out the days that follow. At least it will be on a Friday, ready to just chill out over the weekend. I can onloy hope I don’t share the same fate as poor Ardy. I was feeling pretty confident until I read that post…..
Tony R. said,
December 1, 2005 @ 8:51 pm
Wow, I didn’t know that mucocele’s were that common…..Mine came up about 2 weeks ago and I thought I just had a mouth ulcer or something like that, although never had a mouth ulcer. I had a mucocele come up about 2-3 months ago and it was all liquidy and I popped it, wished I would have had it looked at now because this time it came back and was more firm and bigger. Moral of the story? don’t fiddle, get to dr. Your site is great! I’m so glad you put this info here! Thanks! Tony R
Susan said,
December 5, 2005 @ 8:13 am
I was diagnosed with a mucocele in the summer about 5 months ago. I got it surgically removed, but it’s definitely back now. It’s small right now, but I know it will get bigger and I will have to get it removed again. It’s really annoying. Have you seen urs comng back at all? I wonder what went wrong with mine.
Geof said,
December 5, 2005 @ 9:46 pm
I have a Mucocele on my lip, is it possible for it to be gone on its own?
Anne-Marie said,
December 6, 2005 @ 5:39 am
Thank god for this site. It has put my mind at rest I had a tumour cut out of my mouth 8 weeks ago they have not told me the name of it but it sounds like a mucocele, it took an hour and my lip is still numb it has come round a little but I am always concious of it. The hospital have told me it is benign. I too till have a hard lump inside my lip which actually feels like it swells up sometimes and worries me. I am going back to the surgeon on Thursday so will keep you posted as to what he says. Hopefully it is only scar tissue as other people have said.
Kathy said,
December 6, 2005 @ 2:12 pm
I had a mucocele surgically removed a week ago. Mine was on the inside lower lip for 3 months with a predictable cycle: A small bump would form and continue to expand to a mucous filled cyst. If I bit it accidentally, I’d get the bluish, blood-filled look. Since it was uncomfortable, I’d often pop it with one of my sterile diabetic syringes which provided relief for about a week. The surgery to remove the clogged salivary glands was only half hour. The Doc said he didn’t know which one was clogged so he removed them all, and the tissue looked like a tiny cluster of white grapes. Recovery was a little more drastic than I expected – very swollen, and black/blue on the top of my lip was well as the outside skin below my lip. It’s still very numb. The Doc mentioned mucoceles can be caused by injury (prior dental work, biting the lip, and even spicey foods) as well as just getting older. He mentioned a recurrance rate at about 30% depending on how much of the clogged salivary glands remain behind. Also, get it taken care of ASAP because my Doc said he noticed a small cavern of scar tissue had formed on the inside of my lip to hold the reservoir of fluids that kept building up. Make that appointment right away!
Liz said,
December 7, 2005 @ 6:39 pm
Man, it’s amazing how many people have left messages here, yet it’s so hard to find information anywhere else! I’m pretty sure a mucocele is what I have – since the beginning of July. I am a student and have no health insurance so I was hoping it would go away on its own. It just got bigger…hopefully the dentist will be able to remove it on Dec 26th (best Christmas ever!)!
Dan said,
December 12, 2005 @ 5:39 am
I have mine for over 2 years and I thought that it was time to have it removed. And the oral surgeon will do so this afternoon.
He looked at it 2 weeks ago and said that it was not very big. But it is still big enough that once in a while I bite on it, and you can also see it is there, when I talk/smile.
The reason that it is somewhat smaller is that the doctor did drain it two times 2 years ago.
Susan said,
December 12, 2005 @ 12:20 pm
question? does anyone else’s mucocele appear/reappear frequently? I’m questioning if this is what I have. First of all, seems like everyone else’s is on their lip, mine is in the back of my mouth on the inside of my cheek. Secondly, it goes down and then reappears throughout the day. Is this common? At first it was only one lump/bump whatever you want to call it, now it’s two right next to eachother. Any response is appreciated
nadia said,
December 14, 2005 @ 8:13 pm
Great page! I hadn’t heard of a mucocele until this morning. I had mine for ~6 weeks and I’d decided it was some kind of blocked saliva gland (not far off) because it didn’t seem like cancer
At first I thought it was a canker sore but it just kept getting bigger without ulcerating. At about half a centimeter I drained it myself (as in, scraping it open with my nails), but it would just heal and come right back, over and over again. So finally last week I tried to scrape it really well, but it was back and half a centimeter again…
This morning I went to the student health clinic at school and the doctor knew what it was right away. He said they sometimes go away on their own but it sounded like mine wasn’t going to, so they could take it out.
He shot some lidocaine in my lip and scraped it out with a scalpel, closing it with 2 stitches. No specialists, no waiting. I don’t have much swelling and unless I pout it actually hurts slightly less than the mucocele did in the first place. (I’m not exactly running out for nachos though!)
The doctor said they were really common and that I didn’t need to get any pathology done on it. They let me poke it with the tweezers afterwards which was kind of interesting.
When I got back to my lab and told one of my friends that I just got something cut out of my mouth he said “Like a mucocele?”. I asked him why he didn’t tell me about mucoceles 6 weeks earlier
nicole said,
December 15, 2005 @ 12:20 pm
hi. i have had a mucocele removed 7 weeks ago in my lower lip. after i had the stitches removed, another mucocele came right out of the scar. now i don’t want to have another surgery, especially with the prospect of having even more mucoceles coming up after that ( like the comment someone earlier posted, i really feel with you). i have been reading about a non-invasive treatment for children. it is called micro-marsupialization and requires a suture to be put through the dome of the mucocele and left in for 7 days. the idea is that new ducts can form , so the saliva can escape. has anyone ever heard of this or had this procedure done? my oral surgeon hasn’t and i am deperate to hear of someone…..
Zach said,
December 15, 2005 @ 9:06 pm
i have a mucocele and am about to cut it out with a cutco knife….is this a smart idea? and will it go away ?
jess said,
December 17, 2005 @ 12:49 pm
I just had mine removed on thursday (12/15) I was wondering if anyone else had a problem with dead skin around the stitches… I would like to remove it but I amd afraid I will pull the stitches out while doing it. It looks very gross because it is sooo close to the outer part of my lip
Shannon said,
December 17, 2005 @ 6:31 pm
I’m sooo relieved to find this post. I’ve had the lump inside my mouth for about 3 months now and never once went to the doctors my parents kept telling me it would just go away and at first i would bite it and liquid would come out..after that it stayed firm and i couldnt just bite it and have the fluid come out. I had to stick a needle in it and theres a white dot thats always there.But now that i know what it is I’ll be making a doctor appointment to get it removed, it’s very annoying
michelle said,
December 18, 2005 @ 4:35 am
hi i’ve had a lump on my lip like yours for ages, since 2005 april, i had exams then, so everyone was saying it was like an ulsar and it was probably because i was too stressed, but after the summer it just stopped shrinking, usually before it shrank occasionally and fluid things came out but now it’s just hard. i keep pushing it against my teeth to pop it, but i don’t know if i’ve made it worse, i hurts a little, wel i never got round to going to a doctor, and looking at your pictures im really really scared.
Brikena said,
December 18, 2005 @ 2:43 pm
Hello everyone,
I had my very first mucocele about 10 months ago. I had it surgically removed. I agree with most of you – the surgery was not fun and it took months to fully recover.
I had a recurrence just a week ago. I’m not going to have a surgery again. Instead, I’m using Hydrogen Peroxide solution and swishing it around my mouth a few times/day. I hope this will work out. I will let you guys know how this goes.
Dan said,
December 19, 2005 @ 6:23 am
Hi,
Here’s an update. I had mine removed exactly a week ago. The surgery itself was without any pain, but there was some pain some hours later. The surgeon prescribed some painkillers and I took them that day and night. He also advized me to nibble on icechips to prevent swelling.
The days after I could feel it, but no pain. Since Saturday I noticed that sometimes I have a part of a stich in my mouth. There are disolving.
If I push on the outside of my lip today I still feel that it is a little bit swollen, but no pain at all. I can also see that there are stil a few stiches there.
The only thing is that part of my lip still feels a little numb, but probably the feeling will come back.
I happy that they are gone, and hope they won’t come back.
Merry Chistmas/Happy Holidays
NMP said,
December 22, 2005 @ 3:22 pm
ok i think i have a mucocele. i had a bunch of canker sores for awhile and one turned into this. has anyone had any luck removing them by themselves?
i don’t have any insurance and don’t want to take time off of work to see a doctor. i’ve poped it once but it came back. just poped it again now.
benji said,
December 24, 2005 @ 7:36 pm
I had a mucocele on my lower lip that started when I had braces several years ago. It started as a very small and clear bubble and it would come and go one to three times a year. However, in Oct. of 2005 it swelled to four times its usual size. I had it removed early in Nov. and almost two weeks to the day after my surgery another one appeared at the bottom of the incision. So, at the end of Nov. I had that one removed. Everything was going well for about two and a half weeks. Then I got another one towards the bottom and off to side of the second incision.
It looks like I will be making another appointment for a mucocele removal. Hopefully the third time is the charm.
Like some of you, I have seen that marsupialization thing mentioned on a few websites and would like to find out more about this. It sounds a whole lot better than having a swollen lip for days, especially when you have multiple episodes of these things and don’t know how many more are on the horizon.
As for the surgeries, my first one went very smoothly and I could eat pizza within four days.
My second one, however, was lower on my lip and was much more sore and made everything in the lower part of my face (jaw,teeth) sore for a couple of days and I was limited to soup for about a week.
For those who have the surgery and have any questions, complications or recurrences you should make an appointment with the doctor who did the surgery. You should not get charged anything for post-op appointments. I was not even charged for my second removal. I don’t know yet about this third mucocele, but I will let you know when I find out something.
Mercedes said,
December 25, 2005 @ 2:51 am
Hello!
Thank you for everyone sharing information.
I wanted to share my experience with the annoying mucocel.
I had a mucocel for 7 months and my doctor at first told me it was a wart. Great- try explaining that to your coworkers- I had started to take homeopathy for warts hoping that would work. My doctor had no clue what this was and sent me off to the dermatoligist- 3 month wait. The kind dermatologist diagnosed it as a mucocel and his option was to burn it with nitrogen. I was hesitant with this bandage remedy so I seeked a dentist opinion. My dentist sent me to a dental surgeon who set up an operation to remove it. They had informed me that they had never seen one recur after the operation. Everyone knows where this story is going…… Well the operation wasn’t that bad and the staff was great BUT—- 2 weeks and a day I have another one just to the left of the incision. I am not a lip bitter I must add. I am not going to venture down the western medicine path again with this as the problem was not resolved. My only advice is to not decide on an invasive surgery option without checking out all other means. I am now searching for an holistic rememdy.
If anyone has had any luck with this I would greatly appreciate your knowledge. Thank you and good luck.
Jesse said,
December 29, 2005 @ 11:58 am
I recently developed a sort of movable lump on the left side of my mouth. It isn’t visible when I look at in the mirror, and I’m not sure what it is. It seems like it just developed overnight and I’m not sure what to do. I think I’m just going to wait and see if it gets worse and maybe it will just go away.
Donna Ladisheff said,
December 30, 2005 @ 1:49 pm
I had mine taken care of today. It did not hurt though it may after the novocaine wears off. I’m glad it’s gone. I’ll let you know more later.
Chris said,
January 4, 2006 @ 6:47 am
I notice I had a clear hard bubble type thing under my tongue! It’s been there for a while, it hasn’t gotten any bigger and i was just wondering if that would be considered a Mucocele? or would anyone know what else it might be?
ardy said,
January 5, 2006 @ 8:00 am
hi…here’s an update from me. my surgery went fine – the “mucocele” i had developed into a pyloric granuloma – a continually bleeding cyst. these things never heal and they bleed all the time – it explains a lot. you can imagine the hell i was going thru. don’t you love it when people look at you with that, “what’s that THING on your lip???” expression on their face, like they think you don’t know it’s there…ugh! anyways, the ears/nose/throat/plastic surgeon who removed it said it is unknown how it came to be. he did a fantastic job, even though it was expensive, i would’ve paid anything to fix this. i’m just thankful it is gone now and my lip has healed. there is a small dent on my lip but it’s only noticeable to me. please, people…keep your hands out of your mouths, fingernails are the best keepers for germs. make sure you are seeing a physician who can handle this. i possibly could’ve saved myself 2 months of pain, agony and worry had i seen a specialist first. thanks a million for having this site here for those of us with such a bizarre common link. i wish you all good health, healing and the best of luck with your chosen treatment. ~ardy~
nicole said,
January 6, 2006 @ 2:55 pm
hi ardy,
thanks for sharing and congratulations! it is so great that you finally got rid of it. (i have currently my second mucocele after surgery and a lot of pain.) i was wondering what kind of doctor did your first two surgeries? and how did you manage to find a capable plastic surgeon for your problem?
thanks in advance, i really do appreciate this!
ardy said,
January 6, 2006 @ 9:22 pm
thanks. my dentist referred me to an oral surgeon. due to scheduling conflicts, the oral surgeon couldn’t do the procedure in a time frame i was comfy with….and prompted by the fact that this thing wasn’t healing, i went to a general practitioner at an urgent care facility. my intention was to get some sort of medicine to heal the sore before it could be removed. that doctor said, “i can remove that today, if you like. i’ve done several of these things.” so, being naive and desperate, i took him up on it. unfortunately, he wasn’t as good at as he implied. the first surgery, he used dissolvable sutures that dissolved too quickly and left me with not just the one mucocele, but another quickly developed inside of two weeks. so i went back to the urgent care, and another doctor, the higher-up one, removed those two cysts. but..as my luck would have it, at the top and bottom of the stitch sites, mucoceles appeared again, with a vengeance – angry, bleeding, not healing. i called that doctor and said if this was becoming too much for them to handle then please refer me to someone who can deal with this accordingly. they referred me to the ears/nose/throat/facial reconstructive plastic surgeon who took one look at me and said he doubted these were mucoceles and that i had a raging infection. he quickly put me on antibiotics, which helped ease the infection and scheduled me for surgery at the hospital to remove what turned out to be the “pyogenic granuloma” (i had the wrong name in the earlier post.) so my point was to those who are still suffering to seek a competent professional who deals with this exact type of problem. i was more concerned with just getting rid of it that i didn’t take a moment to investigate if the first docs were capable of handling it. they’re great when we have colds or pull a muscle, but stuff like this we’ll see the specialists from now on. lession learned.. a very hard, painful lesson learned. (this is not to discredit those who have seen regular docs and had a successful outcome…i’m glad for you that it worked out. this is just my experience.)
nicole said,
January 7, 2006 @ 10:48 pm
thanks ardy. i will try to find some capable specialist next week. fingers crossed. i am already so frustrated.
…and many thanks for this site!
devi said,
January 10, 2006 @ 10:35 am
Do you know if insurance covers the surgery.
jessi said,
January 10, 2006 @ 4:52 pm
this is so funny…i didnt know that there was this much info on it…i just went into my dentist today and he said in like 2 seconds that it was a mucocele…he said they do not go away on their own and that i should just have the oral surgeon remove it when i get my wisdom teeth out…he said they’re nothing severe and to not worry…but i always bite at mine and i guess thats not good to do…so leave it alone..
great info guys
Katie said,
January 11, 2006 @ 1:42 pm
Hi, my name is Katie and I am 12. I just found out I had I mucocele today. I have had it for about 5 months, and my parents and I thought it was a canker sore, so I had had been treating it with ameson and any other product I could get my hands on, but it never went away. So, my mom took my to the doctor and she said it was a mucocele, but she couldn’t treat it and I would have to see a speciality doctor (I forgot what they are called) to do anything about it. The doctor took a look at it and said it was a mucocele and I would have to get surgery to remove it. My appointment is next Monday (1-16-06)
scott said,
January 11, 2006 @ 11:26 pm
I just found this site. Great site. I think i have a mucolcele, at least that is what i hope it is. I am making an appointment too go see a doctor soon. A few questions for you all, sometimes ill accidently bite it, its on the inside of my lip, exactly the same place as the pics up above, and when i bite it puss oozes out, and the whole lump will decrease in size. At first i thought it was a canker sore, it would almost go away but never quite all the way and than would come back again. Anyone else have this same problem??? Thanks, Scott
Renzo said,
January 12, 2006 @ 6:53 am
Has anyone had any luck with homeopathic or holistic remedies in getting rid of their mucocele? I had my first mucocele taken out a few weeks ago, and now it seems like it’s regrowing. I really don’t want to go through invasive surgery again if there are other less extreme ways of getting rid of them. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
ardy said,
January 14, 2006 @ 11:45 am
to answer the insurance question: depending on your policy, it should be covered as a “cyst removal” or something to that effect. in my case, all was covered, except for the deductible that i am required to pay – which is $2000 – then my coverages kick in 100%. until the deductible is met, the coverage is only 70% as long as i use a doctor who is IN network – out of network is not covered at all. all policies are different – definitely check with customer service for your insurance so that you are informed.
scott: be extremely careful – if pus is coming out, it sounds as though you have an infected site. it could get a lot worse. definitely see a doctor/specialist and try not to bite into it. the mouth is a harbor for germs. i wouldn’t want anyone to go thru what i went thru. good luck.
i bought every single mouth/sore remedy i could get my hands on – to no avail. re: homeopathic/holistic remedies, there may be some posted on the web, however, with my experience, the ONLY thing that worked was surgery. good luck.
katie… good luck monday!!
Katie said,
January 16, 2006 @ 8:54 am
I just got back from the doctors. It went well! They gave me some pain killer and this stuff to fight infections. How long does the swelling last?
Katie
sbli said,
January 17, 2006 @ 11:32 am
Renzo Hi,
I would be also interested about non invasive method to get rid of my mucocele. I had had it 2 months ago, I had removed it surgically and it came back almost immediately. If you will find something please let me know. I tried accupuncturing but NOTHING.
asdf said,
January 17, 2006 @ 3:50 pm
wow, i had mine for about 4 months, and i finally made an appt with my doctor who referred me to a specialist and once i made that appt with the specialist.. it disappeared. which is very odd.
Cleo said,
January 18, 2006 @ 11:12 am
Thank you for this wonderful information. Mine came up about a month and a half ago. Initially i thought it was a canker sore (i just happened to have a canker in another spot at the same time – but it went away in a few days). Within a week i started to worry – it was really gross looking (still is)And nothing i found on the web was very useful or comforting. It formed many tiny white bumps as it swelled and occasionally i could taste something strange – like that metallic taste that blood has- something was slowly leaking out of it. After a couple weeks it started to shrink, then swelled again, shrunk, and has swelled a third time. It sometimes looks bluish or yellowish underneath the white nobbly things, usually has a dark red ring around the base and feels likes a little ball. It also feels like there is a tendon or some such thing running from the base of it toward the back of my cheek (I hope this won’t complicate the surgery). When i saw my doctor she described it as an overgrowth of tissue – much like a wart. After reading this site and looking at the pictures i’m convinced it’s a mucocele (wonder why she just didn’t say so?) I’m having it removed on the 1st of February by a oral maxillo-facial surgeon (the same guy that pulls wisdom teeth)
billy said,
January 18, 2006 @ 8:32 pm
i had a mucocele removed about 3 years ago. I bit my lip the other day in the place it was by accident and by the next day, it appears i now have another one. will prolly have to have this one cut out too. surgery is not too bad. they inject numbing stuff in your lip and cut it out and stitch it up in about 15 minutes. this one is not as big as the first one ( which was getting to the point of small grape size.)
Brikena said,
January 19, 2006 @ 1:42 am
Hi everyone,
Use surgery only as the last resort when you experience a mucocele in your mouth. Please, please try Hydrogen Peroxide intstead. I had a re-occurrence last December and just by using Hydrogen Peroxide (by swishing it in my mouth several times/day) the mucocele dissappeared.
Brikena
ardy said,
January 19, 2006 @ 11:31 am
brikena, yes, hydrogen peroxide can be used as a mouthwash and can, in some people, help to heal mouth sores and minor irritations. i did use HP for my mucocele/cyst and it did nothing. surgery was not high on my list of options. what works for one person may not be the best for another. i say, if you can get it to go away, regardless of the method, then good on ya!
Veronica said,
January 20, 2006 @ 3:59 pm
I have been really stressed out lately, and I think I have been sucking on my lower lip without even realizing. I woke up the other day with a small “lump on my lip” that looks VERY similar to yours. It doesn’t hurt at all, and it is not blue or anything. I saw the picures… and I am NOT fond of any pain, but it looks like I will have to head off to the doctors. I don’t have health insurance so, should I see the campus doctor (i’m in college) first or a dentist..or just head off to the local walk-in clinic??
Thanks for any who reply..
A little scared of the whole process..
Veronica
Nancy said,
January 24, 2006 @ 3:40 am
Thank you so much for your web site! I’m living in northern Iraq, teaching English, so it was good to be informed before I decided on surgery. My cyst looked almost exactly the same as yours and I managed to find a good doctor to take it out at a public hospital. I can’t say I wasn’t scared, especially given the quality of the medical care and the levels of cleanliness here. It took about 20 minutes and I had little post-op pain. I’ve sort of pulled the stitches out of one side because I still keep biting the same spot but I hope it works. The surgery cost only $1.30 and I’ll get the stitches totally removed tomorrow.
Janette said,
January 24, 2006 @ 10:45 am
HI,
MY son has had this since August. It fills up and looks awful, but he says it doesn’t hurt. Eventually it went way way down and I thought that was the end of it. Just the other day, after he got the flu btw, it came back. I took him to the doctor and he said “hmm I think an ENT should look at that” FREAK OUT! You are right never attempt to look up “wierd mouth sore” or Funny lump on lip, it will have you crying in the corner. ON the other hand, cancer does not get big then go away then get big again. It just gets big and then gets bigger. Anyhoo, I am so glad I found this site, (not exactly sure how I came across it) He has a dentist appt on Feb 1st and an appt with the ent Feb 6th. Think judging by the photos, I may just leave it alone as long as he isnt’ bothered by it, I really dont’ want to put a 7year old through that. My guess is the dentist will say “ho hum” Think I will send this link to his doctor, who needs to know better than to scare parents.
jan
Danna said,
January 25, 2006 @ 9:07 pm
I have three small ones on my lower lip, all in a line. They come and go, and sometimes I have no problems for up to a week or two, but then they come back. Which kind of doctor should I see, an ENT or a dermatologist? I think I might bite my lip in my sleep. Has anyone tried a mouth guard?
ardy said,
January 25, 2006 @ 9:16 pm
my recommendation is to see an ENT (ears, nose & throat) doctor. best of luck.
Spongey said,
January 26, 2006 @ 12:12 am
OK, Here is my story. As most of you I had discovered a wierd bump on my lip and I did some research on the net and all I found was Mouth Cancer! I was pretty scared since that is what I thought I had being someone who chews tobacco and all. I noticed the bump on the lower inside of my lip one day and thought that it was strange. It did not bother me at first but it just kept ketting bigger. This bump was right where I kept that tobacco in my lip. I immediatley STOPPED using tobacco but the bump was still there. I researched and all I saw was MOUTH CANCER! Most web sites said to give it 2 weeks and if it doesn’t go away then get to a doctor as it could be Mouth cance. I gave it 3 weeks but it was still there. I went into some minor depression over the weekend thinking OMG what have I done. I have Cancer how stupid am I for using tobacco! My use of tobacco was a habbit I picked up just recently playing Golf. After a ruined weeked I decided to do one last search before calling the Doctor. I then find this site. I see the pictures and I say hay I think that is what I have. It looks the same and it feels the same it must be a Mucocele. Because I was a user of tobacco just to be safe I made an appointment to see my doctor. I suggest anyone does this by the way if you have a bump that doesn’t go away. When the Doc comes in the room I show him my nagging bump and the first thing he say’s is “Oh thats a Mucocele”. In my head I say “YES!” Then the Doc say’s I prefer not to do surgery because they are hard to remove and often come back. His advice was to give it time and it will go away. I left the office a much happier man. It is now 1 week later and the Mucocele is gone. I do not know when it dissapeard but I think that the stress is gone and I forgot about it and it finally went away. I have since gave up the Tobacco. Please, if you have any kinda bump in your mouth that is not normal go to the Doctor they know best. However, this site was a great form of info for me. Thank You!!
Rob said,
January 26, 2006 @ 7:29 am
OH MY GOD! Check out this guy’s mucocle! http://www.ghorayeb.com/LipMucocele.html
Josh said,
January 26, 2006 @ 9:52 pm
Hey, I did a search on google for “lump in mouth” and got this and read. I don’t think mines a mucocele. It’s in my right cheek, near the teeth, it’s very small, sore, I can move it around a bit and I’m afraid to squish it, but i think it’s a squishy-firm. Anyone heard of this? It’s not in my right cheek, nor does anyone else I know know what it is.
Kim said,
January 27, 2006 @ 10:42 pm
Hello,
I just found a “lump in mouth” and went searching for some info and came upon your site! I now believe I have a mucocele – looks exactly like the picture. I am going to wait until next week to go to the Doctors since it is the weekend. I still don’t get “how” these are formed or happen -the medical term is too confusing. Can someone explain – thanks. Also, once they are removed am I able to get one again?
Thanks again,
Kim
ardy said,
January 29, 2006 @ 4:03 pm
they can appear as a result of trauma (i.e, biting your lip, getting hit in the mouth) or they just appear with no explanation. it is possible for them to come back if removed – there is no guarantee. make sure you see a physician who is well informed about these and don’t hesitate to get a 2nd opinion. good luck.
Sam said,
January 30, 2006 @ 6:32 pm
I just had my mucocele removed today. Everything seems okay at this point. The pain is not TOO bad. I will say that I wish I hadn’t spent any time reading this entire blog post-op. So many negative stories…I’m optimistic…However, I will say this…if you have a mucocele…wait at least 6-8 weeks until you decide to get surgery. Many times it just dissapears on its own.
Carrie said,
January 31, 2006 @ 11:26 am
My son who is 8 just had his 3rd mucocele removed today. The first oral surgeon removed it (from under his tongue) by excising it and stitching it up and only using novacaine. It was a very traumatic experience and when it came back just 3 weeks later he was terrified. We found a surgeon who used the laser technique and we had him put under with versed and “happy gas” and it was a much better experience. Except for the fact that it reoccured for the 3rd time. Here’s hoping 3x is a charm. To all moms out there-make sure you buckle your kids up while they’re in the stroller-my son climbed out of his at 2 yrs. old and practically bit his tongue off. Had 7 stitches and hence the truama to the tongue that we are now having multiple surgeries for!
ATP said,
January 31, 2006 @ 12:58 pm
Thank you.
Tibor said,
February 2, 2006 @ 4:37 am
Thanks for the great info, your site helped me to decide on surgery. It happened 1.5 month ago, all is well except for some numb spots in my lower lip.
How long did you have numbness , and how many of you recovered from numbness?
mike said,
February 2, 2006 @ 5:31 pm
the lump i have is small, not nearly as large as the one in the picture, it feels pretty hard.
Josh said,
February 2, 2006 @ 8:50 pm
I posted not to long ago, up about 5-6 posts. Josh, odd lump in my cheek. I’ve seen the mucocele pictures, this isn’t anything like it. It’s very small, well smaller than a mucocele, it moves around a bit.. it’s sort of a firm-squishy kind of oval ball. Anyone have any opinions? Please give me some feedback.
Cheers, Josh.
rayn said,
February 3, 2006 @ 1:09 pm
Hi,
Thanks for the pictures. I’ve had the same thing for nearly 2 years. My dentist had told me the same thing, I mean it’s just a Mucocele and I could leave it if it doesn’t bother me, but with all repsect to my dentist I always think it cancer or hiv symptom and that the dentist been supportive and doesn’t want to freak me out as every single research about Limp and mouth drives you staright to mouth cancer. To be honest..The Mucocele changed my life..I’ve been completely different person to my personlity I’m sulky and not sociable anymore as I don’t like others to see my mucocele on my mouth and also I didn’t have courage to go for surgery because I haven’t seen anyone before with this kind of limp. I hope I will sort it out soon especially I need to go for job interviews and when I speak it appears out of my lower lip or I have to speak strange and cautious way which is not good for me. Let’s hope it’s a simple surgery.
Thank you very much for pics and your support.
All the best
rayn
ed said,
February 4, 2006 @ 8:24 pm
Can these things be popped?? Has anyone had any other ways of getting rid of them besides surgery??
Amaan said,
February 5, 2006 @ 1:32 am
thanks a lot!! i m just relieved. u made an excellent post and really, this helped me a lot.
I have had similar thing in my lips for some months and I was worried. Initially, i went to the dentist and he examined and told me there is nothing to worry, though he did not tell me if i had mucocele. But he confidently vanished the thoughts of me having some sort of lip cancer.
i dont smoke or drink or chew. Though i have had a lot of exposure to sun (as i play cricket) so i was worried about the freaky lip cancer thing.
Thanks to you you cleared all my doubts. Thanks
Now I’ll look for a surgery to root it out inshaAllah.
Surely, google should be a little less robotic and index this page on top when someone searches for ‘bump in lower lip’.
take care! bye!
peekaboo said,
February 8, 2006 @ 8:19 am
I have the same thing. I bit my lip during Christmas time and usually when I bite my lip, it heals in about a week. Well, I bit it again before it healed, in the same spot, and then after a month when the “blister” still didn’t go away, I got scared. I still have it and it goes down and comes back up, goes away, comes back, I am considering the surgery. I will make a dentist appointment very soon. Thanks for your pics and all the info, you guys are great!
Jeff said,
February 10, 2006 @ 6:42 pm
Does anyones lump change with what you eat or drink. I have the same exact lump, it’s soft and I even popped it a couple of times and that clear sticky stuff came out. Now, it seems to get bigger with certain things I eat. No pain really involved, just discomfort. As everyone said though better than the big “C”. Thank you LORD…
Jeff said,
February 10, 2006 @ 6:46 pm
Forgot to ask earlier. Does everyone elses lump move around? Can or could you move the lump around under your skin with your tongue? Really very strange. Sometimes I just want to bite it off.
Shannon said,
February 11, 2006 @ 12:47 am
Hiya,
I don’t have a mucocele but I know this guy who’s had a bump on his lip for atleast TWO YEARS!! After reading all this I’m sure that this is what he has. So I just want to thank you for this blog! If only my guy friend had done a little research perhaps he could’ve had it removed a long time ago!
katy said,
February 11, 2006 @ 8:45 am
Hi!
I dunno if you can help or not but iv had a lump under my tongue for about a year. its really small bout 1/2 cm and painless. I sqeezed it and some pus came out of it. Im now totally panicking in case iv got cancer (your true google terrifys you). i was wondering if anyone else had anything like this and let me know if what i have is a mucocele??? its the exact same colour as my mouth but feels hard like a pea.
pls help!!!! xx
stef said,
February 12, 2006 @ 10:55 am
Don’t have words to thank you.I was almost sure I had mounth tumour.Anyone knows about what different you will notice if it was something more serious than that??
Marko said,
February 14, 2006 @ 4:00 am
Jeff,
Yup , I managed to make mine bigger with Coke n spicy food, but usually only in the afternoons. It’d go down overnight. I went to see the M.D after 3-4 weeks and he confirmed it [ I told him what it was called, thanks to this site, because he couldn't remember ].It would have cost me $250 Australian dollars to cut out, but now 2 weeks later it’s almost totally gone [ was 0.5 cm before ]. I wonder if these things are somehow stress related and can disappear with a bit o relaxation by beleiving it’s just like a pimple, which is a blocked up skin duct, just on the inside? I reckon it’s the easiest and cheapest remedy without pain. Do we have anyone out there who wants to be a guinea pig and trial this theory? Scott lost his back in August on this post and I haven’t seen him post since. Anyone had one go and not come back?
Jeff said,
February 14, 2006 @ 6:07 pm
Thanks Marco, I was wondering the same thing about stress. We are going through some very stressful times in our lives right now and this thing flared up un-invited of course and doesn’t seem to want to go down. In fact it seems to be getting bigger. I suppose if I were relaxed I wouldn’t be biting at it or rubbing my tongue across it every other second. The ball under the skin is soft and squishy still and that makes me want to pop it. Should I? What can I do in the mean time until I can get to the DR. What kind of DR should I go to? Oral, Dermatologist or GP?
Frustrated and irritated with this darn thing.
Thanks for your or anyone’s help.
Jeff
R said,
February 17, 2006 @ 5:49 pm
HEY im sooo glad i found this site!!i have been freakin out b/c i didnt know wht this thing on my lip was. It was a clear fluid filed area in the middle of my bottom lip(kinda of were your lip and gum comes tgether) and i first saw it apear a few days after i was wresteling with my b/f in early october and and didnt know what is was. i popped it and clear fluid came out healld and went away- no pain what so ever. and then a few weeks/months later came back in the same exact spot and the same thing was repeted, recently i have felt a hard lump inside my lip an now im kinda woried. it seems like mine is a little more visable than the pictures and im wooried about a scare if removal is nes. At first i was really freaked b/c as some you have said when ever you google it the only thing that come up is herepes or cancer. and i knew ic ouldnt be those b/c of my relatinship…. cancer i dont know.. but the other , nothing was at all simular to the way a cancer sore was desribed. knowing its something as simple as this.. hopefully, is nice t knw, thugh very annoying.. anyones input would be great. thanks!!
Mike said,
February 19, 2006 @ 2:16 am
Hello ok i think i have the same thing it looks the same and it will pop with clear fulid then dissapear then come back and it dosent hurt its even in the same spot as the guy and looks just look his too that made this site i cant keep my tongue off it and im one of those people that freaks out when something like this happens and i dont know what it is but what really worrys me is that when i google bump on lip HERPES is what comes up and im so worried so can some one tell me if the symtems of herpes are just like this or is there a big difference (have only been with one girl who had no past partners like me) everything that everybody has said on here is the same with me but what makes it different from herpes ???
Vickki said,
February 19, 2006 @ 5:18 pm
It seems that I have also developed this Mucocele, which I have never heard in my life. Can somebody tell me whether I need to go to dentist or dermatologist first.
ardy said,
February 19, 2006 @ 9:21 pm
you can start by seeing your dentist. if you don’t have a dentist, you can see a general practitioner or primary care physician. chances are he/she will refer you to an “ears/nose/throat” specialist for further diagnosis and treatment. as for herpes, those symptons come and go and are usually painful, open, and can scab over – like really bad cold sores. mucoceles rarely are ‘open’, i.e., bleeding, weeping, etc. for the sake of an accurate diagnosis and treatment options, please see a health care professional. good luck.
Jean said,
February 20, 2006 @ 11:00 pm
Wow,
I’ve had this lump for a few months now!. Thinking it was canker sore I was trying too treat it naturally brushing with Hydrogen peroxide and at times Goggled up Apple Cider.
Worst thing is, I dumped this sweet n sexy princess cause the bump showed up a day after loooong french kisses
Well, I breathing a lot easer after this blog. Thanks everyone. Just wondering, are there any natural cures?
Elizabeth said,
February 21, 2006 @ 4:19 pm
Thank you for this blog!! And thanks to every one who commented. I had a mucocele for 2 months last summer and the doctor couldn’t identify it. (scary, huh?) It has come back again and finally going to a nurse practioner here at school, she diagnosed it and now all I have to do is go to the oral surgeon. Too bad my oral surgeon is about 400 miles away. But, at least I finally have a diagnosis!! I’m normal! And I’m glad to be normal with every one who has posted!!
Brikena said,
February 22, 2006 @ 12:13 am
Hi again,
I have a question for anyone who has gone through surgery in order to remove the mucocele. Has anyone experienced a DRY MOUTH after the surgery (even though months have passed), especially when you wake up in the morning? All answers will be greatly appreciated.
Brikena
MJ said,
February 23, 2006 @ 10:53 am
What about the stiches? Do you need to go back to the doctor to get them removed?
jewell said,
February 24, 2006 @ 12:30 pm
I’m so glad I have found this site. About one week ago i discovered a small round cyst on the inside lower left of my cheek. Unlike the ones decribed on the site, mine is not bluish in color nor can it be seen from the surface, just felt. It’s painless but I’m scared its a tumor or something. Has anyone had this kind of Mucocele?
hank said,
February 24, 2006 @ 5:04 pm
Well…
I have had 3 removals so far, and now I am going to have yet another one removed.
This is getting insane.
Anyone else in a similar situation?
Matt V said,
February 24, 2006 @ 7:25 pm
I noticed this lump in my lip yesterday it is exactly what you have discribed and it is a relief it is not oral cancer. I did bit it all day and it seems it has gotten bigger from bitting it.
melissa said,
March 2, 2006 @ 4:25 pm
hey i have had the lump in my lip for about a month. i did not go to the doctors sooner cause i thought it would go away .. well i thought wrong ..i decided to make an appointment with my physician and he refered me to see a plastic surgeon.. i will be having surgery the 8th of march i really hope it wont hurt as much as everyone says it wont but im a huge baby i have never had stiches in my life but i guess there is a first for everything im kinda scared that this thing will come back since ive read so many of the postings were they come back two weeks later well i will post back day after my surgery wish me luck!
melissa
Hannah said,
March 3, 2006 @ 8:09 am
WOW!!!!!! I’ve found my people!
I actually called my mom up last night when I found this site and said, “Mom! I found a group of people just like me!” and she said, “Hypochandriacs?”
Ooooh, at the end of August I thought I had a canker sore. Two weeks later when it was still there I started freaking out, eliminating certain foods, etc. It would get small and then get big again. I was in Virginia at the time, finishing up with a live-in caregiver job. In December I came home (Maine) for christmas and went to the dentist who told me it was a “Papilloma” and they normally go away on their own but he would remove mine. The day after it was removed, It grew back! Very small, but I went off to NY for my new job and it got bigger and bigger until finally I called an oral surgeon one morning for emergency surgery. He cut it off and I went in a week later to get a stitch removed that hadn’t dissolved, and it was looking irritated, just below the incision. He said, “Tell me, when this thing first started, did it get big and small, big and small?” I said yes. He said, “Ah! You’ve been misdiagnosed! It’s a mucocele!” He cut even deeper and stitched me up, (The best part is he didn’t scharge me a thing for the second surgery, and the first surgery he only charged me less than a quarter of what he normally charged for that!) Anyway, I was laughing at your description, David, of the whole thing because it’s EXACTLY what happened to me! RIght down to the Squishing your cheeks together when you smiled thing! HAha. Anyway, I’ve gone in for two check ups and I have one more in a month and he said it’s looking great – I DO have a small lump left that he says is just scar tissue (In case anyone here gets that they won’t freak out like I almost did!)
I love the person who said that if their’s wasn’t removed it would have surely taken over their face. I laughed so hard at that! I get these newsletters from Mercy Ships and read about these people who get little lumps on their lip and they get SO humongous that it takes over their face and then the ercy ship comes and rescues them. I thought for sure it would happen to me. SO glad I found such a big group of “Mucocele Survivors!!!!” This is great!
jess said,
March 4, 2006 @ 4:46 pm
hey, i got one last week.. it showed up about wednesday and its only been a week and its already gone. it was pretty big and you could see it when my mouth was open just a little. i was freaking out becuase i didnt want surgery but my dentist actually told me what to do and it went away real fast. when you bite your lip, it pinches off a salivary gland and so all the saliva can’t go anywhere and it builds up which is what forms a mucocele. if you keep hot moist compresses on it, it relaxes the gland and allows for the saliva to dissipate. so just keep a hot towel on it and in most cases it should go down after days or a couple weeks. also dont bite it again cause it will just reopen and spread! hope i could be of help to anyone!
Bubba Gump said,
March 7, 2006 @ 10:37 am
I had a mucocelle which did go down after about 3 weeks of not biting it. I had it for about a month and a half and hated it. I was almost ready to go to my dentist to get it taken out. This may sound gross, but I even went as far as to pop the mucocelle with a sterile needle every 3-5 days when I felt it getting bigger. It didn’t hurt, but it quite interesting putting a needle in my lip. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Im just one of those non squeemish risk takers. Or you could say stupid. I won’t argue.
Tammi said,
March 8, 2006 @ 7:21 pm
aaaaa i’ve been putting of calling a dr. or dentist becasue I keep thinking it will go away. It starts to get smaller but then I wake up one day and there it is again as big as a car. Its been over a month but do I call my doctor or dentist?
Rusty said,
March 8, 2006 @ 9:00 pm
Like ya’all I too had a lump appear. Mine was on my center, upper lip. I found it while driving one day and was scared to death.
I had a dentist appointment the next day so I showed it to her. She played with it and told me it looked like a Mucocele. She said it was nothing to worry about as long as it didn’t bother me and I didn’t bite it.
Mine was about the size of a pencil eraser and would fluctuate between being rather firm and squishy. It was dark, looking a lot like a blood blister or hemorrhoid.
Anyways, a couple days ago it got about 50% larger and remained rather hard and was starting to be visible when I smiled, causing my lip to protrude slightly.
I visited the local oral surgeon and was greeted with a week wait before I could get in to see him. I begged and pleaded (which did no good) but also offered to be on their “standby list” in case anyone cancelled. Luck would have it the very next day they called and wanted to know if I could be there in a hour. NO PROBLEM!!!
The OS looked at it and within 1 second said “You have a Mucocele” partner. Really glad to hear him say that rather than going “Owwww… Hey Joe come look at THIS!”
As luck would have it he offered to take care of it that same day (cool). The *only* part that hurt were the initial shots. I’m sure I bent his headrest trying to get away from his needle. It wasn’t that bad, but did sting a bit.
During the procedure I felt *nothing* and I mean *nothing*. That is a good thing.
After he was done, he told me it was really not a Mucocele, but rather a vascular bundle with a blood clot at the end. He said not to worry was most likely caused by some trauma to that area in the past and I should be back to not looking like a Ubangy soon.
I just *had* to see what they took out so the assistant gave me a peek. Looked like a small piece of liver to me. Yuk.
So anyway, all that happened today, I have virtually no pain this evening, but it does feel a little sore and the stitches are annoying.
I hope this takes care of it for good.
Chris said,
March 9, 2006 @ 12:17 pm
Great info… I have the same mucocele at the same spot as your picture. funny. mine comes and goes, sometimes within one day. I try to make a doctor appointment but by the time I remember to call, the darn thing is gone. My mother-in-law has the same problem. Could be bad biting patterns.
Tibor said,
March 10, 2006 @ 9:43 am
My mucocelle surgery happened 3 months ago now, the tip of my lower lip above the surgery is still a bit numb.. feels like ants marching on it if I touch it.
How are your surgery healing guys? Anyone else experiencing something similar? If you had similar symptoms can you write how long did it take for the nerves to heal?
Roxy said,
March 10, 2006 @ 11:00 pm
Wow !! I have been freaking about this hard blister looking thing that is really small and then gets bigger and then pops and then comes back. I was like paranoid. I am going to make a call to my oral surgeon. I am so thankful for this blog here because you cant find anything on the web for it and all that comes up is doom and gloom. Thank you so much for this : ) Roxy
Jim said,
March 11, 2006 @ 7:01 am
Hi,
Thank you so much for your sight.
I thought I would relate my story to perhaps help someone else.
I discovered a lump in my mouth in the Fall.
By Christmas, it had become about the size of a pea under the skin, and swollen around it and I was able to move it around slightly. It seemed to get bigger the more that I “tongued” it, which is hard to stop when there is something like that in your mouth. Caffeine also seemed to irritate it.
As many others on this sight did, I googled lump in mouth and of course came up with all kinds of cancer sights.
After several months of worrying I went to a G.P. who wanted to refer me to an oral surgeon immediately to “get this thing taken care of.”
The G.P. would not rule out the possibility of cancer.
Of course by now I was a nervous wreck, and scheduled the appointment with the oral surgeon.
During the course of conversation with the G.P., I did remember the word “cyst”. I later googled cyst and came up with your website.
After reading your website, I did the following:
1. Cancelled the oral surgeon appointment.
2. Made a concious effort to stop playing with the lump with my tongue.
3. Applied hydrogen peroxide to the lump in the morning and night with a Q-tip
4. Made sure not to hit the lump with my toothbrush.
I am happy to report that as of this date the lump is virtually non-existent!
Thanks again for helping me out with your sight and hope my “do it yourself” tips will help someone else.
Cory said,
March 11, 2006 @ 2:44 pm
after reading this blog I’m convinced I have one too… better get doc on the horn so he can cut it out!
Thanks for the info though.
Hannah said,
March 14, 2006 @ 8:15 pm
Me again! Wanted to mention one more thing to you – several people have mentioned that they had their mucocele removed only to have it grow back right next to the scar? Well, mine was first diagnosed as a papilloma – when it was removed (For the second time, by a different Dr.) it grew back next to the scar and when I went back he said it wasn’t a papilloma, but a mucocele – and the way to take care of it is to remove the salivary gland – because that’s the culprit – he did and that was more than a month ago and I haven’t had any problems – I would definaltly make sure the Dr. Removes the salivary gland, because that’s the whole problem, and that’s why my “Papilloma” kept returning because all they were doing was removing the symptom.
Mark said,
March 16, 2006 @ 4:11 am
I just got back from the doctors. I have a suspected mucocele (i think) but i have to wait for the oral specialist to confirm it. Nearly everyone on here seems to have it on their lip but mine is under my tongue. Having smoked 30 a day for the last 6 years and being a heavy drinker. Needless to say I S**t my pants when I found it espescially since I have a wierd overgrown bit of gum aswell that i never got checked out till now. The thing that really set me off into a panic is when i was sitting in the doctors waiting room I was facing a big poster with the headline. “Mouth cancer – it could be you”. I think my surgery, if I need it, will be a bit of pain though considering the location. I’ll report back with th details. Oh and I have now quit smoking, I don’t want a repeat performance with a different outcome.
Katie said,
March 19, 2006 @ 4:31 pm
MINE WENT AWAY ON ITS OWN!
My mucocele appeared in early January. Of course, at that time I didn’t know what it was. After searching for “lip blister” online all I came up with was herpes even though the blister/cyst looked nothing like that. I poked, prodded, and squeezed the blister to no avail and soon gave up. Luckily, I found this site and diagnosed myself with a mucocele–it looked just like the picture and was just as big. The diagnosis was later confirmed by a doctor who referred me to my dentist. Because of my busy schedule and the fact that the mucocle was on my inner lip and not visible unless I pulled down my lip, I put off my appointment and vowed to leave the cyst alone. Well, it started getting smaller last week and now it’s gone except for a tiny bump no bigger than a pin head. I’m glad I waited to see an oral surgeon and have it removed. My advice would be to just leave it alone for awhile and hopefully it will go away on its own. Unless, of course, it’s visible from the outside–those things are pretty ugly. I’m keeping a close eye on mine and will let you know if it comes back.
barb said,
March 20, 2006 @ 2:08 pm
I have a mucocele right now and I identified it online and read a little about it. I can’t afford to go to a doctor or a dentist, but I’m a musician and when I was singing it was driving me CRAZY, so I popped it. It was a good temporary solution, but it came back so I popped it again and really tried to get all the goo out. It just kept coming back – and quick! It would swell up again, sometimes within a matter of hours! So I have a big show tonight and I couldn’t deal with that thing driving me nuts all night so I just stabbed the hell out of it with a pin. I mean, I really destroyed the thing to the point where I just have a hole where it used to be and it kind of feels like I bit my lip really bad. I know I probably sound like an idiot for doing that, but I had to do something before I went on stage tonight or I would have focused on it all night. Every time I mess with it, I use a sterile needle and wash my mouth out before and after really well with listerine. I’ll let you know if it grows back.
Vicki said,
March 21, 2006 @ 9:38 am
Simple Relief: Use a rinse of 1/2 Hydrogen Peroxide, 1/2 water for 3+ weeks. Don’t swallow the rinse; leave in mouth for about 5-10 minutes, then rinse well with water. This really helped in my situation. I was diagnosed with a mucocele about 2 months ago and read everything I could find about it, especiallly the comments in this blog. My doctor recommended surgery. It was not encouraging to see that even the surgery, which can be unpleasant, does not guarantee the thing will go away — lots of folks said they come back. I had also just had some other minor surgery and was willing to try anything to avoid more surgery. Somewhere I’d read a comment suggesting the hydrogen peroxide rinse and thought it worth a try. My problem has not entirely disappeared, but it’s much improved and the mucocele cannot even be felt from outside my cheek now (formerly was the size of an almond). You have to be patient and diligent to get these good effects, but I recommend at least trying this because it’s simple, cheap, and involves no surgery.
Hannah said,
March 21, 2006 @ 6:19 pm
Yeah, I was patient and diligent for five months and the thing kept getting bigger and bigger. IF the oral Surgeon removes the salivary gland, there’s no way it can return!
roger said,
March 22, 2006 @ 12:49 am
After biting the s**t out of my lower lip last December, I developed a bump that gradually grew to about 1 cm in width … not painful or super noticeable, but annoying as hell. After finding this site I was 99% sure the thing was a mucocele, but I went to the Doc anyways. Sure enough, within one minute of examination the Doc says, “Without a doubt … a mucocele.”
So … I tried the hydrogen peroxide thing, and it does help … but ultimately this thing’s not going away. My plastic surgery appointment is for Monday morning (3/27). I’ll let everyone know how it goes.
Varun D said,
March 23, 2006 @ 10:02 pm
What about something like transparent and 1~2mm in size on the lower lip?? Is it a retention cyst too? What can it be?
aimee said,
March 26, 2006 @ 9:41 pm
Thank you so much for posting this site. I haven’t seen the doctor yet but it looks and sounds like this is what I have. I have been freaking out that I have cancer and now I am praying that this is what the doctor will tell me I have. It looks just like the pictures you posted and is in the same place on my lower lip. Interestingly I had a really bad cold when it first appeared. I wonder if that contributed to it. Your site has brought me relief knowing that there are other possibilities besides cancer. Thank you so much.
Alecia said,
March 27, 2006 @ 3:52 pm
I have had a Mucocole for about a month and a half now or more. I didnt know what it was and was really scared to go get it checked out. I had bit it and drained all fluid in it about 5-7 times. It would go down and within a day it would be back. I started getting scared thinking it was a cyst or tumor. Cancer runs in my family, and i have had problems with cysts before. Finally I gave in and went to urgent care. Found out it was only a Mucocole, the doctor has refered me to the Head, Neck and sergury department. I have my appt next monday. Im kind of scared though…I dont know what they are going to do. But I know it could be worse.
roger said,
March 28, 2006 @ 12:29 am
I had my surgery this morning. The plastic surgeon said everything went well. The whole procedure lasted around 20-30 minutes and was about what I expected. First, the surgeon gave me a couple of shots of local anesthesia, which were as painful as you’d expect shots in the lip to be; not unbearable, but certainly uncomfortable. After that, pretty much all feeling in my general mouth area was gone … didn’t feel the initial cut, excision of the mucocele, or any of the stitches, although I could hear and see all of this happening. Bleeding was minimal, and before I knew it, I was ready to go. It’s now around 12 hours later and the pain and swelling are not too bad. Eating is tricky … It’ll be soup and smoothies for a couple of days … If anyone reading this has any questions for me I’d be happy to answer them … just post re:roger … I’ll be checking this site frequently over the next few days … thanks again to the moderator of this blog … it has helped me tremendously
Joshua said,
March 28, 2006 @ 11:06 am
Dude Your Great Was Very parra ova lump in my mouth iv had 4 ages was threatening to give up cannabis youv helped me remain a high guy
bonita said,
March 28, 2006 @ 3:04 pm
omygosh!! i think i have a mucocele (what a wierd name, sounds like a ukelele.) my dad says he had one when he was in 12th grade too, so maybe its hereditary?? anyways, i have never had any surgery in my life and i am afraid of shots. so i hope i don’t have to have it surgically removed. it popped up a few days ago and its been growing like CRAZY (its now about a cm, on the left of my lower lip). its not painful at all but I HATE IT!! i feel like people can see it and it makes putting on lip gloss such a pain. anyways, thanks for this information. it helped.
Marko said,
March 29, 2006 @ 2:32 am
It’s been 6 weeks since mine disappeared on its own and no sign of its return. I’m glad I was too poor to get it removed by surgery, looks like a nasty way to get rid of ‘em. Cheers ‘n good luck!
Hannah said,
March 29, 2006 @ 6:26 am
Well, when you’ve had a gross looking thing on your lip for months and months and it effects the way you talk and you lose your appetite over the whole thing, you really don’t care how it goes, so long as it goes! I’m with several other people here, in that if I hadn’t gone to the surgeon I would have done it myself! I would rather have been deformed for life than have that thing for life. Went for my last check up yesterday and the dr. declared me officiolly cured! YAAAAAAAAAY!
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