# Onset of Geographic Tongue in pregnancy?



## lava mama (Jan 2, 2007)

I just discovered the term "geographic tongue" recently, while I was searching around for various tongue maladies. Anyway, I have geographic tongue and it started this last summer when I was pregnant with DD. The first thing I noticed were the teeth marks on both sides of my tongue, and the burning, swollen sensation accompanying came this winter. I experience "flare ups" after I eat spicy or salty foods.

I was just reading that geographic tongue can be link to gluten allergy? My LOs both have food allergies, but I've never been allergic to anything. Aside from a Vitamin B deficiency, what else could it be? Thyroid? Gluten? Dairy? Soy? Dairy and soy are already eliminated from my diet due to my LO's allergies.

Does anyone else have any experience with this? I'm wondering for my DD also, as she has kind of a circle in the middle of her tongue and I'm wondering if it's geographic tongue as well.

Any suggestions would be welcome!


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## luminesce (Aug 6, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lava mama* 
I just discovered the term "geographic tongue" recently, while I was searching around for various tongue maladies. Anyway, I have geographic tongue and it started this last summer when I was pregnant with DD. The first thing I noticed were the teeth marks on both sides of my tongue, and the burning, swollen sensation accompanying came this winter. I experience "flare ups" after I eat spicy or salty foods.

I was just reading that geographic tongue can be link to gluten allergy? My LOs both have food allergies, but I've never been allergic to anything. Aside from a Vitamin B deficiency, what else could it be? Thyroid? Gluten? Dairy? Soy? Dairy and soy are already eliminated from my diet due to my LO's allergies.

Does anyone else have any experience with this? I'm wondering for my DD also, as she has kind of a circle in the middle of her tongue and I'm wondering if it's geographic tongue as well.

Any suggestions would be welcome!

I've had geographic tongue for as long as I can remember. I recall my mom getting really worried about the odd spots on my tongue at a very early age and taking me to the doctor to get reassured.

I don't have allergies but do have a few delayed hypersensitive reactions to a couple of foods. I also have an autoimmune disorder and in the past few years have become extremely sensitive to fragrances (this seemed to develop and get worse after pregnancy.) I am also battling a vitamin D deficiency, but I've never tried to link any of this to geographic tongue. Mine flares up all the time but hardly bothers me (maybe I'm used to it?) It is pretty much chronically spotty.


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## lava mama (Jan 2, 2007)

Bump!


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## texmati (Oct 19, 2004)

I get something similar-- (my tounge swells up in my mouth as though all my tastebuds are swollen) when I eat artificial coloring-- mostly the color red. Candy, juice, ect. It also happens with pinapple and kiwi, ect but those are easier to avoid.


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## NewDirections (Jul 18, 2008)

I've had geographic tongue for about 10 years. One day I just noticed it and I've had it ever since. About half the time my tongue looks totally normal, and the rest of the time I have flare ups where my tongue has spots on it. Occasionally it hurts similar to how it feels if I eat too much sour candy







The only people who really have commented on it were my dentist and my Chinese medicine doctor. They don't know what causes it and didn't really have a lot to say about it.

It's interesting that you say it could be caused by gluten allergy. A few years ago when I went low carb, I didn't notice my geographic tongue flaring up as much so there may be some truth to that.


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## Village Mama (Jul 22, 2004)

For me it was gluten. Mine flared up after my first pregnancy and came along with psoriasis as well. Both have cleared up after removing gluten.


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## Mindful Mom (Jun 9, 2003)

I have it as well (as does my DD). I don't recall if I noticed it was any better or worse when I was pregnant, but I definitely noticed that both Zoe and I get worse if we eat too much dairy!

It's a pretty benign condition, so I hope you're not worried too much about it!


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## lava mama (Jan 2, 2007)

Thanks for your comments everyone! It's not that I'm worried about it, I just wanted to get someone else's take besides some random online medical website, KWIM? I'm beginning to wonder if it's a vitamin deficiency, since it popped up during my last pregnancy during which I didn't take my prenatal vitamins (oops!). I'll start taking a multi-vitamin and see if it helps.


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## tiana5181 (Jun 23, 2012)

Some say that a vitamin D deficiency can cause flare ups and that if you take a vitamin D supplement, it can help control the symptoms. I also suffer from this. It started during my first pregnancy and then went away a few weeks after delivery. I had few flare ups afterwards. I am now pregnant with my second child and it hasnt went away since about 2 mths pregnant. Hormone imbalances cause flare ups and research has also suggested that those with allergies are more prone to have geographical tongue. I have just learned to live with mine. Hope this was helpful!


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## lia_joy (Jan 8, 2009)

I get it sometimes, & it flares up much worse during pregnancy. during this last pregnancy (baby is just 2 weeks now) I noticed a few things: 1) I had a craving for lemon water & when I drank a lot of it, my tongue seemed to get better (so I thought maybe it was an issue of acidity) 2) it seemed to get worse if I ate junk foods, fast food, etc... I thought maybe a perservative or something might have contributed. and 3) now that it's been mentioned here, my Vit D levels were low & the geographic tongue did seem to go away around the same time I started to get a lot more sunlight (but it could have just been the hormone shift at the end of pregnancy)


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