Irritated lips - something in my smoothies

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I've been drinking whey smoothies 1-2 times a day since I've been on MFP, about 25 days. I noticed right away that when I would drink them, the corners of my mouth would burn a little. Well for the last week or so, I've developed this rash/chapped irritation on the corners of my mouth. The edge of my upper lip is also starting to burn. The redness is bilateral. I don't leave a smoothie mustache, so I don't think it's chapping due to leaving the lips wet. Other drinks don't cause the burning. My smoothie ingredients vary (sometimes contain berries, sometimes greens), but the whey has been a constant.

Has anyone experienced this? This is a new one for me and I'm less than pleased :-/

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Replies

  • ldula88
    ldula88 Posts: 169 Member
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    Possibly an allergy to something in the smoothie? That's not fun, whatever the cause, hope you can get it solved!
  • BigBadVanna
    BigBadVanna Posts: 65 Member
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    Well apparently I'm an idiot and can't post a pic. :explode:

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    Well since my pic won't work, I added it to my profile pics in case anyone has experienced this or has any ideas.
  • BigBadVanna
    BigBadVanna Posts: 65 Member
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    Whey, mixed berries, spinach or baby spring mix, sometimes PB2, sometimes cocoa powder, sometimes almond milk, sometimes kefir.

    I never really eat pineapple and when I eat kiwis, I always spoon them out straight into my mouth :)

    I can't figure it out.
  • ashleycde
    ashleycde Posts: 622 Member
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    Stop drinking the smoothies altogether. Then, take a look at the ingredients based on which has been most newly introduced to your diet, you think is most likely to case the irritation, etc. Try each ingredient alone for a couple of days, if there is no reaction, stop taking it for a few days, then try one of the other ingredients, until you've found the problem one.
  • Mangopickle
    Mangopickle Posts: 1,509 Member
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    Sounds like a fruit acid burn. Drink your smoothies with a straw and don't lick your lips. Mango and pineapple will burn my lips every time. I spoon them into my mouth.
  • Howdoyoufeeltoday
    Howdoyoufeeltoday Posts: 481 Member
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    I'm going to cut my long boring story in 1/16 cause all you really need to know is my lips used to get little hive like bumps that break and itch and burn and at night they swell up like balloons. finally I realized that when I eat yogurt I get a very mild tingle in the back of my throat. something clicked and so I stopped eating dairy and anything with milk in it. I have an appointment with an allergist in late march but since ive stopped dairy it's pretty much non existent now. Whey is milk. you might be allergic to milk. or lots of people have allergies to citrus fruit that effect the lips. go to your doctor and get a hydrocortisone cream it'll help the burning and itching. then go see an allergist as soon as you can! :D good luck! I hope you figure it out faster then I figured my allergy out!
  • ashleycde
    ashleycde Posts: 622 Member
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    I agree with the poster above. My first guess was the whey, because lactic acid can be just as irritating as the acids found in fruit. If the irritation is only on the corners of your mouth, drinking with a straw may not be a bad idea, but may just be best to stop intake altogether if your body is reacting harshly to it.
  • PaleoMoxie
    PaleoMoxie Posts: 5 Member
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    This happens to me too. Choosing organic stops it
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    Make the smoothie minus one ingredient for a couple days and see what you see. If no change, add it back and subtract another till you find the culprit.