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Chewing gum for the curiously masochistic
—Posted by David Kiefaber |
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June 6, 2005 | Permalink |
Comments
Since chewing Altoids cinnamon gum, I have a very painful tongue, especially toward the tip with white raised bumps and a coating on my tongue. My husband also has had this happen with the Altoids cinnamon gum. Does anyone know why this happens? How can they sell this stuff?
Posted by: Dominie Bush | Jun 26, 2005 10:18:32 AM
I've had the same experience as Ms. Bush. I chewed a few pieces of Altoids cinnamon gum over the last two days, and my tongue is now covered with painful white bumps. It's hard to eat and swallow.
I'm going to write to the company and let them know what kind of product they're putting out there. This stuff should come with a warning.
Posted by: Katie | Jan 15, 2006 10:49:22 AM
I had the same thing happpen, only with the new Eclipse Cinnamon. My tongue has been hurting since Sunday.
Posted by: bev | Jan 25, 2006 8:24:42 PM
i chewed some big red friday night and now its sunday and my tongue hurts worse than ever.. i wish i knew what was up!
Posted by: marcus | Jan 29, 2006 2:48:49 PM
i chewed the sour altoid chewing gum yesterday for the first time. i chewed approximately 8 pieces of it. Anyway, my teeth have not felt the same since. I have an emergency apt. with my dentist because my teeth are in so much pain. I think there are chemicals in the gum that rotted my teeth. i've eaten sour candies before and have eaten and chewed so much gum and candy throughout my life and i've never EVER experienced this painful sensation before. All this company cares about is money/dollarsigns and not limiting the chemicals they use in their products.
Posted by: joree | Apr 14, 2006 11:25:00 PM
I chewed the Altoids Cinnamon gum all day yesterday while at work and by the time I got home last night (9:30 pm) my tongue and teeth were killing me! This stuff needs to be pulled from the shelves!
Posted by: Angie | Jun 23, 2006 9:49:34 AM
I wish I had read this before I chewed Big Red. I chewed some yesterday and my tongue feels like it is on fire today. I don't have white bumps but my tongue is very red. Do any of you have any ideas how to fix it, I tried to get some antibacterial mouthwash but I thik that is making it worse?
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by: JW | Jul 26, 2006 2:14:41 AM
Anytime I've had any kind of Cinammon flavored gum/candy, I can't keep it for more than 3 minutes in my mouth... Same thing with sours... I hate it anyway. The point is... if it hurts your tongue it's probably not a good idea to eat it in the first place... Dogs know this instinctively, youll rarely see a dog dying because of bad food. Dogs can tell when something's not kosher and theyll stay away from it. Why must humans torture their tongues? If it stings it cant be good!!!
Posted by: G | Jul 27, 2006 2:34:50 PM
to the dude who says "I have chewed so much gum and candy throughout my life and I've never EVER experienced this painful sensation before"... well, maybe THAT is why your teeth hurt now, cause you've chewed so much candy and gum throughout your life.
I love the altoids sour gum, haven't had a problem with it, and no, I don't work for altoids :)
Posted by: m | Jul 27, 2006 6:32:20 PM
ditto on the painful teeth!
sour apple for the first time yesterday (12 hours plus) and ever since the first 'crunch' into the outer shell ALL of my teeth are extremely sensitive and painful to sweet, or hot or cold!
shame on you callard and bowser
Posted by: ditto | Nov 20, 2006 2:51:49 PM
got that shit from eclipse cinnamon (teeth and tongue) except only my front teeth... anyone know how long it lasts? :(
Posted by: mark | Dec 7, 2006 9:10:37 PM
My Tongue Hurt for days and I lost my taste. Something must be wrong with this stuff.
Posted by: wes | Dec 13, 2006 5:11:28 PM
Chewed a couple cinnamon altoids yesterday and my tongue is swollen and has raised bumps. Can't taste much and hurts. Throwing those little candies out.
Posted by: Brandon | Jan 27, 2007 4:40:52 PM
From what I have read, this seems to be some form of an allergic reaction to cinnamon. I get the swollen tongue, can't taste, bumps on tongue symptoms everytime I put anything with Cinnamon in my mouth. I had known it happened to me from chewing Cinnamon gum but I finally found out why after I used some Cinnamon mouthwash which has numbed my tongue for about 3 days now.
Posted by: Izzie | Feb 14, 2007 12:11:47 AM
SOUR & CINNAMON PROBLEMS? I HAVE AN EXPLANATION!
CINNAMON oil is a very strong sensitizer, or skin irritant. To a lesser extent, the same is true of PEPPERMINT oil, the ingredient used in large amounts in mint, cinnamon, and some other Altoids flavors to produce the "curiously strong" effect. People who work with essential oils know that you should never put these two oils on your skin undiluted, so no surprise these ingredients might cause irritation to the sensitive tissues in the mouth!
I'm convinced cinnamon oil can also irritate the nerves in at least some people's teeth. A couple months ago, I switched from chewing two pieces of Dentyne Ice Vanilla Mint gum to Trident White in Cinnamon flavor, and at the same time, developed serious tooth pain in a couple places in my mouth. I went to the dentist, convinced I must have a couple of just killer cavities! I've had tooth sensitivity before, at the gumline, but nothing like this - my teeth hurt deep inside, kept me up at night, and no amount of toothpaste for sensitive teeth alleviated it. The dentist found nothing, and the pain continued. Then I remembered what I knew about cinnamon being a sensitizer, stopped chewing the gum, and the pain went away completely within two days. Too bad - I love cinnamon! - but I won't be chewing that, or any other cinnamon gum anymore.
As for the nasty effects of SOUR CANDY AND GUM - The key is citric or other acid ingedients, which are what produce the sour/tart taste. In high enough concentrations, these very commonly cause mouth sores and raised, irritated bumps on the tongue (technically, canker sores and mouth ulcers). This is a really common effect of many types of candy and other foods, even natural ones like orange juice, that contain citric acid. The problem some have with Altoids sours may just be the AMOUNT of citric acid in them. A compromised immune system can also lead to the development of the same sores - many people get them when they're fighing off colds and flu or simply feeling the effects of a bad diet. Ingesting too much sugar alone can weaken the immune system, so really, any candy, if you eat enough of it, (especially in the absense of other, healthier foods) can cause 'm.
Citric acid, like sugar, can also degrade tooth enamel, exposing the dentin and causing nerve pain (AKA tooth sensitivity). As a result, it's recommended that people with tooth sensitivity avoid foods high in citric acid, because it will make the condition worse.
Probably many people can handle even "curiously strong" amounts of cinnamon oil, peppermint oil, and citric acid, while others (even those who might love the flavor!) can't. Don't blame the Altoids people - just read ingredients labels or, better yet, as a previous poster suggested, make like a dog and follow your instincts - simply avoid foods that seem to make *YOU* (even if not your friends) sick. Everyone's body chemistry is different, so it's really true what they say - one person's pleasure may be another's poison.
Posted by: Anna | Feb 24, 2007 3:43:03 PM
Every time I eat anything with cinnamon flavour I have a VERY painful tongue with white raised bumps, no matter how much I eat (even with 1 piece). I happens with Altoids and also with candy, gum, lollipops, etc.
Posted by: Victor | Mar 13, 2007 12:39:27 PM
Any time I eat ANY hard candy, or sugary gum (anytime sugar stays in my mouth a long time) I get the sores on the tip of my tongue. :(
Posted by: mary | Mar 19, 2007 6:57:12 PM
Eclipse Cinnamon! My tongue was all white, swollen and painful for the whole week. My tongue feel like there are canker sores all over it. I didn't realize it was that flavour that caused it two months ago until I had some again two days ago and my tongue is numb and sore again. I'm flushing them down the toilet. Sheesh! I'm glad I saw this page or I would be worried something is wrong with me.
Posted by: Lulu | Apr 13, 2007 11:20:58 PM
Eclipse Cinnamon! My tongue was all white, swollen and painful for the whole week. My tongue feel like there are canker sores all over it. I didn't realize it was that flavour that caused it two months ago until I had some again two days ago and my tongue is numb and sore again. I'm flushing them down the toilet. Sheesh! I'm glad I saw this page or I would be worried something is wrong with me.
Posted by: Lulu | Apr 13, 2007 11:22:13 PM
Thank God!!!!!!!!! I chew Dentyne "HOT STUFF" cinnamon gum. I was told it settles your stomach and I travel a lot so I had a piece everyday. However, it just started happening about a month ago. I too feel I have canker sores(though I don't get them) on the inside of my lower lip and my tongue feels the same as everyone's with the white bumps. I can't wait until this stops now that I know. I thought I might have lip and tongue cancer. AGAIN, THANK GOD I READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Mary | Apr 18, 2007 1:54:28 PM
I'm so glad I found this page!!! I too was seriously wondering if there was something wrong with ME ... now I know it has to be the Eclipse Cinnamon mints. I bought the packet a week or so ago and after eating a few, my tongue felt swollen and really sore. I suspected it was the mints and stopped eating them, but yesterday I thought I'd try one, just to see. Sure enough, today my tongue is sore again. They ought to take this stuff off the shelves ASAP!! Oh, and no ingredient list on the packet either, which is pretty strange!
Posted by: Carolyn | May 15, 2007 2:52:04 AM
I'm glad I found this site as well.
I had some cinnamon candy a few weeks ago. Then the sides of my tongue were sore/hurt and I had the small white bumps. That progressed and went away in probably 3-4 days. I used Listerine thinking it was some bacterial problem. Now, I just had the cinnamon candy again, and I'm getting the same problem. It must be that cinnamon candy that's doing it. The soreness gets really annoying. No more cinnamon candy for me.
Posted by: Doug E. | May 18, 2007 11:41:52 PM
Had the same reaction...but got used to it and now am addicted to the stuff! I go through a tin a day and actually have cravings for it. How bizarre is that?
Posted by: Laura J, | May 21, 2007 2:03:00 AM
My husband seems to be having the same problem after eating one piece of altoids cinnamon gum 3 days ago. I feel so sorry for him cos he can barely eat or speak b'cos of the pain. Does anybody know what I can releive this pain with???
Posted by: Tara O. | May 29, 2007 8:16:44 PM
MELON ICE MINT BY DENTYNE! I couldn't chew anything for several days after. Beware!
Posted by: Adi | Jun 5, 2007 9:42:37 AM
Yes - eclipse cinnamon! It's killing my tongue! AVOID!
Posted by: pedro | Jun 10, 2007 5:50:27 AM
Took me a while to figure out what was causing my weekly mouth sores. I thought it was my Thai lunches. My dermatologist thought it was Herpes.
Then one week it occured without the Thai lunch. Then I realized I had had Dentyne Fire Cinnamon gum, as I do after every Thai lunch. The reaction is delayed about 24 hours and lasts about four days.
I stopped with the gum and had no recurrence of oral cankers.
Thanks to those who posted here.
Dr. Mike
Posted by: Dr. Mike | Jun 17, 2007 12:28:36 AM
Altoids Cinnamon gums should be banned!!! It's caused blisters over my tongues and I can barely eat any food as a result. I am going to write a letter to complain.
Posted by: | Jun 23, 2007 1:47:58 AM
I used both cinnamon altoids mints and gum about two years ago mostly everyday. I noticed sores in my mouth that seemed to come and go, but never really related the sores to the altoids. I eventually stopped the altoids but the sores under my tongue really never went away. Now a couple years later, I had a biopsy of the mouth sore and it was "severe epithelial dyspasia" or another way of saying Pre-Cancer! I really suspect the altoids because that's when it all started, unfortunately the sores never got better when I stopped the altoids. Hindsight really is 20/20!
Posted by: debbie | Jul 1, 2007 6:11:56 PM
my god- so glad for this website- i started chewing eclipse cinammon gum and had the same reaction as others here- sore tongue, white bumps, hurts to eat or talk..it's been only a couple of days-- 2 q's- is there anything to take to make this go away? and is there a decent gum out there that doesn't cause this?
Posted by: flooz | Jul 2, 2007 10:54:53 PM
The acid that is found in Sour candies and im not sure about the cinammom cause the enamal on your teeth to erode thus causing your teeth to become weak and sensative. I LOVE sour things and im only 15 and i see a small part of my front teeth are becoming a little transprent ince then i brush more stop eating sour candies and when i do i brush my teeth and soda it is very bad for your teeth.Hope this helps someome out there.
Posted by: Nique | Jul 16, 2007 3:49:34 AM
I am so relieved to have found this information. I thought I had a medical condition or drug adverse reaction then decided that I would check on the Cinnamon Altoids I have been using - what a relief - I am convinced now that these are the culprit.
Thanks!
Posted by: desertdweller | Jul 17, 2007 6:12:21 PM
My tongue is so swollen and hurts, also from a cinnamon candy, but mine was Victoria Secrets mints. I had about 10 over 2 hours on Wednesday and Friday morning when I woke up I could barely speak. Today is Sunday, and I am still in pain. I agree with the person who said it takes about 24 hours to manifest and last several days. Ouch!!!
Posted by: swollentongue | Jul 22, 2007 1:49:27 PM
I've been having the same problem for years, when I started chewing Big Red after like.. six years of avoiding it. I assumed it was an allergic reaction, but it burned my tongue to the point that I couldn't taste for a week on t he tip of my tongue, I had white bumps, my entire tongue was red and slightly swollen, and my teeth hurt for the rest of the day. All I've noticed that you can do is try to coat your tongue with milk or a bit of sugar and avoid abrasive foods until it goes down. :( Not everybody has that reaction though, which is what makes me think it might be a common allergy or something of the sort.
Posted by: Ari | Aug 23, 2007 9:48:00 AM
I have the same problem, I chewed Big Red and I can't taste anything. I hope this goes away.
Posted by: Andy Love | Aug 24, 2007 2:37:32 PM
Big Red chewing gum....I have the small white bumps on my tongue, and it feels sort of numb. Really glad to find this site-there should be a warning or something on any product that can cause this!
Posted by: Car Buff | Aug 25, 2007 3:21:07 PM
OMFG. I have been chewing Dentyne Fire for just 2 days and I started getting red bumps under my tongue and it hurts a lot. We should write a complain letter to both Dentyne, Big Red and Altoid. We should sue em big time. They deserve to suffer.
Posted by: Dentyne Hater | Sep 6, 2007 9:21:47 PM
I chewed a piece of Big Red, which I never have done since i was little. A couple days later and I am having a numb tongue, with several painful tiny bumps, and didn't even remember the stupid gum until I found this page. Here I was thinking I had some weird disease.
Posted by: ouch | Sep 7, 2007 8:12:26 PM
I'm so glad I'm not alone! I chewed the Altoids Cinnamon gum over a period of a few days. My tongue has been swollen (with the white bumps)and I have what I think are canker sores all over my mouth. It's been extremely painful for about 4 days now.
Posted by: bad altoids | Sep 14, 2007 11:20:16 PM
i have been chewing dentyne fire and got white bumps and mouth burning all over in mouth then i stopped chewing it...then i had some cinnamon altoids and got a bump on my face and white bumps and hot i was allergic --- IT SUCKSSS!!!
Posted by: this sucks | Sep 15, 2007 5:53:37 PM
I am so glad I found this post-I thought I had thrush! Turns out it's the dentyne fire gum I've been chewing! I wonder if it's a cinnamon allergy that we all suffer from. Any comments??
Posted by: Karen | Sep 15, 2007 9:39:12 PM
I am also incredibly thankful to have found this page so I had to contribute. I have been chewing Dentyne Cinnamon gum for several days now and the area underneath my tongue is extremely sore, swollen, and I have white bumps... it was my first time chewing cinnamon gum regularly in a very long time. It sounds like this is the culprit. When I typed my symotoms into google, other results I recievd included oral cancer, etc.! Thank you.
Posted by: Dani | Sep 18, 2007 8:33:08 AM
Everytime I eat a cinnamon candy called Hot Tamales I get a very sore tongue that is swollen and raw. I used to eat Hot Tamales frequently, and I still love them, but I know if I eat them, I'm going to pay a price. The pain and swelling lasts for about 4 days. But if I eat a cinnamon roll, or something with powdered cinnamon in it, I'm fine--no reaction at all.
I don't chew gum or do breath mints often, but I'll make sure to avoid the ones listed here. But all peppermint, spearming and wintergreen, like cinnamon, have an essential oil that can be irritating, so it makes sense that some people are going to get sore mouths and tongues no matter what flavor they choose. Doesn't it?
Posted by: Jordie | Sep 27, 2007 12:18:11 PM
I have had the same experience. I've tried ice water, yogurt, mineral water, apple cider vinegar (ouch! what was I thinking?).... Finally, I tried warm (not hot) tea with splenda. Have been sipping on that and it seems to help. I guess I just have to be quiet for a day or two....maybe the world would be better off if I didn't talk so much anyway. lol
Posted by: Louise | Oct 3, 2007 10:39:42 AM
I had one peace of Big Red cinnamon gum and the my tongue hurts like hell! Never again!!
Posted by: Sinke | Oct 6, 2007 3:06:14 PM
I've been having tongue problems that started a few months into a new habit of regularly chewing Dentyne Fire cinnamon gum. From what I have been reading, cinnamon gum has an antibacterial action (see http://www.newstarget.com/001074.html). Could it be that it kills the bacteria responsible for keeping the yeast fungus in check in our mouths, and the sore and white areas (some people reported a coating) are actually from a yeast infection?
Posted by: Max | Oct 9, 2007 2:35:52 PM
Link is:
http://www.newstarget.com/001074.html
Posted by: Max | Oct 9, 2007 2:37:19 PM
My tongue hurts so terribly that I'm in pain every time I try to eat something, all thanks to a stick of Big Red I ate two days ago. Thank goodness I'm not going crazy and this IS a real problem! However, it is a terrible pain and nothing is helping!!
Posted by: Amanda | Oct 13, 2007 10:24:24 PM
Ohman. I ate about 3-4 pieces of Dentyne Fire cinnamon gum yesterday while at work... I noticed my mouth was feeling fairly dry, but it wasn't until later on that night that the pain kicked in.
Now my tongue is pale and I have white bumps at the tip and along the side--even my cheek has been affected.
It's so dumb, because while I was chewing the gum it was burning (like it always does) but I kept chewing it anyways, thinking 'it's supposed to be hot, whatever' o_O
Never again.
Posted by: Emily | Oct 14, 2007 5:27:32 PM
P.S. I've discovered that PLAIN yogurt makes it feel 10x better.
Posted by: Emily | Oct 14, 2007 7:06:54 PM
yeah Big Red sucks for sure. I have those white bumps on each side of my tongue that hurt really bad. I cant swallow or talk. Somebody needs to put this on the news or something and get the message out.
Posted by: jeff | Oct 19, 2007 12:37:16 AM
I only noticed today that my swollen tongue could be due to BigRed gum. I started chewing it again after a few years and the sides of my tongue is bumpy and raw! Never touching that shit again! BEWARE
Posted by: Mrs Baca | Oct 29, 2007 12:12:04 AM
I don't understand why the manufacturers keep selling them without putting any warning labels. It is scary not understanding what is wrong. I had to put baby teething gel on my tongue just to be able to talk. Now I cringe just passing by the supermarket aisle where the Eclipse Cinnamon stocks are waiting for the next victim.
Posted by: Lulu | Oct 30, 2007 7:58:24 AM
OMG!!! i cant believe there are tons of people going through the same thing i had gone through. yes, all of these flavored gums that affect the mouth should be banned. I AGREE!!!! they should go away...i have had those canker sores and white bumps and all kinds of things happening to my tongue.it was awful i even went to the doctor a month ago to tell the DR that i may have tongue cancer.
of course, recently there was a buy one take one offer on the DENTYNE FIRE and i was chewing 2 at a time! i couldn't move my tongue for 3 days and even got 2 big cold blisters around my mouth! THEY NEED TO BE BANNED!!!!
Posted by: grace | Nov 1, 2007 9:19:45 AM
WOW -- so glad I found this site. I chewed Dentyne Fire gum for a week straight while I was in training, and the insides of my cheeks felt like someone scraped them raw. My gums hurt like hell, too, and I have white stuff lining my cheeks and a little on my gums. The area under my tongue hurt, too, nearly leading down into my throat. This happened about 6 weeks ago, too, when I was chewing the same gum. I went to my dentist, who thought it was a funky yeast thing and put me on medication. WTF is this, a cinnamon reaction?
Posted by: Angela | Nov 5, 2007 10:18:16 AM
Actually, I just did a Google search on cinnamon reaction, and found out numerous studies have proven a link between cinnamon gum/mouthwash and oral lesions! Indeed, it's some kind of allergic reaction. The damage is reversible if you just stop chewing cinnamon gum, so say the studies. OUCH!
Posted by: Angela | Nov 5, 2007 10:23:25 AM
Two years ago I bought a pack of Big Red gum on a whim after not chewing it for years. I had 4 pieces in two days and by the end of day two I couldn't even talk because my tongue and the inside of my mouth had blistered. It was hot and it burned and I couldn't have anything that was hot or cold because of the sensitivity. Everytime my tongue touched my teeth it felt like knives. I went to CVS and the pharmacist said she was also allergic to cinnamon flavored things (for her it was cinnamon toothpaste) and that she suspected it was a strong oil used for artificial flavoring. She recommended making a mouth wash of liquid bennadryl and pepto-bismal. I did, and my mouth was back to normal in a DAY! It was amazing and I haven't touched any cinnamon flavored "processed" foods since.
Posted by: Leah | Nov 7, 2007 10:35:20 PM
Big Red, Dentyne all do it to me. I must be dumb though because I always forget, and like 6 months will go by, and I'm like "Cool, Dentyne, my breath's not the freshest...chew on!" "La dee dah chew chew chew" like an hour goes by.... "Oh it's stale" spits it out. "la de dah....my breath is fresher....WTF!! My tounge is friggin killing me! Pain goes on for two days then subsides...It sucks!
Posted by: Jim | Nov 13, 2007 12:31:25 AM
I had pain on my tonge and could not figure out what caused it. Suddenly, I remembered I was using Altoids (pink) cinammon since I had the issue. Terrible and such chemicals may even burn your stomach.
Posted by: Aji | Nov 13, 2007 1:50:52 PM
I ate about five or six chocolte-covered cinnamon Altoids over the weekend then about seven more yesterday because I couldn't find any chewing gum. Now my tongue hurts like hell, and I can't taste anything. I don't have the white bumps, but my tongue is unusually red. I think I'm going to go buy some ice cream. I'll definitely stay away from cinnamon products from now on ... or, at least, until I forget about my allergic reaction.
Posted by: Anonymous | Nov 14, 2007 10:23:30 AM
How's this for a horror story: sometimes I get small white canker spots on my tongue when I eat too much sugar, beer or chips (sad, eh?), or when I don't drink enough water. So I got one a couple of days ago and decided to look online for home remedies. One site said to put baking soda on it, or cinnamon (start horror movie music). I couldn't find any baking soda in the house, but knew we had several sticks of cinnamon. I proceeded to spend the whole evening chewing on cinnamon sticks and rubbing them into the sore on my tongue. It burned, and I thought that was a good sign, you know, like 'no pain, no gain'. Scene two. The next day it's still pretty bad, and maybe even worse, and in an astoundingly tragic coincidence, I happened upon a pack of big red I had bought months ago and thought I'd lost. I somehow decided that I should keep at it with cinnamon so I chewed a couple of pieces for a few hours, often pressing the gum into the sore, thinking that somehow I'm 'burning' it off of my tongue with the magical powers of cinnamon. Holy F#@!! my tongue is now hurting more than it ever has in my life! I can't eat without the severe stinging pain and now other parts of my tongue have sores too - especially the tip, which also feels numb as others have reported. I too am glad to have found this page (though it showed me what an idiot I was), and the only other piece of advice I have is be careful when getting medical advice from the internet!
Beware the cinnamon! Spread the word!
Posted by: John | Nov 16, 2007 8:33:12 AM
http://www.econsumeraffairs.com/cadbury/c/contactus.htm?F1=dentynefire&F2=DENTYNE_FIRE
i recommend taking it up with consumer affairs at least to get the company to attach a warning to the package. i wouldn't want anyone else to experience this type of pain.
Posted by: jeannie | Nov 19, 2007 11:48:37 AM
i also have the cinnamon-chewing gum alergy and the best i can recommend is putting milk on your tongue
Posted by: phil | Dec 1, 2007 2:00:51 PM
WOW! I was diagnosed with oral thrush but clearly BIG RED must be the culprit.
ALLOW ME TO TELL MY STORY.
Ok so Wednesday October 31st my tongue was burning.
I could not go to work, eat, or drink.
I saw my dr who gave me a script for a bacterial infection saying 'only pick up the script if its not gone by friday'. well the next day i was ok. a week later on friday nov 9th after the justin timberlake concert (that day i had little chance to eat and chewed lots of gum) that night my tongue began burning and was dry like mad. well the next night, saturday night it got so bad i went to an after hours dr at the hospital. they said it was oral thrush and told me to get some drops. monday, tuesday, wednesday i was off work with it. so i was on drops sun-wed before it started to clear. thursday i went to work. sunday midnight (after having some gum) my face blew up and my cheeks were huge and inflamed. my tongue began burning shortly after. i was seen at the hospital and the drs said 'we really dont think its oral thrush but if the treatment for that helped, then take some more drops and see your gp for a referal to an ENT specialist.'
i was off work monday, and tuesday. wednesday i went to work and it was saturday lunchtime that my face blew up massively. i saw an after hours dr (a 3rd different dr) who said 'i just dont think its thrush, you dont have the 'cottage cheese' look thrush has. take anti histimines for the swelling and itching. (my cheeks were hugely swallen and itchy)
monday i was off work, my dr put me on Nizoral tablets. tablets for mega thrush, and they can damage your liver.
i was sort of ok but could feel my tongue still not right.
monday at work (1 week later) i had a Big Red gum. monday afternoon when i got to the car park my cheeks began swelling radically followed by the burning numb tongue.
today is wednesday and my tongue is still numb.
i am on nilstat tablets, nilstat drops, nizoral tablets, antihistimines, and garlic tablets.
nothing has really helped.
i suspected the relationship between my symptoms and big red 2 weeks ago when it happened on the saturday. however monday past my suspicions were confirmed.
what a discusting product. i am seeing my gp saturday morning. i will take her a print out of this page.
Posted by: Bradygirl25_australia | Dec 11, 2007 10:16:36 PM
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with this problem.
Big Red and Eclispe gets me good.
Does anybody have a complete ingredient list for Big Red?
My guess is that it contains cinnamaldehyde.
I think I am allergic to that.
Makes my mouth break out in open sores and my tounge red and swollen, and yes, it hurts like hell.
Posted by: Pat | Dec 14, 2007 1:22:09 PM
Dentyne Fire and Big Red have made my tongue swell up for days and it took a while to associate the two. I agree with an earlier post- if it affects YOU this way- don't eat it. I know my husband and friends don't have a problem with it but it makes my mouth hurt terribly. I won't be eating any more cinnamon candies or gum. I have no problem with real cinnamon in baking or cooking- thank goodness! Good luck- I haven't found anything that helps the pain except time.
Posted by: Julie | Dec 19, 2007 3:05:43 PM
I ATE A 1/4 BOX OF HOT TAMALES AND HAVE A VERY SORE,NUMB,RED,AND BUMPS ON MY TONGUE. I FEEL LIKE I A CUP OF HOT COFFEE BURNT IT EXTREMLY BAD. ITS BEEN TWO DAYS NOW, I WONDER IF ITS THE SAME INGREDIENT.
Posted by: christina | Dec 21, 2007 12:20:36 AM
Wow. Good to see I'm not alone. I had an Atomic Fireball three days ago at work on Wednesday. Here it is Saturday afternoon and my tongue is still swollen preventing me from talking correctly. It hurts a lot too whenever it runs along the sharp edges of my teeth in the back.
I think the last time I had an Atomic Fireball was in Middle/High School. I'm 26 years old now and just carelessly forgot about the effects it had on my tongue then. Since high school I have made the conscious effort to stay away from all cinnamon flavored Gums/Candies, just this one time it slipped my mind. Ugh.
Although, I don't have a problem eating cinnamon buns/cakes.
Posted by: Jonathan | Dec 22, 2007 11:41:24 AM
Talking abt atomic fireball, i had it 2 days ago out of curiosity as we don't get this in Singapore. Well..the after effect was really really bad! I have got swollen lips with mini blisters on it and my tongue was numb until now. Argg.......... can't even taste the nice biggo roast turkey and no wine for me as advised by the doc.
Posted by: Ai Ling | Dec 25, 2007 12:39:02 PM
So glad I found this website. I have been googling for hours and finally found others who have what I've experienced. Had some cinnamon candy last night and woke up this morning with a swollen tongue, gums, cheek and all the way to my throat to where I couldn't swallow and almost couldn't breathe. Actually thought about calling 911 but I took a couple of Benadryls and the swelling went down. My mouth and tongue also has white and red bumps on it. I guess I found my own diagnosis by reading everyones comments.
Thanks guys. Unfortunately guess I have to give up hot and sour candies...love them but they hurt too much!!
Posted by: Janice | Dec 28, 2007 9:16:40 PM
I recently switched to a cinnammon mouthwash and might have used it too often because my tongue is covered with painful white bumps too, mostly on the sides, and I even have some pain on the inside of my bottom lip and gums. I hope its nothing serious. =/
Posted by: Jake | Jan 9, 2008 8:22:30 PM
Yesterday I had a piece of Trident Spicy cinnamon gum and by evening my mouth, especially the sides of my tongue felt like they were on fire. My tongue feels swollen and painful, and it looks like there are white bumps along both sides now. This is horrible. Does anyone know of any remedies to give relief from this painful condition? I tried a crushed aspirin which seemed to help a little bit.....how long will allergic reaction last?
Posted by: Sandra | Jan 10, 2008 7:36:45 PM
Watch out for toothpaste too. I had the same burning canker sores from using Tom's of Maine Cinnamon toothpaste.
Posted by: Lilly | Jan 13, 2008 1:39:57 AM
I'm guessing I am having the same problem I am a hair dresser and I smoke so when i come back in from smoking i chew gum I LOVE stride. So, I saw they had new cinamon flavor, I chewed the whole pack in a little over 2 days, finishing it yesterday. Last night my mouth hurt so bad my tounge and sides of mouth were so swollen, so i took some allergie medication and went to bed when i woke up this morning i was in tears bad enough for me to go to the er. They tested me for strep, mono, and the flu. Which they all came out negative and said it must be an allergie. My mouth hurt so bad i was looking my symptoms up on line tonight and this page poped up. So, I just went in the bathroom and looked at the sides of my tounge and i have white spots all down the side. It hurts sooooo bad its effecting my speach!!! How long do they last and has anyone found anything to help the pain??? I'm starving and it hurts soooo bad!!!
Posted by: Johlene | Jan 14, 2008 12:23:19 AM
The condition lasts about 2-3 weeks with me until comlpletely healed.
People heal at different rates, so you might (hopefully) heal faster.
I feel for you, I just got over this crap and it hurts.
Posted by: Pat | Jan 14, 2008 5:58:42 PM
i chewed some bigred and the next day it felt as if someone got a razor blade and scraped all over my tounge it went away the next day but it was hard to eat anythang
Posted by: alex | Jan 21, 2008 11:01:08 PM
Thank you all soo much! I was getting really scared when I was trying to figure out what was wrong with me...thinking I may have some sort of disease. Stupid mints. I ate an entire carton yesterday. They are addicting. But it is such a relief to have read this, you have no idea.
Posted by: Tanya | Jan 29, 2008 8:26:06 PM
Hi im so glad my husband found this site as i thought i was going mad. I have been eating Big Reg gum for months now but did not relise that it was the problem with my mouth I not only have had a swollen tounge but the sides of my mouth are burnt and swollen I find it hard to talk and eat. I will never be eating this again and will be taking it further.
Posted by: christine | Jan 31, 2008 6:42:36 PM
Thank God for this website. I woke up this morning and the tip of my tongue was so sore. I looked in the mirror and the papillae were swollen and peppered with white bumps. Not only that but the roof of my mouth feels like it was burnt by a searing hot liquid. OUCH - my poor mouth!! I can barely eat!
The culprit? Last night I had four pieces of Dentyne Fire Cinnamon Gum. NEVER AGAIN!
Posted by: Sherry | Feb 1, 2008 9:19:27 PM
After the superbowl, I ate a handfull of "Hot tamales" candy. The bag says 'new hotter flavour.' Yikes, just about burned my tongue off. I've been eating these for years with no problem, but this time I might have eaten too many at once.
Then, while brushing my teeth in the morning, the toothpaste felt like fire. I had to soak my tongue under the tap to put out the flames.
Four days later, I can't taste sweetness.
Imagine... Without sweetness, bananas taste like corn starch, yogurt tastes sour, peanut butter is bitter. Even carrots, lettuce and bell peppers are gross.
Arrggh !
Posted by: Andy | Feb 6, 2008 8:59:54 AM
Ok, now it's 5 days, and I still cant taste anything sweet.
What the heck do they put in this stuff ? When is this going to end ?
Posted by: Andy | Feb 7, 2008 6:28:16 AM
My poor husband! My husband was chewing big red the other night. His tounge hurt so bad after 30 minutes, he spit the gum out. Now his tounge is red and swollen so bad that he can not fit it in his mouth. It is severe pain, and can not eat anything.
Posted by: Mel | Feb 7, 2008 10:00:03 PM
Wow... it's an epidemic! I recently ordered some big red from a US food importer as they don't sell it in the UK.
The other day, I had a ceasar salad and the sauce tasted like pure acid! The next day I had sores all over my tongue and mouth - I thought it was the sauce that was to blame, however it happened again a few days later. Suddenly it occurred to me, the only new thing in my diet was big red, one Google search later led me to this post and now everything makes sense!
I think I'll be staying away from all varieties of cinnamon sweets from now on!
Posted by: Andy | Feb 15, 2008 7:38:19 AM
I am very glad I found this page too. I am stunned that SOOO many people are having this problem with these gums/candies and they are still on the shelves being sold!
I have always avoided any kind of cinnamond gum because it makes my tongue sore. I went years without any. Until 4-5 days ago I went on a cinnamond gum frenzy! I would chew the gum and spit it out and chew another peice and spit it out and chew another, I was pretty much just chewing it and sucking the (what I thought) was the yummy cinnamond flavor. I chewed about 8-10 peices in a short period of time. It was Cinnaburst gum.
Yesterday I woke up with a painful tongue! Today I have tons of tiny white bumps all over my tongue. The roof of my mouth feels raw and numb. I have several large canker sores and I am honestly in pain. I have to sip ice water to help ease the pain.
I was honestly getting ready to go to the doctor office before I found this page. I thought maybe I had some sort of bad tongue infection or strep throat or mono throat/tongue or something. I will NEVER again chew or put ANY cinnamond candy/gum near my mouth.
These gums.candies need to be taken off the shelves ASAP! I am SOOO upset & in pain!
Posted by: Dawn | Mar 2, 2008 3:19:38 PM
Wrigglies rang me.
they told me 'its not our fault if youre allergic to cinnamon, which obviously you are... here, have 20 free packs of gum'
(other flavours)
Posted by: sky | Mar 3, 2008 7:46:10 PM
I ate dentyne Fire a few days ago....My tongue is now covred in white and red bumps and i cant eat or speak! I thoguth i might have Lye bumps causedby my life which has recently been very stressful. But then i read all your posts and discovered the pain came about a day after trying this gum for the first time.
Thank you!
Posted by: a friend | Mar 5, 2008 5:13:25 PM
To the people claiming to complain about this and to get these stuff pulled from the shelves, this only happens to people with sensitive tounges. I have a very sensitive one, and whenever I eat anything sour, like warheads, or hot, like big red, the same thing occurs. This is why some items come with warnings, like on the Warheads packages. It says that for sensitive mouths, it can become raw, painful, ect. and not to eat in large amounts at a time. This warning is now included on most sour products. Simply discontinue using the product, and let the public who can enjoy the harsher chemicals do so.
Posted by: Julia | Mar 12, 2008 9:37:38 PM
& Andy, it isn't that so many people are having this problem...Really, quite a slim amount of the population has this reaction(although cinnamon allergies and sensitivity to sours is kind of common, the degrees of reaction vary and most people figure this out by adulthood and know what to avoid). However, it looks like so many people have posted simply because the ONLY people finding this post, are the people who are specifically searching for reasons why their tounge/teeth are hurting them after eating sour/cinnamon gums and candies. This is why everyone on this page seems to of had a problem. It is suprising to me that most of you have not figured out you had this sensitivity until you were adults, but if you look on packages of certain products(usually sour), it is clearly warned in print.
Posted by: Julia | Mar 12, 2008 9:41:56 PM
Actally, "cinnamon flavored Hot Tamales" don't have any cinnamon. I've eaten a 2 lb bag over the last couple months, with only the one bad reaction. So, at least in my case, it was probably just eating too many of the acidic candies in one sitting. I'm a hot spice aficionado and never had a problem in the past.
Uh, well except for the time I excused mysef to pee after a Habernero eating contest...
Posted by: Andy | Mar 23, 2008 6:24:44 PM
There were no warning on the cinnaburst gum that I chewed. From the ay my mouth felt it, you should have to show an ID to buy the stuff.
I will never touch it again.
Posted by: Dawn | Mar 26, 2008 2:31:12 PM
There were no warning on the cinnaburst gum that I chewed. From the WAY my mouth felt, you should have to show an ID to buy the stuff.
I will never touch it again.
edited for all of the mistakes I saw
Posted by: | Mar 26, 2008 2:32:29 PM
Big Red is spawned from the devil himself. I have had a speech impediment for the last 4 days. I am going to agree with allergies being the cause, going to try an allergy pill to curb the swollen effects. Best of luck to all!
Posted by: Max | Mar 27, 2008 7:02:50 PM
My girlfriend and I had this type of experience--both had inflamed mouths with sores and the like, and we got it at the same time. We had thought we'd picked up an infection in a restaurant.
A year later (this week) this problem came back. I realized that cinnamon gum was around both times this happened... Extra and Trident.
We were pretty sure that the gum was the culprit--and this site confirms it. I'm in for class action if you are...
Posted by: Jeff | Apr 1, 2008 6:27:14 PM
I used to chew Extra Winter Fresh gum like it was going out of style, but then heard one too many studies about sugar substitutes and decided to nix the sugar-free gum. Well, unfortunately the only non-sugar-free gum I can find that doesn't lose its flavor after five minutes is BIG RED. (Why does sugar-free gum last all day without getting hard and nasty??) Anyway, I have been chewing about 6-8 sticks of Big Red gum a day for the past year (ever since I decided to cut sugar substitutes out of my diet). I NEVER had any kind of problem with it AT ALL. Now all of a sudden, for the past couple of months I have had a sore on the inside of my cheek that won't heal! Finally today, I decided to see if it could be the gum and BINGO! I found this site...
Does anyone know how this can happen so suddenly after having chewed it for over a year with no problems?? It can't be an allergy if it took that long to happen! I did not increase my daily consumption of the gum -- there is no reason for the change! And my tongue is totally FINE -- it's just this PAINFUL sore on my inside cheek and it swells up even MORE after I eat something salty -- but it's there all the time, no matter WHAT I eat!! I just know that if I STOP with the gum, I will find it clearing up.
DOES ANYONE KNOW OF ANY NON-SUGAR-FREE GUM (preferably mint flavored) THAT TASTES GOOD FOR LONGER THAN 5 MINUTES OTHER THAN BIG RED??? I can't STAND Wrigley's mint gums of any kind and I don't like fruit flavors!!
THIS STINKS!! :o(
Posted by: Susie | Apr 10, 2008 8:24:21 PM
Yeah i was eating The new Sour Nerds Candy, and i have a horrible Burn in one back corner of my mouth that is unbleivingly Painful.. Mind you i did take about two packs of the stuff and a sour slushy all at once
Posted by: Cris | Apr 11, 2008 12:21:22 AM
I have the same problem after chewing ice breakers ice cubes, it feels like I burnt my tongue. Must be something in these new gums on the market.
Posted by: Wade Stringfellow | Apr 11, 2008 12:33:47 PM
I've been chewing Orbit cinnamon gum and my mouth hurts on the sides of my tongue, on the inside of my cheeks and in the corners of my mouth. All cinnamon gum has this effect on me. Also, it feels like the skin in these areas of my mouth is raw. I have no idea what this is. I'm relieved to know that it's not just me.
I feel like Andy. I stopped chewing cinnamon gum. This week, I went on a frenzy and chewed a bunch of it. Now my mouth is raw.
Posted by: | Apr 16, 2008 10:11:59 PM
Wade didn't post this, the name is incorrect...
I've been chewing Orbit cinnamon gum and my mouth hurts on the sides of my tongue, on the inside of my cheeks and in the corners of my mouth. All cinnamon gum has this effect on me. Also, it feels like the skin in these areas of my mouth is raw. I have no idea what this is. I'm relieved to know that it's not just me.
I feel like Andy. I stopped chewing cinnamon gum. This week, I went on a frenzy and chewed a bunch of it. Now my mouth is raw.
Posted by: Tiffany | Apr 16, 2008 10:13:11 PM
Check out this link on Colgate's website:
http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/OC/Information/OralHealthBasics/MedCondOralHealth/DryMouth/BurningMouthSyndrome.cvsp
Posted by: Tiffany | Apr 16, 2008 10:21:22 PM
After two Doctors and three months of really painful ulcers and white spots on the tongue I was told to see a dental pathologist. I really thought I had tongue cancer ....diagnosis: reaction to Cinnamon Altoids !!!! Thought the burning would help the problem , only compounded the spots and raw patches.
Now I have stopped the Altoids and if the ulcers do not clear up in three weeks, will need surgery to remove scar tissue from the tongue. Unbelievable!
Posted by: Jean | Apr 19, 2008 11:09:10 AM
Same tongue canker sores with little white heads and on inside of mouth, teeth also hurt. VERY painful.
Ban Eclipse Cinnamon gum so that I can't inadvertintly chew this crap again!
Since this adverse reaction is so common judging from the number of entries here this product must be pulled off the shelves to save people from untold hours of misery!
Wonder what the saliva swollowed while chewing this also does to the innards?
Posted by: chellam | May 7, 2008 4:38:06 PM
Thank God I found this page. I chewed Big Red a few days ago and now I have a sore tongue with little bumps on the sides. It hurts to talk, chew, and swallow. I was googling it and came across this. Now I am enlightened - I had never heard about the problems these products had caused before. I am never touching Big Red ever again.
Posted by: Lisa | May 8, 2008 11:42:41 AM
I just had like 7 balls of atomic fireballs. Oh god, now i cant eat ANYTHING. My tongue is sore and it hurts, it feels numb and i cant taste a thing. This sucks =/ . THere needs to be a warning label OR SOMETHING!
Posted by: grace | May 8, 2008 8:43:13 PM
i just had an atomiccccc fireball
omg my tounge hurts so bad
i cant taste anything when i eat
and my tounge ITCHES so bad
HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!@#$%^&*o
Posted by: CAITLYN | May 8, 2008 8:45:34 PM
i just had an atomiccccc fireball
omg my tounge hurts so bad
i cant taste anything when i eat
and my tounge ITCHES so bad
HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!@#$%^&*o
Posted by: CAITLYN | May 8, 2008 8:45:44 PM
I bought some *natural* toothpaste in cinnmon-mint flavor. It tastes great, but I also have those nasty little white bumps all over the tip of my tongue, along with sore patches inside my cheeks and at the corners of my mouth. I stopped using the new toothpaste because the pain of it on those sores was too much. But once they cleared up, I went back to the toothpaste and the sores came back. Grrr! Now I can see the connection and suspect that I have become sensitive to cinnamon oil. Too bad, because I love the flavor. :(
Posted by: Cyn | May 13, 2008 11:12:27 AM
