Resolved question:
Help! For the past week or so my lips have been chapped (dry but no bumps or crust or anything severe), but what is bothering me mostly is when I wake up in the morning my upper lip is swollen, almost looking like I got Botox. It goes away completely within an hour and the rest of the day it's gone. I just suffer from the chapped lip feeling for the rest of the day.
And then again, I wake up in the morning and it's puffy and swollen.
HELP!! What is causing this weird thing to happen??
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Dermatologist
Hello
Thanks for posting your query at DoctorSpring.com. I can understand your concern.
You seem to be having angioedema . It's a condition where there is swelling of soft tissues. I would recommend that you start taking an anti histamine like allegra 180 mg once a day, in case you don't stop having the angioedema it's best to consult your physician who can rule out the causes.
In case you get any breathing or swallowing difficulty it's advisable to rush to the ER.
Hope this helps, please feel free to ask any follow-ups.
Take care
I do not have any of the above things you asked about. I do drink some alcohol but do not abuse it. I only drink it at night, but why would alcohol have anything to do with making my lips swell? Could it be dehydration? Here are pictures I took the one (lip3.jpg) in the middle of the night when I got up and noticed how puffy they were... See how the pigment is spotty on the top lip? Why is that? Please help!
I do have allergies to cats and have had cats for over 17 years, that would be very weird for it to all of a sudden start.
Hello
Thanks for posting your reply. I can understand your concern.
You seem to be having angioedema . It's a condition where there is swelling of soft tissues.
At times no cause can be found for it. It's idiopathic.
The pigmentation seems transient. In the other pictures, it couldn't be seen. You can apply a lip balm on it. But it would be important to start taking an anti histamine like allegra 180 mg once a day to see if it stops swelling.
In case you don't stop having the angioedema it's best to consult your dermatologist who can physically examine the lip and feel for any changes in the lip which would suggest an alternate diagnosis.
Angioedema can at times be accompanied by swelling in the airways or in the mouth etc. In case you get any breathing or swallowing difficulty it's advisable to rush to the er.
Take care