if the coating is just a pasty mucous, you can scrape it off with a tongue scraper. I use a silver spoon myself. Sometimes I will brush it with a little diluted Everclear on my toothbrush. Everclear straight is too hot and burns the tongue. The alcohol is good at breaking it down.

Brushing far back on the tongue triggers the gag reflex, just so you know.

Thanks for the suggestion Mak,

I have a plastic scraper but no silver spoon. I've never heard of Everclear but I will look for it. Is it a mouthwash with alcohol and peroxide? I don't usually use mouthwash with alcohol but I never thought about it breaking down that yellow stuff.

That darn gag reflex sure does get in the way sometimes. I have tried using a clean warm wet washcloth to gently swab the back of the tongue, but still have to be careful to limit that gagging.

FYI to others, this isn't as the result of treatment, as I stopped it early almost a month ago. The yellow is icky looking but also it makes some things taste funny. Cool or cold water has a metallic or bleach taste, even with lemon or lime. Which means I'm drinking too much juice and ginger ale.

It doesn't hurt but I'm thinking if I don't take care of each day I'm going to set some infection in motion, which I sure don't want.

Char

char, how's your tongue? is the yellow gone?

Had what I thought was thrush, but doc said oropharynx was clear, though I did have a yeast infection where I thought it was acold sores. Doc gave me Clotrimazole for my tongue which has helped greatly. I think Everclear is like super potent booze. Shoot, toothpaste makes me tear up, could NOT do everclear!!!

Molly, isn't it amazing how symptoms can mean more than one thing.

I didn't know there was an oral med like Clotrimazole for yeast infections in the mouth. Is it a pill or a solution? The solution they gave me for thrush is called Nystatin. I wonder if it's the same?

I know I ask a lot of questions. It keeps me on my toes and hopefully will help someone else too.

Char
I

Oh, and I finally looked up Everclear online. Ha, it is alcohol, not mouthwash. Duh. I don't drink and hubby is strictly a beer guy, so I had never heard of it.

Today I used Listerine whitening mouthwash, which has the normal alcohol plus peroxide. Actually it seems to help, so long as I keep up with the scraper. If I can get a good handle on keeping it clean then I can wait until I see my doctor again. I hate driving all the way to town to stick out my tongue.

Thanks all,

Char

This is a new one on me.

Not to be gross, but a good way to tell if it's Thrush is to make a rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar and water. The Vinegar break it down immediately. I get it a lot with my inhaler and these meds. My doc gives me Nystatin swish and swallow when needed.