Tongue Pimples

Is This Thrush or Something Else?

Here are my symptoms: White coating on tongue. Small raised white bumps on the back of my tongue. Very bad breath. :-( I just got Gentian Violet today and used a toothbrush to apply it to my tongue. the dye allowed me to see all the white growth on my tongue. Hope it gets rid of it

Public Comments

1. Gentian violet is an antibacterial dye made from coal tar. Thrush is a fungal infection (candidiasis). Gentian violet is not always effective against thrush. Small raised white bumps on the back of your tongue are perfectly normal; these are your large "bitter" taste buds. You're just more aware of them because you're concerned about your thrush. If the Gentian Violet doesn't work within a few days, you may want to see a physicial for a prescription such as Clotrimazole troches (lozenges); Nystatin liquid or lozenges; Fluconazole tablets; or Itraconazole liquid. Sometimes oral thrush is just a symptom of another problem. You may want to read http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/oral-thrush/DS00408 to see if any of the causes sound familiar. One tip: If you can easily wash or scrub off the white stuff on your tongue, it probably isn't thrush.