I tested Negative at 10 weeks for HIV. BUT i have had white tongue for about a year now...Does anyone know what this could be? every thing i read related to White Tongue points to HIV. Does anyone know if this could be something other than that?
Please respond with even a suggestion, i would appreciate that!!!

Thank you,
Nyxin, Dont skip my thread....Please respond if you can!

I have a white tongue also. I do not have HIV either. I remember when I first noticed my white tongue (about 6 years ago). I was freakin out. I thought it must be HIV. My husband told me that I just needed to brush my tongue better. I did (and still do) and my tongue is still white. It looks weird to me. But I dont know why it is like that. It comes and goes actually. I remember as early as 2 or 3 months ago I was worrying about it being related to HIV but I was just tested a month ago and I am negative. I don't know what to think of it but Im sure its harmless. :wave:

LadyLuck..... Your question got me thinking. I called my sister (she is a dental assistant) I asked her about the white tongue thing. She said she sees it all the time and it's usually caused by having a dry mouth, or plaque. I dont know why I never thought of asking her this. She acted like it was no big deal. She said she sees it alot. :D

A white coated tongue, is not related to HIV. Thrush, white spots on the tongue, definitely can be. There are a couple different forms of thrush, but most likely, if you had thrush, you would know it. Also noted, thrush, is supposed to be something you can easily wipe away, that will come back. Everyone has a coating on their tongue. Some people have more bacteria in their mouth than others. Certain circumstances can cause ones tongue to be more white than usual, etc. People who clinch their teeth a lot, may be more prone, not only to dry mouth, but also to bacteria build up their mouth, b/c they are not getting as much oxygen in their mouth.When you are stressed, it easy to be clinching your teeth at night, and not know it. Some dentists may reccomend an oxydizing toothpaste, that might help. Brushing your tongue, everytime you brush, not just occasionally, will help also. Eating a lot of carbohydrates, and sugars, probably also contributes to how white your togue can get. Thrush usually involves the entire mouth, ie, the sides of your cheek, sides of your tongue, and certain types of thrush, can be painful. Reccomendation--dont violently brush your tongue...you will just aggrivate your taste buds, which can be painful. In people who have a white coated tongue, who have tested negative for HIV, what is the answer? Most likely, it is stress. Stress can take over your life and cause a chain reaction to many things. Take care of yourself, brush your teeth twice a day, and stop worrying.

Just a thought, but do you smoke? I smoked for 13 years and always had a white film on my tongue. I quit smoking in April of this year and now the white is gone.

wow-- everyone did such a good job with this thread! do you feel better hun? you can not diagnose HIV with any symptom- evAr. i know it is hard to accept you are fine. if it would make you feel better, re-test at the 90 day mark and call it good!

sounds like simple dehydration to me. The tongue will always look whitish if you do not drink enough water.

I got a crap lod of White tongue on the back of my tongue... WHITE SPOTS that are Circle type and appear on different SPOTS, are related to HIV. It is called Hary Lukeophomia. Sorry for spelling.

Thank you all so much, YES, i do Smoke and have been allot more recently. I never thought about my tongue until my HIV scare, i was tested at 11 weeks actually, Not quite 90days. The Doc said that test was conclusive and that i was fine BUT can retest after another 90days. The white tongue remained a concern as i read that it is associated with HIV. Also noticed some few dark marks on my skin that come and go, normally they peel right off after 2 days of appearing on my skin. i Started to get nervous, I was tested for everything you can think of, all came back negative. I was told i have a weak immune system, which i guessed was related to HIV. Anyway, to make a long story short, i am glad you all responded, i was expecting one response. THANK YOU SO MUCH from the bottom of my heart, i now feel relieved.

Funny I was just gonna ask the same thing...I have had a whit tongue problem for a little while now. I notice that it gets worse if I drink alcohol our smoke. It is mainly in the back of my tongue and I cant remove it. Kinda of pasty like. I can reduce the color of it by brushing with warm water and a soft toothbrush. I also found that using a non alchol mouthwas with witch hazel and aloe vera make it looks nicer and feel better. I too did not notice it until I started to worry about possible HIV...I am sure my tongue has also been like this.