Purple Tongue

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Hello,

My dad has thyroid cancer, and his treatment has involved a thyroidectomy and, more recently, radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment. Everything's been going well and he's been recovering at home. He hasn't been nauseous, although his taste has gone.

But recently, his tongue has turned purple, which has been concerning us. I tried researching it; and some people who had RAI mentioned getting small black spots which may have turned purple, but his is a lot larger than just a spot. I also found that a purple tongue may be due to viruses, fungi, etc. taking advantage of the temporarily weakened immune system, but also may be a sign of oral cancers.

I wanted to ask, what do you think may be the cause of his purple tongue, does it seem like a cause for concern, and should we mention it to the doctor?

Many thanks!

  • Hello Planet,

    Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to our Online Community.

    I’m Elise, one of the cancer information nurses on the Macmillan Support Line.

    You’re describing an unusual symptom and certainly you are describing a significant change in your dad’s tongue.

    You’re correct in saying that tongue discolouration can be caused by different medical conditions.

    It’s difficult as nurses on this type of platform to confirm exactly what may be causing this but we would recommend that he contacts his thyroid specialist as soon as possible as they may wish to investigate this.

    If your dad is also experiencing any blue/purple changes around his lips and /or is short of breath then this may be a caused by a drop in oxygen levels and he would need an urgent medical review TODAY. Calling 999 would be appropriate in that situation.

    Our thyroid cancer community is here to offer support and share experiences if you think that would be helpful too but of course, your priority today is alerting your dad’s thyroid team to this new symptom.

    Best wishes,
    Elise

    Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

    You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email..

     

    Ref: ED/SMcM