Hi Sunny, I’m in full agreement with you, Canker sores are awful! It’s still a medical mystery as to their cause. And you’re right, they can tend to run in families. Unlike cold sores, which are associated with the herpes virus, Canker sores (or Aphthousand Ulcers) don’t have a connection to that virus. However, having had a virus such as the flu can bring on a flair.

Unfortunately, some people are more prone to canker sores and little things can trigger an outbreak like whitening toothpastes, or any toothpaste and mouth rinses containing sodium lauryl sulfate or alcohol. They can be very irritating. I’ve had to switch to Burt’s Bees Children’s toothpaste and can’t tolerate anything with mint!

Do you know if you have any food sensitivities? Certain foods like chocolate, coffee, strawberries, eggs, nuts, cheese, and spicy or acidic foods can cause a breakout. Being low on vitamin B-12, zinc, folate (folic acid) or iron can be a factor too.
Your body could also have an immune response to certain bacteria in your mouth such as Helicobacter pylori, the same bacteria that cause peptic ulcers. Or hormonal shifts during menstruation and emotional stress are other triggers. Those are just a few…so you can see how difficult it can be to nail down a specific cause.
I know you’ve tried a zillion remedies to no avail. One more to toss in…have you tried Pulling (swishing in the mouth) with extra virgin, cold pressed coconut oil for 20 minutes? (Then spit it out in a tissue and toss in the waste basket. The oil will clog a sink). That’s really calmed my mouth irritations. It might be worth a try.

One other thing that might be of value in finding the trigger is to keep a little journal and note the times when you develop a new sore and anything you may have eaten or experienced before it happened to see if it’s food related, stress, hormones…
Have you ever spoken with your primary care provider about the repeated sores? Have you had any blood work done to check for vitamin deficiencies, hormone imbalances, H pylori bacteria, etc?