Recurring mucoceles

I read somewhere that the longer the mucocele stays, it has more opportunities to rupture and fill again. Everytime it ruptures, it effects surrounding salivary glands, thus usually making the mucocele bigger/worse, and the damage to the gland goes deeper, which probably might make surgery more complicated. I'd say get it done as soon as possible, but then again, waiting it out seems to have worked for some lucky people, and their mucoceles went away. If yours has gotten as big as it's ever been, most likely it won't go away this time. Although, if you've had mucoceles in that same location in the past, it probably never went away in the first place. I'd say it'd be best to get it out once and for all. If you do, make sure to ask if the surgeon has removed the entire mucocele along with surrounding salivary glands to ensure that it's completely gone and that there would be less of a chance that another one nearby the incision site would crop up. Good luck!

I also have been having these sores my whole life and now I have the worst I ever had on my bottom lip. it is huge and I keep trying to pop it like i used to do in the past but its not working at all; its been there for 2-3 weeks! I hate going to the clinic as here in montreal it takes FOR-EVER to see one... you wait on average 6 hours if you don't have a family doctor!

In answer to beany I was told by my dr that if a mucocele does not go away within 2 months it is the sort that will need to be removed. Have you had any lasting more than 2 months if you have had them your whole life? It does sound like most of the time you have had minor ones. I have only ever had 2 but they have been huge ones that actually get caught between your teeth when you talk and eat, causing unbelievable pain on a daily basis. I have had one my current one since August and am due to have it out December 22nd (although I didn't actually approach my dr about it til the end of October so in the UK it seems you have a 2 month wait to have it out on the NHS). Christmas dinner is going to be fun. They offered to remove it after the new year but the thing is so darned irritating that I would rather have stitches and gauze in my mouth over Christmas than go an extra 2-3 weeks puncturing and draining it all the time.
In answer to the guest poster above I was told by the consultant surgeon I saw the other day that rupturing a mucocele yourself is fine and wont make any difference in the long run (unless you use a dirty tool and cause infection) - I had thought puncturing it would make it worse as well but the thing is so huge I am sometimes having to puncture it with a needle and drain it up to 3 times a day. It always fills up again within hours.
He also reassured me over my worries about external scarring such as a puckered lip - that I have read about numerous times on here. He's removed thousands and thousands of these things and has never had anyone receive a puckered lip or any external scarring. Although he did say that a permanent loss of sensation in the area is common. So, after having one on the right side of my bottom lip removed nearly 10 years ago and the feeling never returning to the right side of my lip - it's highly likely the same will happen with this one on the left side and I will never again have any sensation in my entire bottom lip! I've got used to it on the right side (after 10 years) but can't imagine how it's going to be with the whole lip numb forever! That would still be preferable to having the mucocele though!