Various rinses may help relieve burning mouth
Various rinses may help relieve burning mouth
By Paul G. Donohue M.D.
To Your Good Health
November 12, 2008 6:00 AM

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have burning tongue syndrome. At times, it is almost unbearable. The only thing that helps somewhat is a saltwater mouth rinse. My dentist, my internist and a neurologist haven't offered any relief.

I also get sores in my mouth and on my tongue. Any insight?

— P.H.

Burning tongue syndrome is also known as burning mouth syndrome because the gums, roof of the mouth and lips also can feel like they are on fire. It happens mostly, but not exclusively, to women after menopause. Although painful and disturbing, it's not a health threat. No one knows the exact cause, but it might be that nerves serving the tongue and mouth are malfunctioning.

Let me give you a few home remedies for it: rinsing the mouth with cold apple juice; and combining equal parts Benadryl elixir and Kaopectate as a mouthwash. Don't swallow these rinses, and use them four times a day. Another remedy is six drops of hot pepper sauce (Tabasco sauce) in a teaspoon of water and swishing it around in the mouth four times daily. It might increase the burning at first, but after a day or so it should lessen it.

Don't eat or drink spicy or acidic foods or beverages. Don't use mouthwashes with alcohol in them. Change your toothpaste brand. Chew sugarless gum.

When burning mouth fails to respond to the above, the medicines Klonopin, Elavil or Neurontin might help.

Have your doctors looked for things like dry mouth, B vitamin deficiencies, anemia, diabetes, lichen planus, thyroid problems and Sjogren's syndrome?

Sores on the tongue and in the mouth are not ordinarily a part of burning tongue syndrome. Get to a doctor when the sores are present. You might have recurrent canker sores and not burning mouth syndrome.
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