Effectiveness of Gabapentin for Treatment of Burning Mouth Syndrome

Effectiveness of Gabapentin for Treatment of Burning Mouth Syndrome
June 2004
Theresa L. White, PhD; Paul F. Kent, MD, PhD; Daniel B. Kurtz, PhD; Precha Emko, MD
Archives of
Otolaryngology -
Head * Neck Surgery
Burning mouth syndrome is a debilitating disorder involving oral pain that may have at least 4 underlying causes. Although several treatments have been proposed, none seems to be universally effective. We report the case of a 67-year-old woman with unremitting oral burning that is increased with the application of anesthetic agents. Initial treatments with nortriptyline hydrochloride and sertraline hydrochloride were contraindicated because of adverse effects, but the administration of gabapentin significantly reduced oral burning. The present case illustrates the effectiveness of gabapentin as a treatment of burning mouth syndrome.
From the Clinical Olfactory Research Center, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University (Drs White, Kent, Kurtz, and Emko) and Le Moyne College (Dr White), Syracuse, NY. The authors have no relevant financial interest in this article.
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