What is Burning Mouth Syndrome, and how does it relate to benzodiazepines?

Burning Mouth Syndrome, or BMS, is a rare condition that is described as a burning sensation in the mouth, nose, and throat, face, or on the lips, tongue or gums. It may also involve dry mouth, reduced taste, or altered taste.

While the exact cause of BMS cannot always be determined, it may be due to a variety of physical or psychological causes, such as anxiety and depression. Additionally, it is believed that some medications may cause BMS as a side effect.

Some physical causes include irritation from dentures, mouthwash, toothpaste, citrus juices and acid containing beverages, alcohol, coffee, and other irritants. Another name for Burning Mouth Syndrome is glossodynia.

One possible cause of this medical condition is the use of benzodiazepines. Clonazepam, or Klonopin specifically, has been found to cause BMS as an adverse reaction.

How can a treatment for BMS also be an underlying cause?

Interestingly, clonazepam is in the medical literature as a treatment for this rare disease. Doctors presented with a BMS case may look up the best medication to prescribe, and choose clonazepam.

While Klonopin treatment may help to relieve the mouth pain symptoms of glossodynia initially, it is important to keep in mind that long-term benzo use can lead to nerve damage and serious symptoms that can linger for months, and even years.

Klonopin use can also cause glossodynia, so it is possible that the treatment may make the condition worse. Benzodiazepines may be responsible for many health problems, so it is important to avoid long-term use whenever possible.

Additionally, if Klonopin is offered as a treatment for BMS, the patient should be provided with verbal informed consent, as well as written informed consent. The patient should be made aware of the risks of benzo treatment and available alternatives.

Most importantly, if a patient is prescribed a benzodiazepine to treat a condition, such as BMS, they should be clearly informed by the doctor that the benzo is also known to be a cause of the same condition. Many patients, learning the truth about benzos, might choose to go a different route, avoiding benzos altogether.

Are there treatments for BMS that do not involve medications?

Burning Mouth Syndrome is a neuropathic chronic pain syndrome. Unfortunately, there are not many effective treatments to alleviate the symptoms of BMS.

Since the condition is exacerbated by stressful life situations, it is useful to engage in activities that reduce stress. For example, yoga, meditation, therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy, and exercise are some practices that may help.

The best exercise is, for most people, walking. Taking a walk outside is good physical exercise, and it can help to clear the mind, and relieve stress.

Additionally, avoiding stressful life situations, whenever possible, is also useful. If a job is highly stressful, it may be helpful to look for a less stressful job.

It can also help to ask for support from family members, friends, and loved ones. BMS can be a very difficult condition to tolerate, and having understanding people around you who support you can make all the difference.

What about other medications for Burning Mouth Syndrome other than benzos?

There are other medications that can help with the symptoms of BMS. It is preferable to find a medication that will not cause long-term problems. Avoiding dangerous drugs, such as benzos and opioids, is best, if possible.

Gabapentin or Lyrica may help to make the symptoms more tolerable. While these medications do work on the GABA receptors of the central nervous system, they work differently than the benzos.

Other drugs that may be helpful, include nortriptyline, doxepin, and amitriptyline. As with any psychoactive drug, make sure that your doctor explains the risks of these medications thoroughly when prescribing them.

There are also over the counter products that may be helpful, including topical capsaicin. ALA, or alpha lipoic acid is another OTC product that can help with BMS symptoms.

How long is Burning Mouth Syndrome going to last?

BMS may last weeks, months, or even years. It is a difficult condition to live with long-term. Yet, it is important for people who suffer with BMS to remember that it does improve, and there is hope for improvement over time.

Working to reduce stress and live a healthy lifestyle, with a healthy diet and regular exercise, is important. Each person is different, so it is helpful for individuals to learn what works best for them.

Support groups for people with Burning Mouth Syndrome may also be helpful. It helps to meet with people who have had the same experience.

Sharing your feelings about how BMS has affected your life with people who understand you and what you are going through may help to relieve some stress associated with having a chronic condition. You may also learn about helpful tips for dealing with BMS from group members.

Whether you suffer from primary burning mouth syndrome, with no definitive cause, or secondary BMS, caused by a particular irritant, medication, or severe stress, it will likely help to meet up with people who have been through what you are going through. People who have not experienced BMS cannot fully relate to what you are going through in the same way.

Is it helpful to work with a Burning Mouth Syndrome doctor, counselor, or coach who works with BMS patients, but has not experienced BMS?

There are certainly coaches and counselors who have experienced BMS personally. Simply because of the fact that they truly understand how it feels to experience the indiscribable burning and pain, means that they will have far greater insight into your feelings and experience as they work with you.

However, this does not mean that a doctor or therapist cannot be helpful, just because they have never experienced BMS. It may be best to work with a healthcare professional who has experience in working with BMS patients over someone who only has the experience of having had BMS themselves.

If there is not an experienced BMS doctor available, and you are looking for a doctor to help with BMS, you can at least seek out a doctor who is open-minded about rare and unusual conditions. You certainly do not want to work with a close-minded doctor who believes that your symptoms are all in your head.

BMS is a real neurological pain syndrome that doctors must take seriously. If you see a doctor for help with BMS, and they are not willing to take your condition seriously, then you should seek a consultation with another doctor.

Can medical cannabis help with Burning Mouth Syndrome?

Interestingly, there have been studies to see if cannabis oil might be helpful in alleviating BMS symptoms. It turns out that cannabis has been demonstrated to make symptoms more tolerable.

While cannabis should be avoided by young adults and children, and I do not recommend recreational use of the drug, it has been proven to be beneficial in a wide variety of medical conditions. If you are in a state where medical cannabis is legal and available, it may be worth considering, if you are suffering with intractable BMS, glossodynia symptoms.

What about cannabis makes it work to help with the symptoms of BMS? Is it the THC that gets people high when they smoke marijuana?

In many cases, it is believed that other components of the plant, particularly CBD, that are responsible for beneficial effects. High levels of THC are not necessarily desirable in medical cannabis.

If you choose to go the route of trying medical cannabis, I definitely recommend avoiding street marijuana. Weed on the streets can be tainted with pesticides and other chemicals.

Additionally, street marijuana has been found to be contaminated with dangerous fentanyl analogs. Any drug that is consumed for any reason should be obtained only from a legitimate, legal supplier.

There are currently no safe street drugs, because all street drugs are at risk for being contaminated. Fentanyl is a highly potent and deadly synthetic opioid, and it has been found as a contaminent in many drugs, including marijuana.

Can psychedelic therapy help with BMS?

Currently, the only fully legal psychedelic treatment available in the US is ketamine infusion. And, the use of ketamine in this fashion, while legal, is an off-label use.

While ketamine is not in the same class as other psychedelic drugs, as a dissociative anesthetic, ketamine may be ideal for providing temporary relief from BMS symptoms. In fact, the relief may be lasting, even after a session has ended.

Ketamine infusion also helps some patients with anxiety and depression, long term. If BMS is exacerbated by anxiety or depression symptoms, this may be helpful as well.

In other countries, there is a dangerous psychedelic drug, ibogaine, being used in clinics. Many ibogaine clinics are located in Mexico, where ibogaine treatment is apparently legal, or at least decriminalized.

Ibogaine has the potential to cause dangerous cardiac adverse reactions, which can be deadly. And, the experience of an ibogaine trip are very unpleasant.

Yet, ibogaine has been studied and found to be genuinely effective. Studies in the US are underway to determine how effective the drug is, and to find safer ways to administer it.

Ibogaine is believed by some to reset the central nervous system, the brain in particular. It is used as a treatment for opioid detox, chronic pain treatment, and treatment of various addictions.

There are also other psychedelics that show promise, and may be useful in treating BMS. For example, there is psilocybin, LSD, DMT, ayahuasca, MDMA, and others.

Remember, that psychedelic therapy must only be administered in a legal and supervised medical setting. Recreational use of psychedelics is highly dangerous.

If benzodiazepines can cause Burning Mouth Syndrome, why do doctors prescribe them for so long?

Not too long ago, benzos were thought to be very safe drugs. Older sedatives would cause respiratory depression and death if large doses were taken.

Prior to the release of the benzodiazepines, many people died from overdoses on barbituates and other dangerous sedatives. With the release of Valium, and other benzos, doctors were confident that they could safely treat anxiety, muscle spasms, and insomnia, with benzos without taking risks with their patients.

Unfortunately, it has taken decades to finally come to the realization that benzodiazepines are not as safe as previously thought. While benzos do not often kill people with overdoses, they can cause serious, long-lasting neurological damage.

People who take benzodiazepines long-term are at risk for neurological conditions, such as akathisia, a severe movement disorder. Burning Mouth Syndrome, while rare, can also occur as a consequence of long-term benzo use.

Often, when a doctor has come to understand a medication at a point in time, they may not return to the literature to review updates on that particular medication, or its class. In the case of benzos, the literature was updated significantly as recently as 2020.

Doctors should be aware that long-term benzo use is not usually a good idea. They may want to consider advising long-term benzo patients to start a gradual taper, with the goal of completing benzo therapy.

Read more: Could My Increase Anxiety and Insomnia Be a Paradoxical Reaction to Benzodiazepines?

What can a doctor do for me if I have Burning Mouth Syndrome and nothing has helped me?

Many BMS sufferers do not bother to continue going to doctors for help with BMS, because they know that the doctor has nothing more to offer. The doctor may try some medications, which may or may not help.

If the doctor is knowledeable, they may recommend healthy foods, healthy eating habits, exercise, and they may discuss the importance of sleep. Stress release techniques, such as mindfulness, meditation, breathwork, and relaxation techniques can help, and some doctors are able to make specific recommendations in these areas.

Sometimes, you just want a doctor who will listen to your experience with BMS and acknowledge that you are going through a real medical condition. BMS is real, and it can be very difficult to live with.

Your doctor may not have all of the answers, but a Suboxone Doctors In Fort Lauderdale will acknowledge that you are suffering from a real medical condition, and they will work hard to research the latest treatments for BMS. Your doctor is your partner in healthcare, and together, you can work to find answers, and solutions that will work best for you, as an individual working to overcome the challenge of burning mouth syndrome. Take the first step towards relief—schedule an appointment today to discuss your symptoms and treatment options!