One customer’s experience with Burning Mouth Syndrome
Have you ever started taking a new medication and noticed something different about your mouth? Perhaps you notice that your lips and the roof of your mouth are burning; your food tastes metallic, or your mouth is excessively dry. These could be signs of Burning Mouth Syndrome, a rare sensation that is little known and may leave you feeling distressed, not knowing where to turn. This is what happened to a Just For Tummies customer, who got in touch after a two-year struggle with her symptoms.
The lady in question had needed to take three long courses of antibiotics after a root canal treatment; shortly after this, she was misdiagnosed with silent reflux. She was prescribed antacids to treat her symptoms and took them for a year but saw little improvement.
She was referred to the oral and maxillofacial department at her local hospital, where the consultant told her that since all other tests (sinuses, endoscopy) had come back clear, he believed she had Burning Mouth Syndrome. He also told her that the antacids that she had been taking could have caused the dry mouth she was experiencing.
Other than being told to avoid SLS in toothpaste (SLS – sodium lauryl sulfate, an ingredient which can increase the incidence of mouth ulcers) and strong mint, reduce stress and use an anti-inflammatory oral rinse, this poor customer was at a loss as how to manage her ongoing struggle.
She had seen so many medics, waited months for appointments, been told to take a cocktail of medication, and even given antidepressants. She told me that she wasn’t depressed, she just wanted answers, and to get her life back.
After gathering all the relevant details about her symptoms, I felt certain that the Burning Mouth Syndrome had come about as a result of the three courses of antibiotics she had taken for the root canal treatment.
Antibiotics not only wipe out trillions of friendly bacteria in the stomach and gut, increasing the risk of gut issues and food intolerances, but they can kill the friendly bacteria in the oral microbiome too, resulting in Burning Mouth Syndrome.
To rebalance her oral and gut microbiomes, I recommended that she take some Live Bacteria probiotics, one capsule twice daily before meals, highlighting the importance of her needing to stay on them for some considerable time for them to take full effect. I also recommended that with one of the probiotics, she open the capsule and put the powder into a little water and use it to gargle with for a couple of minutes before swallowing.
Additionally, I suggested that she carry out oil pulling – take half a teaspoonful of coconut oil every day, keep it in the mouth until it’s melted, then push it around the mouth, between the teeth, up into the crevices of the top and bottom of the mouth. Do this for a couple of minutes, longer if possible, then spit it out.
Burning Mouth Syndrome is not always easy to identify, as was the case with this particular customer. It often affects women, particularly after the menopause, but men can sometimes get it too. Up to one in three older women report noticing a burning sensation in their mouth. About a third of people who have Burning Mouth Syndrome say it started after some kind of dental work, an illness, or a course of medication. But most can’t link it to any unusual event.
Symptoms of Burning Mouth Syndrome may include:
- A burning or scalding feeling that most commonly affects your tongue, but may also affect your lips, gums, roof of your mouth, throat or whole mouth.
- A feeling of dry mouth with increased thirst.
- Taste changes in your mouth, such as a bitter or metallic tastes.
- Loss of taste.
- Tingling, stinging or numbness in your mouth.
The discomfort from Burning Mouth Syndrome can have several different patterns. It may:
- Happen every day, with little discomfort when waking up, but become worse as the day goes on.
- Start as soon as you wake up and last all day.
- Come and go.
Whatever pattern of mouth discomfort you have, Burning Mouth Syndrome may last for months to years. In rare cases, symptoms may suddenly go away on their own or happen less often. Sometimes the burning feeling may be briefly relieved during eating or drinking.
When to see a doctor
If you have discomfort, burning or soreness of your tongue, lips, gums or other areas of your mouth, see your GP or dentist. They may need to work together to help pinpoint a cause and come up with an effective treatment plan.
The cause of Burning Mouth Syndrome may be primary or secondary.
Primary Burning Mouth Syndrome
When the cause can’t be found, the condition is called primary or idiopathic Burning Mouth Syndrome. Some research suggests that primary Burning Mouth Syndrome is related to problems with the nerves involved with taste and pain.
Secondary Burning Mouth Syndrome
Sometimes Burning Mouth Syndrome is caused by an underlying medical condition. Underlying problems that may be linked to secondary Burning Mouth Syndrome include:
- Dry mouth – this can be caused by some medicines, health problems, problems with the glands that make saliva or the side effects of cancer treatment.
- Other oral conditions – oral thrush, an inflammatory condition called oral lichen planus, or a condition called ‘geographic tongue’ that gives the tongue a map-like appearance.
- Not getting enough nutrients – a lack of iron, zinc, folate (vitamin B9), thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and cobalamin (vitamin B12).
- Allergies or reactions – to foods, food flavourings, other food additives, fragrances or dyes, dental materials, or mouth care products.
- Reflux of stomach acid – also called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD).
- Certain medicines – including antibiotics, high blood pressure medicines.
- Oral habits – pushing your tongue against your teeth, biting the tip of your tongue, and grinding or clenching your teeth.
- Endocrine disorders – diabetes or an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).
- A very irritated mouth – this may result from brushing your tongue too much or too hard, using abrasive toothpastes, overusing mouthwashes, or having too many acidic foods or drinks. Dentures that don’t fit well may cause irritation that can make symptoms worse.
- Psychological issues – anxiety, depression or stress.
Risk factors
Burning Mouth Syndrome usually starts suddenly, for no known reason. But certain factors may increase your risk, including:
- Recent illness
- Being female, in perimenopause or post-menopausal
- Aged over 50
- A smoker
- Some long-term medical conditions, such as fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease, autoimmune disorders and neuropathy
- Previous dental work
- Allergic reactions to food
- Certain medicines
- Traumatic life events
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
For me, this customer’s experience highlights how important it is to support gut health as we deepen our understanding of the huge link between the health of the gut and immune health, especially if you’ve had antibiotics or are taking other regular medication that can upset the delicate balance of bacteria in the gut – this is when the power and importance of taking daily probiotics to keep the gut – and with it, the mouth – healthy, cannot be understated.
If you have a question about a digestive and gut health issue, or would like to know more about a targeted supplement protocol, please get in touch.
