Craving for menthol sweets: a case report

Abstract

We describe a case of craving for menthol sweets in a 53-year-old woman with excessive consumption of menthol sweets (100 units/day). She was admitted with a history of rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, anxiety associated with onychophagia and pinching of the skin. Organic disorders were ruled out with paraclinical tests and in-hospital treatment was administered. At discharge, the patient's condition was stable, but because of exacerbated pain due to the rheumatological disease, she presented depressive symptoms, requiring her medication to be adjusted. Conclusions: The “food craving” and anxiety present pathophysiological similarities. Mints have different mechanisms or ways in which they can counteract or control these symptoms, including an increase in serotonin, binding to GABA-A receptors and stimulation of the nicotinic receptor in nerve cells.