Effectiveness and safety of clonazepam, pregabalin, and alpha lipoic acid for the treatment of burning mouth syndrome

Abstract

Objective: Burning mouth syndrome is characterized by pain in the oral mucosa with no visible organic pathology. Few treatment options are available; however, none of them are gold-standard. Here we evaluated the effectiveness and safety of clonazepam, pregabalin, and alpha lipoic acid for treating burning mouth syndrome. Materials and Methods: Patients were divided into three groups. Clonazepam (2 mg/day) was administered to the patients in the first group, pregabalin (150 mg/day) to those in the second group, and alpha lipoic acid (600 mg/day) to those in the third group. Each group consisted of 30 patients. The intensity of oral pain in each group was measured before and at the end of the treatment (fourth month) using the visual analog scale. The study was carried on for four months. Results: Significant improvement was observed in the clonazepam and pregabalin groups; no effects were observed in the alpha lipoic acid group. No serious side effects were noted in any of the patients. Conclusion: Systemic clonazepam and pregabalin are viable options for the treatment of burning mouth syndrome.