Burning Mouth Syndrome

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a condition that causes pain in the mouth, lips or tongue without any clear reason. People with BMS often feel like they burned their mouth with a hot liquid. They may also have a dry or sore mouth, or a bitter or metallic taste in their mouth.

Both men and women can get BMS. But it is especially common in women during or after menopause.

For many years, doctors thought psychological problems, like depression and anxiety, were the cause of BMS. Now it's thought that these problems may also result from BMS. Researchers now think that a problem in the nerves that control taste and pain in the tongue might cause BMS. Other possible causes of BMS include nutritional deficiencies, allergies, certain medications, certain medical conditions, hormonal changes during menopause and dry mouth.

There is no simple way to test for BMS. Your doctor may examine your mouth to look for what might be causing a burning feeling. Maybe your doctor will find such a problem; if the burning feeling doesn't go away after the problem is treated, you may have BMS.

Medicines to treat BMS include tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline and benzodiazepines like clonazepam (brand name: Klonopin) or chlordiazepoxide (brand name: Librium). It is not clear why these medicines help. It may be that they change the taste system. Capsaicin (hot pepper) mouth rinses may also help some people with BMS.