Response to topical clonazepam in patients with burning mouth syndrome: a clinical study

Bull Group Int Rech Sci Stomatol Odontol. 2010 May 21;49(1):19-29.

Abstract

Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is a difficult disease for patients and clinicians. Moreover, there is not a general consensus on how to treat the disease. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate BMS patients' response to topical clonazepam treatment. A double blind study was performed. Among a total of 66 patients, 33 were treated with tablets of clonazepam and another 33 were treated with a placebo. Symptoms were evaluated after 1 month and 6 months of treatment and scored on an analogical scale from 0 to 10. Among the 33 patients treated with clonazepam, 23 showed at least a 50% reduction in symptoms after 1 month of treatment. On the contrary, only 4 in the placebo group exhibited significant improvement. After 6 months, significant differences were observed again, as 23 of the 33 patients treated with the drug reported at least a 50% reduction in symptoms, whereas only 2 among those treated with the placebo significantly improved. However, when measured in terms of a complete cure (lack of symptoms), the differences were not significant: 5 drug-treated patients and one belonging to the placebo group were asymptomatic after one month of treatment. In summary, it seems that clonazepam applied topically was effective in treating BMS in a large proportion of patients.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Topical
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Burning Mouth Syndrome / drug therapy*
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Clonazepam / administration & dosage*
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Female
  • GABA Modulators / administration & dosage*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mouthwashes / therapeutic use
  • Pain Measurement
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • GABA Modulators
  • Mouthwashes
  • Clonazepam