Journal of oral rehabilitation
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy of alpha lipoic acid in burning mouth syndrome: a randomized, placebo-treatment study.
To study the efficacy of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) in a group of patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS). Sixty BMS patients, 30 treated with ALA (Thioderm) 800 mg day(-1) for 8 weeks and 30 patients on the same protocol with a placebo. The symptomatology was measured on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). ⋯ No statistically significant differences were found in the average pre- and post-treatment values for pain with the VAS scores, obtained in the placebo (6.6 +/- 2.5 - 2.8 +/- 25 = 3.8 +/- 3.7) versus ALA (6.3 +/- 2.8 - 4.0 +/- 2.7 = 2.2 +/- 2.6). Only one patient pertaining to the group treated with ALA abandoned because of adverse gastrointestinal side effects. The results showed no significant differences between the two groups.