Utilization of Low-Dose Naltrexone for Burning Mouth Syndrome: A Case Report

Abstract

Burning mouth syndrome is a chronic pain condition characterized by a burning sensation of the oropharynx. The pathophysiology of burning mouth syndrome includes peripheral and central sensitization. Treatment is generally aimed at symptom reduction. We describe a woman in her seventh decade with burning mouth syndrome that had been refractory to treatment for nearly a decade. Low-dose naltrexone has been reported to provide analgesia in central sensitization states and was successful in reducing pain severity in our patient. We conclude that low-dose naltrexone may be a therapeutic option for patients with burning mouth syndrome who are refractory to conventional therapies. (A&A Practice. 2021;15:e01475.

Efficacy of Low-Dose Naltrexone and Predictors of Treatment Success or Discontinuation in Fibromyalgia and Other Chronic Pain Conditions: A Fourteen-Year, Enterprise-Wide Retrospective Analysis

“…Finally, ultra low-dose naltrexone (<0.001 mg) is involved in potentiation of opioid analgesia [ 16 , 20 , 21 ]. LDN has been trialed in patients with fibromyalgia as well as other chronic pain and autoimmune disorders including complex regional pain syndrome [ 22 ], Crohn’s disease [ 23 , 24 ], rheumatic diseases [ 25 ], multiple sclerosis [ 26 ], corneal neuralgia [ 27 ], burning-mouth syndrome [ 28 ], and painful diabetic neuropathy [ 29 ].…”