Burning mouth syndrome: the efficacy of lipoic acid on subgroups.
OBJECTIVE
We have examined the effect of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA, tioctic acid; Tiobec), a free radical scavenger, on the discomfort of burning mouth syndrome (BMS) in patients who had used tranquillizers previously, compared with those who had not.


METHODS
In this study we gave lipoic acid for 2 months to two groups of 20 BMS patients, one of which had previously been treated with tranquillizers.


RESULTS
The results showed greater effectiveness of lipoic acid in BMS patients who had not previously used tranquillizers.


CONCLUSIONS
The patients with BMS who had previously been treated with tranquillizers responded poorly to therapy with lipoic acid compared with those who had not received previous psychotropic therapy.
Stomatology Clinic, II University of Medicine and Surgery, Naples, Italy. femiano@libero.it
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Femiano
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Gombos
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Scully
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002054:Burning Mouth Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000975:Antioxidants; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents; D008063:Thioctic Acid