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). Sixty patients (54 females and 6 males, mean age 64.37 +/- 11.61 years) were included. Thirty-nine patients completed the treatment (23 with ALA and 16 with a placebo). Reviews were carried out at 0, 1 and 2 months. 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.