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I had gastric bypass surgery in jan of 2006

Posted By Sakispeaks (Olympia Fields, Illinois, United States) on 01/12/2010

Gastric Bypass & Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS)

I had gastricbypass surgery in January of 2006. I developed burning mouth syndrome November of 2008. I can barely eat any food at all because the BMS is so painful... everything I eat hurts! I'm new to this site, and would like to know if there is anything that Ted or anyone else can suggest that would give me immediate relief of the pain...I just want to be able to eat a full meal (even though it would be small due to the surgery), as opposed to the 4 bites I'm able to eat before the BMS renders the meal unenjoyable and then I'm done!

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Replied by Gean (Salina, Ks) on 06/03/2010

I have a friend who suffered from Burning Mouth Syndrome for 7 years. She took MMS (increased slowly to 7 drops a day over a period of one year), used magnesium oil on her skin, took a raw egg dropped in soy milk once in a while, and bitter melon capsules. She also used, for a while, DMSO with B12 and folic acid pills dissolved in it, a dropper full rubbed in on skin. She no longer uses MMS, mag. oil and raw egg once in a while, and bitter melon every day. The BMS went away for good. Also doesn't get sick with colds or flu anymore, as well as healed from frequent swelling and spasms in her throat that would threaten to close off her airway (which she had had for 25 years.) Gone.

Replied by Lori (Bangor, Maine) on 11/02/2010

I have been using 100 percent tea tree oil with virgin olive oil for my rosacea. I was so happy because my skin has been getting so much better! I wash with tea tree soap and then apply olive oil tea tree mix. Whenever I have an itch during the day on my face I apply a spot of tea tree. I have been doing this now for two weeks with excellent results on my rosacea. I also was using a cinn. Tea tree toothpick to get food out between teeth and last week the stick broke off and I couldn't get it out of my gums. I went to the dentist yesterday and they dug it out.

On looking at my gums---They have badly deteriorated in the last two weeks. I am wondering if I overdid the tea tree(maybe washing with soap and using toothpick and oil and tea tree on face) and that is why my mouth is burning and my gums are receding and the lower jaw bone is protruding almost overnight!! Help! What should I do? Could I have some kind of chemical burn from tea tree eating at my gums? Should I use baking soda to stop the burning or go to the doctors? My rosacea looks much much better, but now my gums look sooooo scary. Thank you for any advice.

Replied by Maria (Gippsland, Australia) on 11/03/2010

Hi Lori, I'm sorry I have no answer for your gum problem, but with regards to the use of tea tree oil- it should be used very diluted. Also after you have used it for a week you need 2-3 days break. A lot of people develop reactions to it when used in to high a concentration or too often. I myself also did from the over use of it. I still use it but not for long. Even the tea tree oil mouthwash, made by the original tea tree oil company in Australia, has less tea tree oil than peppermint oil in it. This company also makes chewing sticks that are soaked/dipped in diluted tea tree oil. These sticks look like toothpicks but are designed to be gently chewed to release the tea tree oil to freshen the mouth. By using tea tree toothpicks on the gum line you may be pushing some debris down below the gum into pockets or just aggravating the sensitive gum with to much tea tree oil. I don't know if it will help but I have always benefited from taking a larger dose (3,000 - 5,000mg) of vit C per day till my gums are no longer sore or bleeding. Taken in small amounts throughout the day. Good luck.

Replied by Carla (Houston, Tx) on 02/18/2011

My Doc. put me on supplements with thyroid meds to help hypothyroid. About a month of this I developed BMS. Called Doc. He said it wasn't anything he'd given me. Called pharmacist, he said take meds and supplements to see doc. Found it it's due to the high amount of iodine (kelp) in the supplements. Don't know how long till this BMS stops. Doc. should have known - what an idiot. Needless to say, he is stopped from being my doc.

Replied by Braunbear (Hillsdale, Mi) on 08/22/2011

I have been fighting BMS for over 3 months...

I started a website to create a support group for sufferers, for both long term and short term.

I fit all the parameters for physical causes, and also have all the blood chemistry imbalance triggers, VitD, B12, alkaline, digestive, etc... I believe together we can figure this out: [email protected]

Co-sufferer,

Mary Braun, Michigan

Replied by Bethanne (Rutland, Vermont) on 10/18/2011

I have what is called burning mouth syndrome since March of 2011. It is horrible to live with on a day to day basis. I have stopped any gluten foods, sugars and cannot quite give up my coffee in the morning. Sugars make the burn worse and wheat makes my tongue swell. I have never had a food allergy in my life. I went to a holistic practitioner and he told me to take oregano oil (which I was already doing) and to take up yoga and walking and come see him again in six months (no thanks).

A dental surgeon prescribed anti fungals that had a nasty list of side effects. Being very sensitive to drugs I refused. I have done oil pulling, oregano oil, B vitamins and full diet changes and still I live with this. Then I noticed because I have had a lot of teeth issues that the tongue issue explodes when I have dental work done.

I researched these fillings and bonding agents to find out what was in them and discovered that they have chemicals that are endocrine disruptors. Now it seems to me that since the main stay of people said to have burning tongue are pre or menopausal women that there is a connection here. I know plenty of others who are not even women getting this and the more I talk with people the more I find that dental work seems to be our common bond.

When I talked with the dentist about what alternative there is to the fillings and bonding agents now in my mouth (NOT amalgams but plastics) he refused to hear about it and said - oh we don't have anyone with that issue. Do you have acid reflux?

So I do counselling as part of my job and talk a lot throughout the day. It is horrible how I feel when doing this. Sometimes when going to bed I cannot swallow and have to sit up and think it through to get a swallow to happen. I don't know what to do next and really want to get past this and heal it. Looking at something called MMS right now to take. I live on drinking baking soda and water to keep the soothing happening. I brush my teeth with baking soda and coconut oil.

Replied by Bess (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) on 10/18/2011

Hi Bethanne - Are you taking any other vitamins/minerals other than the ones you mentioned? A high-potency B-Complex is very important for oral health. A book I've read suggested 50 to 100 mg of Vitamin B-Complex one to three times a day for four to six weeks - then just once a day after that. Folic acid and Vitamin B12 needs to be included too. This, however, was for "burning tongue" but it may help with your mouth too. Also zinc is good for healing - 25 to 50 mg daily. Vitamin E - 400 IU daily. The book also mentioned iron-deficiency but if you are menopausal you don't have the monthly iron loss. You are already looking into food sensitivities which is definitely a step in the right direction (especially wheat - it's all the additives they put in foods too). Are you well hydrated - not necessarily drinking lots of water - but having green smoothies will help get the water (from vegetables) into your cells. I always add a bit (1/8 teaspoon) of sea salt which helps too. Ensure you keep your Vitamin D levels up (you may want to read about that on mercola. com - it's vitally important for all-over health) and take quality fish oil daily.

Candida issues, cadmium overload, stress - even being hypothyroid - may play a part. It can also be associated with menopause, in which case, bioidentical hormones could be prescribed. I would try a different naturopath than the one you have seen. It's far more complicated than he seemed to realize (take a walk - how will that help?! ).

The book I've been reading is called Digestive Wellness - it seems good health begins in our digestive system - which includes our mouth. It may be worth getting it from the library. I found a lot of information that helped me (I get acid reflux every once in awhile).

I can sympathize with you regarding your dentist's attitude. For decades they kept saying there was nothing wrong with mercury fillings or taking fluoride and it was all in our head if we had adverse reactions! Good luck Bethanne - it may take awhile but I think you'll be able to beat this.

Replied by Maria (Gippsland, Australia) on 10/18/2011

Hi Bethanne, I have found for the swallowing issue magnesium put under the tongue will get you swallowing again within a minute or occasionally two. A pinch of epsom salts put under the tongue or a wet finger dipped into magnesium citrate powder both work quickly, magnesium oxide powder I have found takes the longest (2 mins). My observation is it happens more when you are mildly dehydrated or low in magnesium.

Your tongue swelling is a serious issue. Magnesium powder mixed with bi-carb soda and vit-c placed under the tongue can help as can the homeopathic Brauer Allergy Relief spray, 4 sprays under the tongue (I have better results with a few seconds in between each spray). I use either of these remedies before I reach for my epi pen with great success.

Check out the candida page here (EC) and it may also be worth giving your liver some extra support eg. Milk thistle and alpha lipoic acid. All the best.

Replied by Badgerme (Seattle, Wa) on 01/17/2012

I too, had a burning tongue several years ago that lasted for well over a month. I couldn't take it so I went to the doctor and he said I had something for which he could not prescribe any medication. I went home pretty dejected. This was before I used natural alternatives. I happened to have some antibiotics in the medicine chest and out of desperation, I took them. I did not have enough to finish the ailment, but the antibiotics did work. I went back to the doctor armed with the information that indeed the antibiotics did work on this particular problem. He was surprised, and prescribed me some antibiotics. I never suffered again, until now.

I have had an illness, like the flu involving the chest, throat, head and now my tongue. My throat is dry and during certain times of the day my tongue will start burning. I cannot seem to get well. As I have been reading the different treatments here, I read that someone used a stomach medicine. I immediately went and got my milk of magnesia and swished that in my mouth. It has had a very soothing effect. I will probably try swallowing some next.

I did want to share the fact that doctors don't always have the answers. My tongue did have white patches at the time that he said antibiotics would do no good. I was extremely irritated that I had to suffer for so long because of the doctors failure to properly treat me.

Replied by Hopeathome (Columbia, Mo, Usa) on 05/13/2012

Hi, I am new to this site and happy to have found it. I've had BMS for 4 years. I had to get upper dentures in February 2008. For 4 months I wore the Temporary one they provided me with. I had no BMS that entire 4 months. 12 days after I got the permanent denture the BMS started and has not stopped since. I went to a prosodonist (a dentist that makes dentures instead of sending to a lab.)

We tried a test palates out of clear acrylic (no pigment) and one of rubber. They both burned my mouth. So needless to say, I had to get new dentures anyway and a lower partial. The part of my mouth that bothers me most is my tongue, especially with my denture in and off and on without my dentures. My tongue burns so badly it makes me crazy!!!! And with my denture in it is like being tortured. I'm not kidding. I stay at home most of the time now because I cannot stand the burning and I won't go about town with no upper teeth. I take Alpha Lipotic Acid 1200 mg a day, and Cymbalta (a anti-depressant) and kolopin an (anti- anxiety drug) I've taken both of the drugs for about 7 years. So I doubt it's that.

There are a lot of prescription drugs I cannot take because many of them make the burn so much worse.

I brush my teeth with baking soda now. You can't brush denture with it, you have to use a denture paste/cream. I don't soak them in any denture cleaner as that makes the burning worse.

Soda's like coke or anything make it burn. Any candy makes it burn, especially chocolate.

I smoke, I know it's bad, and does not help the burning. I also drink coffee. But 4 years ago I did not smoke and I still had the BMS. I been smoking for 2 years about a pack of day. I want to quit but the all the options I've tried make the burning worse and I cannot stop cold turkey. To say I've been under a lot of stress is a gross understatement.

I'm going to try the Nicotine patch again but a year or so when I tried it... In about 30 minutes my tongue started burning like crazy!

I eat pretty well, mostly veggies and fruit, some unsweetened cereals, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, whole grains and not much meat. I have been cutting way down on sugar and coffee and switched to green tea. Also I don't eat or drink much dairy.... but I do eat naturally sweetened yogurt.

Also, I have recently (last week) been diagnosed with Myastenia gravis, a neuro, autoimmune rare disease. It cause extreme muscle weakness and extreme fatigue. It's not curable but treatable. Without treatment life expectancy is 10 years. That alone causes a bunch of stress. The drug they gave me (not steroids) has not affected the BMS. It has been going on for about 3 or for years but the neurologist says BMS is not part of it.

Also, all my blood work as far as vitamins and minerals, liver enzymes, anemia ect. have been normal.

Any suggestions would be most welcome!!

Thanks for being there, Hope

p.s. what really puzzles me is why the temporary denture did not burn and the new one the same place made did burn, as well is what I wear now, made at a completely different place. I've even tried acupuncture from the best acupuncturist in the state of Missouri, with no success.

Also I am 55, just in case someone was wanting to know.

Replied by Jane (Wilmington, Delaware) on 07/01/2012

Good day to you all. I have a light case of burning mouth off and on. I have discovered that I breathe through my mouth at night (and snore). Also have a lot of the perpetual Delaware Drip (rhinitis). The DD makes my dry mouth sting or burn. Treated the sinus problem and use ALA per the label's instructions. Seems to help. Also not thinking about it helps a lot.

Replied by Btwelve (Atl, Ga) on 09/22/2012

I wanted to share how my life turned around after being a BMS sufferer for 8 years (lost 30% body weight) and had given up on life and any hope. A chance diagnosis from a doctor friend prompted that I be checked out for B12 deficiency. I came out extremely deficient! That was the turning point...

I started with high doses of B12 sublingual, it really is a good idea for BMS sufferers to try it sublingual as it is highly absorbed thru the oral tissues. Just try the OTC versions - 2500 mcg B12 (may be higher if available). See how you respond...

Read this article to become familiar about B12 -http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02810/facts-about-vitamin-b

SERIOUSLY sufferers, pls try B12, see how you respond. It is a very safe vitamin and it WORKED for me. Hope your root cause is same as mine and you get relief.

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