Background: Many chronic conditions that frequently cause pain in certain areas of the body seem to be related to the infiltration of unwanted irritants across a mucosal barrier in certain tissues that have been weakened by genetic, traumatic, or infection factors. They all have in common that they are ameliorated following treatment with dopaminergic agonists. In the large majority of case reports, the patients were treated with the dopamine agonist Dextroamphetamine Sulfate (DS). However, the dopamine agonist cabergoline (Typically used to treat galactorrhea or prolactinomas) has also been successful in eradicating refractory pain syndromes. One pain syndrome that has been successfully eradicated by dopamine agonists is the Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS). There is one case report showing great efficacy of treating BMS (Stomatodynia) with DS. The case reported here presents the second case of BMS completely eradicated by treatment with a dopamine agonist.
Methods: A 44-year-old woman had multiple pathological symptoms including a very painful tongue and palate with no visible lesions. She previously had a history of Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs). She was initially prescribed amphetamines, but it was stopped because she thought it increased the frequencies of PVCs. She was then treated with cabergoline. 0.5 mg two times per week
Results: Within one month her primary BMS was completely eradicated. She has been free of BMS for 4 years.
Conclusion: This is the second case of marked amelioration of BMS following the treatment with a dopamine agonist. It is the first case of eradication of BMS with the sole treatment with the dopamine agonist cabergoline.