The good news: I don’t need a root canal…yet. The endodontist recommended that we wait until after the first of the year and if it is still sensitive to cold and heat or gets infected, we will address it.

The bad news: No flare of pain to deal with. I haven’t had a big flare while on Cymbalta and Clonazepam ODT, so I can’t tell you how well that treatment works for me when the burning gets turned up to 11.

I must say that this combination has given me a combination of pain-free days (I still sometimes tingle) and sleep-filled nights.

This is the closest I have felt to normal since mid-2008. Isn’t that outrageous? And I know some of you out there have dealt with this chronic neuropathic pain for much longer than I have.

I hope you have checked out the Burning Mouth Support website for coping strategies, specialists that can be helpful, and the latest research abstracts and summaries that you can share with your specialist or family practitioner.

Facebook BMS groups can be helpful, too, and you will find links to them on the BMS Support website.

Feel free to ask your specialist about the combination of Cymbalta and Clonazepam ODT and whether it would be appropriate for you. The dosage is something that you decide together as it helps or doesn’t help, so stay flexible and communicate with your doctor through the process. A Pain Diary can be a big help when you are reporting results.

One or the other of the meds may not be appropriate for you, but a conversation about other alternatives may be helpful.

Good luck, my friends, and my prayers are always with all of you for treatment and an eventual cure.