Recently, a reader in China asked an intriguing question. “Is there a diet for Burning Mouth Syndrome/Disorder?”
It was sad to tell him that there was no recommended diet that I knew about. However, there are some things that I have picked up over the years, both anecdotally and through personal experience, that I am better off avoiding.
I will share them here, but I also recommend keeping a pain diary. I have talked about this before, but when looking at potential irritants, intolerances, or allergies, it is of particular benefit!
If you are interested in learning more about pain diaries, there are resources on this blog that can help you. First, you must understand the pain scale and the ways it doesn’t really work for BMS Sufferers. Then, figure out what format works best for you and go to your next doctor visit armed with usable data, whether for diagnosis or continuing treatment.
Chronic Pain Scale and Burning Mouth
Additional Links:
Using a Pain Diary – Courtesy of News Medical Life Sciences
Some basic tips for Burning Mouth Sufferers when it comes to food irritations:
Avoiding ultra-processed foods and sugars is always good, so definitely do that! In addition, here are some foods and other diet-related things that can be triggers for many people with BMS.
1. Intensely spicy foods. Go easy on the spice until you determine how much your sensitive mouth can handle. Many BMS sufferers are “super tasters” and react differently.
2. Sharp-edged snacks. Yes, I mean chips of all kinds, some nuts, and even pretzels can inflict little cuts in the mouth that aren’t very noticeable while you are eating but can give you a flare after the fact.
3. Chewing gum can help, but if it is sugared, you are bathing your drier than normal mouth with a sugar solution, and can lead to some dental challenges. I switched to Xylitol sweetened gum and perhaps you would like to try it. Xylitol makes your mouth very unfriendly to the bacteria that cause plaque, tartar, and gum recession but you do have to start small and work up to a complete change because Xylitol can cause loose stools until your body adjusts.
4. Low hydration levels. Our mouths hate being dry so consider yourself “putting out the fire” with frequent drinks, whether cold or hot, and in general, water is my go-to!
5. Suspicious that something might be problematic for you? Keep a pain log and you will begin to see a pattern of certain foods or activities that cause your pain to be more intense. Then you can not only moderate your intake or behaviors but you will also have data to share with your medical professional.
I look forward to hearing your experiences and recommendations and do check into the BMS Support Website for more coping strategies to help you in your Burning Mouth Journey.
Many of us go through what I think of as the “thrashing stage” when we first start experiencing the pain of Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS). It is a time of anger, sorrow, guilt, and confusion as we try to determine what is going on, why it happened, and what we can do about it. You may have thought, “If only I hadn’t done this, or if only that hadn’t happened…I would not be in pain.” It isn’t logical, but often, neither are we at this stage of our journey. 
In a recent post, I talked about my upcoming visit with my neurologist. You can read that post at 
I have been writing about Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) for years now, and recently a reader reached out to me and said she had been dealing with this chronic pain for over fifteen years. She had read one of my blog posts and has been keeping a pain diary for the first time ever.
If you are here for information about Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) and my journey with it, you are in the right place.
A Burning Journey 