Abstract
The treatment of chronic pain in an inpatient setting is characterized by intensive, multi-disciplinary treatment. Inpatient treatment may be the better choice in some cases. We report the case of an elderly patient with burning mouth syndrome who successfully recovered with short-term inpatient treatment. A 73-year-old female presented with burning tongue sensation, bitter taste, and dry mouth sensation for 6 months before her first visit. Insomnia, fatigue and body weight loss were evident, and so treatment in a hospital setting was started. Amitriptyline was administered and gradually titrated with the addition of diazepam. With careful monitoring and supportive therapy, the oral symptoms gradually improved. After 15 days of treatment, the pain almost remitted. In this case, we chose treatment in the hospital setting because the symptom of burning mouth syndrome hindered her daily life and her family support was not enough. We took advantage of rapid titration and enough psycho-education. Inpatient treatment may be a good choice depending on the symptoms of burning mouth syndrome and the patient’s social background.
