Follow-Up:
I've had BMS now for about 18 months and sometimes feel I'm losing my mind. Fortunately, my tongue itches instead of burns. After many doctors, many misdiagnoses, and a ton spent on pills, medicines, and salves, I finally went to a maxillofacial specialist who led me to believe that he was going to remove the offending spot on my tongue. He said, "Do you want to get that off there today?" I was so happy to say, "Yes, please!!!!!) He numbed my tongue and clipped part of my tongue off. Quite painful it was, I might add. He stitched it up and charged my $77l.00 I was deliriously happy to pay. However, they then told me it would be sent off for a biopsy. After about 3 days, the itching came back. When I came back in to have the stitches removed, I told him the problem was still there. He refused to treat me further because he said he couldn't see anything there that would be causing a problem. The biopsy showed no cancer, but keratosis, a hardening of the skin cells, like an age spot on your skin. He then referred me to a pathology of the tongue specialist in Houston. When I finally went to him, he immediately told me that I had BMS, that it was found commonly in menopausal women and gave me some heavy-duty cortisone-based cream to use on it. The name of it is Fluocinonide Gel USP, 0.05%. It doesn't help me, but some of you might want to try it. My next step is to ask if they can remove this part of the tip of my tongue. I know that sounds drastic, but I don't think I can go on like this for years and years. The only way I can get some relief is to lay down and get my mouth very still. But one can't lay down forever. I'm so happy to have found others that suffer as I do. Most people think I'm crazy when I tell them about this. They really don't understand how much my quality of life has been affected by this. I've taken notes on all the tips I've read and am off to the drugstore to buy some Bioten toothpaste. I can't imagine what torture the burning sensation causes, and I hope and pray mine doesn't progress into this. Please feel free to write me. Debbie