California man’s terrifying ‘burning mouth syndrome’ from rare Covid vaccine side effect… and how he cured it
A California man suffered intense burning in his mouth that left him unable to eat or speak after getting the Covid vaccine.
The 39-year-old visited his local hospital with a severe burning sensation around the top part of his tongue and a ‘metallic’ taste in his mouth that had been present for about a year.
According to a medical case report published April 29, in which patients remain anonymous, his doctors traced the pain back to his first dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccine.
Immediately after receiving the shot, the patient – who had a reported history of neurological disorders – had experienced a burning sensation in his feet that extended up to his mouth and cheeks.
When he received his second dose a month later, his body became stiff and the burning in his mouth kept him from eating for two days.
By the time he sought medical attention, the pain had become a distraction for him at work.
Doctors treating the man suggested the vaccine may have triggered burning mouth syndrome, a recurring burning sensation that can feel like being scalded by hot liquid.
They believe it is the first known case linked to the Pfizer vaccine, though they stressed the shot cannot be proven to be the culprit.
Writing in the Clinical Case Reports medical journal, doctors said spike proteins in the shot may have triggered an immune response that attacked protective layers in nerve cells called myelin.
In a new case report, doctors revealed a man was diagnosed with burning mouth syndrome after receiving both doses of his Covid vaccine (stock image)
The medical experts said this could explain why the Covid vaccine has been linked to rare cases of neurological disorders like Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Experts have noted that adverse reactions to Covid vaccines are extremely rare and that the benefits of getting the shot outweigh potential complications.
The patient examined in this case, who was thought to be treated in California, also had a history of neurological disorders including migraines, which may have caused pain to radiate to around the mouth.
He had also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which has been shown to affect pain sensitivity during manic episodes.
The patient told his physicians he had been taking medication to manage his preexisting bipolar disorder, and that he was also living with ADHD and an underdeveloped right lung.
But the case report comes after a bombshell Yale study that suggested vaccine patients, in rare cases, may suffer ‘post-vaccination syndrome,’ which could lead to neurological issues like dizziness, brain fog and tinnitus.
The researchers wrote, ‘Although neurologic manifestations following vaccination are rare, it is important for physicians to be aware of such cases and promote further research in this regard.’
According to the report, the man went to his local clinic complaining of the burning in the top part of his tongue, the metallic taste and dry mouth.
He told doctors the sensation was constant and that his pain fluctuated between six and 10 on a standard pain scale.
He said he received his first dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccine one year earlier.
The patient remembered that about 90 minutes after the shot was administered, he started feeling a burning sensation in his feet that moved up to his mouth and cheeks. He then reportedly fainted.
The pain subsided from his feet but persisted around his mouth, he told the doctors.
The man received his second vaccine dose one month later and immediately developed stiffness throughout his body. The pain in his mouth became so severe that he couldn’t eat for two days.
Researchers believe the mRNA Covid vaccines may trigger an immune response that attacks protective layers around nerve cells (stock image)
An MRI and biopsy of the man’s tongue both came back normal, according to the report.
Based on the exam results, doctors diagnosed him with burning mouth syndrome, which causes a constant burning in the roof of the mouth, tongue, gums, lips or inside of the cheeks.
About 2% of Americans – 6.6 million – have the condition.
Researchers believe the syndrome is caused by nerve damage around the mouth and conditions like acid reflux, hormonal changes, oral infections and stress.
However, in many cases, there is no clear cause.
Doctors treating the man referenced the spike proteins in their writing, adding that they have been shown to trigger an autoimmune response as the body mistakes them for foreign invaders. In rare cases, the immune system may attack myelin, a protective layer around cells in the central nervous system.
Recent case reports have shown this reaction may result in Guillain-Barré syndrome, which leads to weakness and paralysis, and Bell’s palsy, paralysis on one side of the face.
However, the researchers cautioned the exact mechanism is unknown and that it can’t be proven that the vaccine directly caused the man’s burning mouth syndrome.
Doctors advised the man to rinse his mouth four times a day with capsaicin, a component in chili peppers, which is thought to desensitize pain receptors. They also suggested he increase his dose of antidepressants for bipolar disorder to help control pain signals.
However, the clinical report notes that neither of these methods worked.
Instead, the patient found ‘near-complete’ relief with tongue acupuncture, which involves inserting small needles into different areas of the tongue to trigger the release of pain-relieving chemicals like endorphins.
