DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 82 years old, and for the past year have been bothered by a nearly constant burning sensation on my tongue and sometimes lips. An ENT doctor tells me there is no known cause or cure for this fairly common condition. Can you provide any information? — G.M.

ANSWER: Burning tongue syndrome afflicts plenty of people. Postmenopausal women are the largest group of burning tongue patients, but men are not immune to it. For women, it might be that the drop in estrogen at menopause brings it on. The tongue isn’t the only structure that can be affected. The gums, lips, insides of the cheeks and the roof of the mouth also might feel like they are on fire.

One possible cause for both men and women is dry mouth. If saliva production is low, a burning sensation is common. Artificial saliva, available in all drugstores, restores the mouth’s moisture and diminishes the burning sensation. So do sugarless gums.

Yeast infections of the mouth and a condition called lichen planus also feature burning mouth. Since an ENT doctor examined you, I doubt that you have either.

Iron deficiency, too little vitamin B-12 and an insufficient amount of folate, thiamine and riboflavin (all B vitamins) are possible causes, as is a deficiency of vitamin B-6.

Nerve damage — neuropathy — can lead to burning mouth. The upsplashing of stomach acid into the mouth is another candidate.

Let’s say a cause can’t be found. Make a few simple adjustments. For one, change your toothpaste. Increase the amount of water you drink. During the day, suck on ice chips. Avoid very hot foods and very spicy foods. Stop drinking caffeinated beverages. Don’t use commercial mouthwashes. You can concoct a homemade mouthwash by putting a few drops of Tabasco sauce in a tablespoon of water and using it as a rinse. It might intensify the pain for a brief spell. If it’s too painful, ditch this idea.

TO READERS: Macular degeneration is a topic of great interest to many people. The booklet on this common malady explains it in detail. To obtain a copy, write: Dr. Donohue — No. 701, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: How do I get off Xanax? I started taking it in 2001, when I was under terrific stress from a divorce and the loss of a job. Now I am much more in control and don’t feel I need to take it. I’d like to know if I can just one day stop it. — A.O.

ANSWER: Xanax is an anxiolytic, a medicine that suppresses anxiety and unease. It makes it possible for a very anxious person to concentrate and function normally.

Don’t stop the medicine abruptly. You could develop withdrawal symptoms, including insomnia, muscle cramps, stomach pains and tremors.

Get in touch with the prescribing doctor, who will give you an exact schedule for reducing the dose. Weaning yourself from it isn’t as big a deal as you might think. You should be off it in two or three weeks.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: What does the gallbladder do? I’m going to have mine out. How does losing it affect life? — J.M.

ANSWER: The gallbladder is 3 to 4 inches long and holds about an ounce of bile. Bile is a product of the liver. The gallbladder lies beneath and closely adherent to the liver on the right side of the abdomen.

When people eat a fatty meal, the gallbladder contracts to shoot a stream of bile into the small intestine to aid in the digestion of fat. Without a gallbladder, bile drips into the small intestine directly from the liver. Fat digestion goes on almost as it did with a gallbladder.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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