What do systematic reviews say?

LongoVital (herbal component alone) vs placebo

LongoVital (herbal component alone) showed no clear difference in number of days of pain (monthly average) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  4 to 6 months
  MD -3.80 [-9.39, 1.79]
  1 study · 50 participants
  GRADE not reported

Beclometasone dipropionate (systemic corticosteroid) vs Placebo or no treatment

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Table 1: 'Studies of these corticosteroids were not found or included in the review but are included here for completeness.' No trial of beclometasone dipropionate for RAS was identified.
  0 studies
  No studies found

LongoVital (herbal component alone) vs placebo

LongoVital (herbal component alone) showed no clear difference in mean size of ulcers compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  4 to 6 months
  MD -0.30 [-0.56, 0.04]
  1 study · 50 participants
  GRADE not reported

Colchicine (0.5 mg three times per day) vs placebo

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  6 months
  The trial by de Abreu 2009 (high risk of bias) also assessed colchicine (n=23) versus placebo (n=20). The number with no further aphthous episodes at 6 months was not significantly different from placebo (Fisher's…
  1 study · 43 participants
  GRADE not reported

Individualised homeopathic medicine (two doses over 24 hours) vs placebo

Individualised homeopathic medicine (two doses over 24 hours) led to higher pain free by end of study (day 6) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  6 days
  RR 2.00 [1.39, 2.89]
  1 study · 100 participants
  GRADE not reported

Thalidomide (immunomodulator) vs Placebo or no treatment

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Authors' conclusions: 'this review did not find trials involving several of other systemic interventions used for RAS, for example thalidomide in the absence of any systemic condition, despite its limitations on…
  0 studies
  No studies found

LongoVital (herbal component alone) vs placebo

LongoVital (herbal component alone) showed no clear difference in number of days of ulcers (monthly average) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  4 to 6 months
  MD -0.80 [-3.30, 1.70]
  1 study · 50 participants
  GRADE not reported

Multivitamin vs placebo

Daily multivitamin showed no clear difference in duration of episodes compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes
  MD -0.33 [-2.06, 1.40]
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

LongoVital (herbal component alone) vs placebo

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  4 months
  Kolseth 2005 (high risk of bias): 40 patients randomised to the herbal component of LongoVital alone or placebo; data presented as medians with 95% CIs, unsuitable for further analysis; no statistically significant…
  1 study · 40 participants
  GRADE not reported

Perilla cooking oil vs Soybean cooking oil

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  8 months
  No adverse events were reported.
  1 study · 33 participants
  GRADE not reported

Hydrocortisone (systemic corticosteroid) vs Placebo or no treatment

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Table 1: 'Studies of these corticosteroids were not found or included in the review but are included here for completeness.' No trial of hydrocortisone for RAS was identified.
  0 studies
  No studies found

Levamisole (150 mg per day) vs placebo

Levamisole (150 mg per day) showed no clear difference in decrease in number of ulcers compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 7.88 [0.51, 121.96]
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Prednisone (oral, commencing 25 mg with phased dose reduction over 2 months) vs Montelukast (leukotriene receptor antagonist)

Prednisone (oral, commencing 25 mg with phased dose reduction over 2… showed no clear difference in total number of new lesions over 2-month treatment period compared with montelukast (leukotriene receptor antagonist); GRADE not reported.

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  2 months
  MD -0.30 [-0.90, 0.30]
  1 study · 40 participants
  GRADE not reported

Colchicine (0.5 mg three times per day) vs placebo

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  6 months
  There was a greater percentage of treatment interruptions in the colchicine group due to gastrointestinal adverse effects (Fisher's exact test P=0.009). The review noted potential evidence of harm at a dose of 1.5 mg…
  1 study · 43 participants
  GRADE not reported

Camel thorn (plant distillate) vs placebo

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  up to 14 days
  No evidence of drug side effects was observed.
  1 study · 93 participants
  GRADE not reported

LongoVital (herbal plus vitamin component) vs LongoVital (herbal component alone)

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  4 months
  Reported adverse events were minor and evenly distributed between the groups (Kolseth 2005).
  1 study · 40 participants
  GRADE not reported

Prednisone (oral, commencing 25 mg with phased dose reduction over 2 months) vs Montelukast (leukotriene receptor antagonist)

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  2 months
  The study reported more drug-related adverse effects for those treated with prednisone than montelukast.
  1 study · 40 participants
  GRADE not reported

LongoVital (herbal component alone) vs placebo

• Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Reported adverse events were minor and evenly distributed between the groups (Kolseth 2005). 'Very few and mostly harmless side-effects' were observed (Bratel 2005).
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported

Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) spray vs Placebo (spray base without CMC / water)

• Interventions for the management of dry mouth: topical therapies 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Donatsky 1982 (crossover, n=15, Sjogren's syndrome): CMC spray had a similar effect on oral dryness to the spray base, but was more effective than water. Paired crossover data not presented; effect size not estimable.
  1 study · 15 participants
  GRADE not reported

Saliva stimulant lozenge (sorbitol, Sorbee) vs Saliva substitute spray

Saliva stimulant lozenge (sorbitol, Sorbee) led to lower patient preference compared with saliva substitute spray (MouthKote); GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for the management of dry mouth: topical therapies 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Stewart 1998: no statistically significant difference in patient preference between lozenge and spray (Analysis 2.3).
  1 study · 80 participants
  GRADE not reported