Oral lichen planus, itchy and sometimes painful lesions on the sides of your tongue or inside of your cheeks, may grow in size and form painful ulcers. Exposure to chemicals, dyes and medications may increase your risk for oral lichen planus. Folic acid deficiencies may also increase your risk. A lack of niacin may cause tongue irritation, but not specifically oral lichen planus. Because of the possibility of potentially serious side effects, talk to your doctor before taking folic acid or niacin to treat oral lichen planus or for any other reason.
Folic Acid and Niacin Needs
Include 400 mcg of folic acid in your daily diet. Good food sources include green leafy vegetables, beans, liver, citrus fruits, whole grains, shellfish, poultry and pork. The upper tolerable limit for folic acid is 1,000 mcg. The recommended daily allowance for niacin, also known as vitamin B-3, ranges from 14 mg to 16 mg. To treat a niacin deficiency, you may need to take 50 mg to 300 mg daily. Niacin occurs naturally in a variety of foods, including chicken, eggs, milks, nuts, fish and green vegetables. If you have mouth sores diagnosed as oral lichen planus, your doctor may test you for niacin, folic acid or other vitamin deficiencies.
Oral Lichen Planus and Folic Acid Deficiency
Patients with mouth sores, including sores caused by oral lichen planus, may suffer from a folic acid deficiency. A study led by K. Thongprasom, of the faculty of dentistry at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, tested the folic acid and vitamin B-12 levels of 25 patients with oral lichen planus. Eleven -- 44 percent -- of the 25 patients tested deficient in folic acid. All tested within normal ranges for vitamin B-12, according to the report published in the September 2001 edition of "Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health."
Niacin Deficiency and Tongue Sores
A niacin deficiency does not seem linked specifically to oral lichen planus, but people deficient in niacin, folic acid, vitamin B-12, iron or riboflavin might develop a tongue problem called atrophic glossitis, which makes the surface of your tongue smooth and irritated. Treating the deficiencies may resolve the problem, according to a report in "American Family Physician" in March 2010. B.V. Reamy and colleagues at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland said tongue lesions, if not caused by vitamin deficiency or other easily defined problems, may require biopsy or surgery.
Considerations
Typical treatment for oral lichen planus, which sometimes lasts for years, includes topical corticosteroids, antihistamines, ultraviolet light therapy and immune-suppressing medications. If your doctor prescribes folic acid or niacin, carefully follow the prescribed dose. Side effects of niacin include diarrhea, vomiting, headaches and skin flushes -- the skin and chest turn red and may burn, itch or tingle. If you take large amounts of niacin, more serious side effects include liver damage, heartbeat irregularity, gout and stomach ulcers. If you take more than 1,000 mcg of folic acid, you may cause symptoms of a vitamin B-12 deficiency. If you take anti-convulsant medications, high doses of folic acid could trigger seizures.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Vitamin B3 (Niacin); June 18, 2009
- MedlinePlus: Niacin and Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
- "Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health"; Folate and Vitamin B12 Levels in Patients with Oral Lichen Planus, Stomatitis or Glossitis; K. Thongprasom, et al.; September 2001
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Lichen Planus
- MedlinePlus: Folate Deficiency
- "American Family Physician"; Common Tongue Conditions in Primary Care; B.V. Reamy, et al.; March 2010
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