I had pain for around 6 months - it took forever for the mouth sores to heal - they took the longest time. I also had numerous bouts with thrush, which caused a lot of pain and burning sensation as well. From my own personal experience I found the MO to be the most understanding about the meds I needed, but maybe your ENT, surgeon or even PCP is the right one to ask, try them out and see where you get the most satisfactory results. Many institutions now have pain management specialists as well.