Medications For Relieving The Pain Of Peripheral Neuropathy

Patients dealing with neuropathic pain have a rough time with their pain. The reason is there is no surgical answer to the problem since “neuropathic” pain comes from a problem that is intrinsic to the nerve (inside it). If the problem was coming from something pinching on the nerve, then it may have a surgical answer such as just removing the offending agent.

Neuropathies that are acquired are caused by environmental factors like trauma, toxins, infection, or illness. Diabetes is one of the most common factors. Others include infections, certain kinds of cancer, alcoholism, some inherited diseases, kidney or thyroid disease, herniated discs in the back, and more. Radiation for cancer may end up with a neuropathy and AIDS may lead to neuropathy .

There are topical medications that may be directly positioned to the painful area including pepper cream (known as Capsaicin) and Lidocaine.

These neuropathies, as mentioned, have no surgical cure and need to be treated with medication. Here is a list of medications that may help the pain from acquired neuropathies.

1. NSAIDS -naproxen, aspirin, ibuprofen, may assist with pain and inflammation relief from nerve damage. Chronic use may lead to stomach lining problems and/or kidney issues.

2. Tylenol – May help a bit, but most find it is not extremely helpful.

3. Anti-seizure drugs – These medications were developed initially to assist with seizures. Two of them, Lyrica and Neurontin, help people deal with the pain from painful neuropathy. Since neuropathy is not their FDA approved indication, they are often prescribed “off-label” to help with this purpose. Their mode of action for pain relief is not well understood.

4. Antidepressants – It may sound strange, but they can assist with neuropathic pain. They are prescribed often for neuropathic pain whether or not the patient has depression, but a large amount of individuals dealing with neuropathic pain also have some element of depression.

a. SSRI’s – increase the level of serotonin. They are actually more effective for depression than pain, so if a patient has both they may be a good choice.

b. SNRI’s – these are norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and alter the levels of two neurotransmitters. They are generally more effective than SSRI’s for the pain from neuropathy.

c. Tricyclic Antidepressants – they do not deal directly with nerve pain. They do make someone sleepy, so their pain threshold is lower and they sleep better. Due to the significant side effects and the fact it is less effective than the other antidepressant medications for neuropathic pain, they are rarely used for this purpose anymore.

5. Opioids like Morphine – Ultram, which is a non-narcotic analgesic, may help with moderate pain. Opioids themselves may help somewhat with pain, but often times opioids like Morphine do not help significantly with neuropathic pain.

Between the topical treatments and oral medications, patients with painful neuropathic conditions can hopefully find some sort of relief allowing them to function better.

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