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Medicine (46)
Author(s) -
Watson Peter N.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
pain practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1533-2500
pISSN - 1530-7085
DOI - 10.1111/j.1533-2500.2001.1011-46.x
Subject(s) - medicine , neuropathic pain , postherpetic neuralgia , gabapentin , amitriptyline , nortriptyline , randomized controlled trial , cinahl , neuralgia , pregabalin , medline , chronic pain , opioid , duloxetine , anesthesia , psychiatry , alternative medicine , receptor , pathology , psychological intervention , political science , law
The treatment of neuropathic pain: antidepressants and opioids. (University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Clin J Pain 2000;16:S49–S55. This article reviewed the scientific data on antidepressants and opioids, which are largely confined to randomized controlled trials in two neuropathic pain conditions that have proved to be good models for clinical investigation. A review of literature was conducted using MEDLINE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Database regarding postherpetic neuralgia and painful diabetic neuropathy. The use of the older antidepressants such as amitriptyline in neuropathic pain was extensively supported by the literature. However, newer randomized controlled trials supported the use of opioids. Conclude that first‐line therapy for neuropathic pain may be either an older generation antidepressant such as amitriptyline or nortriptyline or the anticonvulsant gabapentin. For refractory cases, chronic opioid therapy may be the only avenue of relief, and evidence is accumulating that this approach is safe if proper guidelines are observed.