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Treatment of Neuropathic Pain with the Capsaicin 8% Patch: Is Pretreatment with Lidocaine Necessary?
Author(s) -
Kern KaiUwe,
Nowack Walburga,
Poole Chris
Publication year - 2014
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/papr.12143
Subject(s) - medicine , lidocaine , capsaicin , neuropathic pain , anesthesia , pharmacology , receptor
The capsaicin 8% patch can effectively treat neuropathic pain, but application can cause discomfort or a burning sensation. Until March 2013, it was recommended that patients be pretreated with a topical anesthetic, for example lidocaine, before capsaicin patch application. However, speculation existed over the need for pretreatment and its effectiveness in alleviating treatment‐associated discomfort. This article compares tolerability to and efficacy of the capsaicin patch in pretreated and non‐pretreated patients. All patients received a single capsaicin patch application. Pretreated patients received a lidocaine plaster before and intravenous lidocaine and metamizole infusions during capsaicin patch application. Pain levels, assessed using a Numeric Rating Scale ( NRS ), were used to determine tolerability and efficacy. All patients (pretreated n = 32; non‐pretreated n = 26) completed 100% of the intended capsaicin patch application duration. At the time of capsaicin patch removal, 69% of pretreated and 88% of non‐pretreated patients reported an NRS score increase, which returned to baseline by 6 hours post‐treatment. There was no significant difference in mean NRS score between patient groups at any time during or after capsaicin patch treatment. Response was similar between patient groups; capsaicin patch treatment provided rapid and significant pain reductions that were sustained over 12 weeks. The same proportion of pretreated and non‐pretreated patients reported willingness to receive retreatment with the capsaicin patch. This analysis shows that the capsaicin 8% patch is generally tolerable, and the small discomfort associated with patch application is short‐lived. Lidocaine pretreatment does not have a significant effect on tolerability, efficacy, or patient willingness to receive retreatment.