Medication for Peripheral Neuropathy
If you suffer from neuropathy (any type), you know all too well how debilitating and frustrating the condition can be. While there is no cure for peripheral neuropathy, there are a number of medications that can help lessen your symptoms and improve your quality of life. (12)
Some of the most common medications used to treat peripheral neuropathy include anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and pain relievers.
Anticonvulsants
One treatment option for peripheral neuropathy is anticonvulsants, which are medications that are used to treat seizures. These medications may be helpful for people with PN because they can help reduce pain and nerve inflammation. Some common anticonvulsants include gabapentin (Neurontin), pregabalin (Lyrica), and carbamazepine (Tegretol).
- Gabapentin – Gabapentin (Neurontin) is a medication that has been used to treat seizures and nerve pain. A recent study found that taking gabapentin at night was more effective than placebo in reducing pain and tingling symptoms. Gabapentin was also found to be safe and well tolerated.
- Pregabalin – Pregabalin is a medication that is approved by the FDA to treat seizures and fibromyalgia. It has also been found to be effective in treating peripheral neuropathy. It works by blocking certain receptors in the brain that are involved in pain perception. This helps to reduce pain signals that are sent to the brain.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants are typically prescribed to treat depression, but they can also be helpful in treating peripheral neuropathy. They work by blocking certain receptors in the brain that are associated with pain. This helps to reduce the pain and discomfort caused by peripheral neuropathy.
There are different antidepressants that can be used to treat peripheral neuropathy. The most common are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft).
SSRIs
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a type of antidepressant medication that has been found to be effective in the treatment of certain types of peripheral neuropathy. A study (clinical trial) published in the journal Neurology looked at the effects of SSRIs on diabetic neuropathy, and found that they were able to improve symptoms such as pain, numbness, and tingling in the feet and hands.
The study involved 163 participants who were randomly assigned to receive either an SSRI or a placebo for 12 weeks. The results showed that those who received an SSRI had significantly decreased pain scores compared to those who received a placebo. In addition, there was a trend towards improvement in other measures of neuropathy such as numbness and tingling.
- Duloxetine – Duloxetine is a drug prescribed to treat peripheral neuropathy. It belongs to a sub-class of drugs called serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). It is thought to work by increasing the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. Serotonin and norepinephrine are chemicals that help send messages between nerve cells.
Duloxetine is approved by the FDA for the treatment of peripheral neuropathy. It is available as a pill that is taken by mouth. Duloxetine may be used alone or with other medications, such as pain relievers, to treat peripheral neuropathy.