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Antiepileptic drugs inneuropathic pain treatment

Jan Kochanowski, Joanna Cegielska, Joanna Tomalka‑Kochanowska
Affiliation and address for correspondence
AKTUALN NEUROL 2010, 10 (4), p. 227-231
Abstract

Neuropathic pain, beside the nociceptive one, is clinically difficult in terms of a diagnosis as well as the treatment process. The variety of mechanism engaged in its pathogenesis is basics to apply the medicine about different mechanisms of operations. Neuropathic pain result from the damage caused to the pain track above the nociceptors in the peripheral and central nervous systems. Difficulties in neuropathic pain treatment emerge from the process of structural rebuilding within damaged fibres and neighbouring healthy ones. Early interrupt of the pain prevent the structural rebuilding. Antiepileptic drugs, in addition to antidepressants and opioids, are fundamental and often applied group of medications in neuropathic pain treatment of various aetiology. Their efficacy has been well known for a very long time. The medications of older generation as well as the newest ones are equally applied. Carbamazepine is generally used in treatment of neuropathic pain and the best efficacy and recommendations of this medicine is for trigeminal neuralgia. The medications of newer generation, such as gabapentine and pregabaline, appeared to be most effective in neuropathic pain treatment and diabetic neuropathy as well as after herpes zoster. Most antiepileptic drugs, particularly of the newest generation, exert significant efficiency in neuropathic pain treatment. There is lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine and topiramate among them, evaluated in a number of medical reports as helpful in its treatment.

Keywords
neuropathic pain, nociceptive pain, pathogenesis, treatment of neuropathic pain, antiepileptic drugs

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