 | | | | Related Healthscout Videos | |
|
MONDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthScoutNews) -- A new-generation antidepressant with milder side effects than existing treatments may help Americans suffering from neuropathic pain, suggests a new study. Neuropathic pain, which results from some type of nerve dysfunction, causes burning, tingling or shooting sensations. "It's a central nervous system problem that involves hyperexcited nerves," says Krista Brecht, a clinical nurse specialist in acute and chronic pain management at McGill University in Montreal. A simple light touch, even contact with clothing, can trigger pain. People with the disorder also are extremely sensitive to stimuli that normally cause pain, experts say. Text Continues Below
The condition, thought to affect at least 1.7 million Americans, can originate in either peripheral nerves or in the brain, depending on the type of condition. People who've had strokes can develop something called post-stroke pain, which originates in the brain, while people with diabetic neuropathy have a problem with nerves elsewhere in the body. As many as 80 percent of people with neuropathic pain have been treated with tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), Brecht says. "It's still a very effective first-line treatment modality," she says. If TCAs don't work, doctors often turn to drugs that originally were developed as anticonvulsant medications, including Neurontin (gabapentin) and Tegretol (carbamazepine). But now, a report in the Nov. 13 journal Neurology says bupropion SR, which is sold as Wellbutrin SR, provides significant relief to patients with this often debilitating condition. Lead author Marilyn Semenchuk conducted the research while working at the University of Arizona at Tucson. Her research on bupropion SR, was partially funded by GlaxoSmithKline of Research Triangle Park, N.C., which makes bupropion, and led to her current employment with the company, where she now is a central nervous system regional medical scientist. Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >>
|
.gif)
