Treatment for Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain
Long enough title for ya?!
There are a couple of articles for background info about Diabetes Type 2 Overview and What is Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy?
Which brings us to -How to treat diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain…
Number 1 treatment: Blood glucose control! If the blood glucose levels are kept within range, neuropathy can be slowed and possibly reversed.
In addition, to help with pain…
1. Antidepressants
- Cymbalta (duloxetine) -typical dosing for DPNP is 60mg once daily. It is only available in brand only-pricey!
- Elavil (amitriptyline) or Pamelor (nortriptyline) -both come in generic and are well tolerated but can cause drowsiness and general dryness (dry mouth, eyes…)
- Effexor XR (venlafaxine ER) -dosing is usually 15-225mg daily. Brand only so pretty pricey.
- Celexa (citalopram) and Paxil (paroxetine) -these aren’t used alone but can be added on to other therapy
2. Anticonvulsants
- Neurontin (gabapentin) -this is the most popular drug to treat DPNP. It is available in generic. Gabapentin should be titrated slowly because of side effects like dizziness and sedation.
- Lyrica (pregabalin) -like gabapentin but more potent (and expensive)
- Tegretol (carbamazepine), Lamictal (lamotrigine) and Dilantin (phenytoin) -all can help but aren’t usually used because of the major side effects.
3. Pain Drugs
- Ultram (tramadol) -works well for pain in general and DPNP -it has pain and antidepressent activity. Inexpensive and well tolerated.
- OxyContin (oxycodone CR) -major pain medicine -lots of side effects and can lead to addiction but when the pain is bad -it works!
4. Topical -Lidocaine patches -work well as an add on therapy.
5. Natural Remedies
- Capsin (capsaicin) -topical cream that is made from chili peppers! The big picture is, capsaicin causes enough irritation in the area that the pain receptors are overwhelmed and “shutdown”.
- alpha-Lipoic Acid -an anti-oxidant that helps decrease pain and numbness. Typical dose is 600mg daily.
- Evening Primrose -500mg up to 8,000mg daily. Helps nerves function better (more sensation; less pain)
- Borage Oil -1,000 -4,000mg daily. Works similarly to Evening Primrose
- Acupuncture and Magnet Therapy
We would love to hear your personal experiences! Please leave us a comment!
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I have been suffering from diabetic peripheral nueropathy for many years. Gabapentin has helped me to some extent but my life is still miserable due to severe pains in my feet and hands. I would welcome any help. God bless you all.