Salmon calcitonin in the treatment of post herpetic neuralgia

A 78-year-old man with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease presented to our pain medicine clinic for treatment of post herpetic neuralgia. Pharmacotherapy with tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants, tramadol and traditional analgesics had failed, primarily due to adverse drug effects, particularly sedation, dizziness and nausea. Consequently, intravenous salmon calcitonin was administered, based on evidence of efficacy in the treatment of other neuropathic pain syndromes and its relatively benign side-effects profile. The patient reported immediate and sustained improvement in his post herpetic neuralgia for over two months, without adverse effects from the calcitonin therapy.