[Duloxetine, a new therapeutic option for diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain]

Diabetics develop numerous chronic associated diseases, among them sensory polyneuropathy. Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) often causes pain of various kinds, degree and duration. There are many pharmacological approaches: antidepressants are also important. Duloxetine is a recently approved dual action serotonin and noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor that in its analgesic efficacy is comparable to established drugs. Duloxetine, in a dosage of 60 mg x 1 or x 2 daily, significantly reduces, from the first week of administration, the pain of DPN, when compared with a placebo. The most commonly observed side effects have been nausea, sleepiness, constipation and fatigue. On average duloxetine has not shown any clinically relevant increase in blood pressure, pulse rate and weight. It thus offers a new option as part of the treatment of pain caused by DPN. The various drugs should be considered individually in any treatment algorithm, also taking into account their side effects. Psychotherapeutic methods serve to support the overcoming of pain.