Vitamin B12 may be more effective than nortriptyline in improving painful diabetic neuropathy

Despite many therapeutic options, painful diabetic neuropathy is still a common and challenging complication of diabetes mellitus and is often resistant to treatment with current modalities.

In this randomized, single-blind clinical trial we compared the efficacy of parenteral vitamin B(12) and nortriptyline, for symptomatic improvement of pain, paresthesia, burning, freezing, stabbing and electrical sensation. Changes in nerve conduction parameters of amplitude, duration and latency were also compared.

One hundred patients (50 in each group) completed the study. After treatment, the pain score based on a visual analogue scale decreased 3.66 units in the vitamin B(12) group and 0.84 units in the nortriptyline group (P <0.001). Similarly, the paresthesia score decreased 2.98 units versus 1.06 units (P <0.001). The decrements of tingling sensation were 3.48 units versus 1.02 units (P <0.001). Changes in vibration, position, pinprick and nerve conduction parameters were not significant in two groups.

In conclusion, vitamin B(12) is more effective than nortriptyline for the treatment of symptomatic painful diabetic neuropathy.