[Analgesic properties and plasma concentrations of clomipramine in chronic pain]

The analgesic effect of clomipramine and the possible relationships between the antalgic action, the doses and the plasma levels of this tricyclic drug have been studied in 15 patients with chronic pain induced by nervous lesions determining a deafferentiation. Eight of 15 patients treated with clomipramine (100 mg/IV during 10 days and then 150 me per os) reported a significant improvement (up to 50 per cent during 3 to 18 months). The study of the partial coefficients of correlation did not show a relationship between plasma levels and analgesia in the total population or in the subgroup of the 8 improved patients. These results confirm the analgesic properties of clomipramine and suggest that regular monitoring of plasma levels of clomipramine does not appear of practical interest in the treatment of chronic pain.