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Mexiletine for painful alcoholic neuropathy
1Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Tokyo.
Abstract:
Five patients suffering from painful alcoholic neuropathy showed severe painful sensory disturbance in their extremities. Although their pain was not ameliorated by the typical usual analgesic agents, oral mexiletine (MX) therapy was remarkably effective for the pain (especially tingling and aching sensation) without major side effects. This study indicated that the minimum effective dose was 300 mg per day and the effective concentration of MX in plasma was 0.66 +/- 0.15 micrograms/ml in these patients. Thus, oral MX therapy can be a reliable treatment for pain in alcoholic neuropathy.
Insights
Oral mexiletine effectively treated painful alcoholic neuropathy when standard analgesics failed. This therapy provided significant relief from tingling and aching sensations without major side effects.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Alcoholic neuropathy is characterized by severe painful sensory disturbances in the extremities.
- Conventional analgesic agents often fail to provide adequate pain relief for this condition.
Observation:
- Five patients with painful alcoholic neuropathy experienced persistent sensory disturbances.
- These patients did not respond to typical analgesic treatments.
Findings:
- Oral mexiletine (MX) therapy demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in alleviating pain, particularly tingling and aching sensations.
- The minimum effective dose of oral MX was found to be 300 mg daily.
- The effective plasma concentration of MX was approximately 0.66 +/- 0.15 micrograms/ml.
Implications:
- Oral mexiletine offers a reliable and effective treatment option for managing pain associated with alcoholic neuropathy.
- This finding suggests a potential new therapeutic strategy for patients suffering from this debilitating condition.