By: Jean Johnson for Medtech1“In my hands it started out with numbness which turned to tingling and then became a burning sensation when you touched things,” said Doris Stanner who has suffered from neuropathy for eight years and currently wears spandex gloves around the clock to help control the pain. “At first it was just in my feet, but I didn’t realize I had a problem. All I knew was that I kept buying pair after pair of shoes that I would eventually give away because they weren’t comfortable. Finally, though, it got so bad, I mentioned it to my doctor, and she got me started on some drugs that have helped.”
Lyrica, Pfizer’s newly-approved drug, will add to the repertoire of choices physicians have for treating neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). More than 9,000 patients were tested in six trials, three of which were for diabetes-related neuropathy and three for postherpetic neuralgia, a complication of shingles. Half of the participants received placebos during the 12-week period of the tests. According to a statement from Pfizer, “Lyrica provided rapid and clinically meaningful pain reduction in a significant portion of patients, with pain relief beginning as early as the first week of treatment in some patients.” Although the number of patients opting out of the study due to side effects was few, researchers did note that the most common side effects were dizziness and sleepiness, especially, as well as dry mouth, peripheral edema, blurred vision, weight gain and difficulty concentrating.
Pfizer researchers noted that neuropathic pain is considered to be one of the most debilitating forms of pain. Dr. Brett Stacey, director of Oregon Health and Sciences University’s Pain Management Center, helped test Lyrica and said that millions of Americans will suffer from neuropathy, a problem caused by a range of different processes including diabetes and shingles. Lyrica is specifically for those types of neuropathy, Stacey underscored, and does not work well for patients that have neuropathic pain stemming from other causes.
Lyrica is used for seizures in Europe and thus is categorized as an anticonvulsant drug. Typically anticonvulsants, opiates and certain anti-depressants including the new Cymbalta, are used to treat pain associated with all types of neuropathy. Since the condition arises from nerve damage, there is no known cure.
Still, many suffer. According to Pfizer, nearly half of the 18 million Americans with diabetes will have some neuropathic complications. Additionally, 150,000 U.S. residents develop shingles-related PHN annually.
Doris Stanner’s experiences of neuropathy mirrors the larger population. In addition to her characterization of the pain, the literature notes that sharp, stabbing pain in the feet, legs, hands, or arms is also commonly felt. Thus if Lyrica is as effective as studies thus far indicate, at least patients suffering from diabetes and shingles-related neuropathy will have a new tool at their disposal for managing symptoms of neuropathy. Indeed, if untreated, neuropathy can be all-consuming. As Stanner observed, “I think I would have gone out of my mind from the pain if I hadn’t found something that worked for me.”
