Escitalopram as a Treatment for Pain in Polyneuropathy

Summary

Many people with polyneuropathy suffer from pain which is difficult to treat. Escitalopram is a relatively new drug used in the treatment of depression. Escitalopram's action mechanism on the brain suggests that escitalopram also may have an effect on neuropathic pain. This study will test the efficacy of escitalopram in patients with painful polyneuropathy.

Timeline

Start

2004-12

Primary completion

—

Completion

2007-04

Publications

• Background Burke WJ. Escitalopram. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2002 Oct;11(10):1477-86. doi: 10.1517/13543784.11.10.1477.
• Background Sindrup SH, Jensen TS. Pharmacologic treatment of pain in polyneuropathy. Neurology. 2000 Oct 10;55(7):915-20. doi: 10.1212/wnl.55.7.915.
• Background Woolf CJ, Mannion RJ. Neuropathic pain: aetiology, symptoms, mechanisms, and management. Lancet. 1999 Jun 5;353(9168):1959-64. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(99)01307-0.
• Background Mork A, Kreilgaard M, Sanchez C. The R-enantiomer of citalopram counteracts escitalopram-induced increase in extracellular 5-HT in the frontal cortex of freely moving rats. Neuropharmacology. 2003 Aug;45(2):167-73. doi: 10.1016/s0028-3908(03)00138-2.

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Indications