Monday 30 April 2018

Neurogenic Pain vs Common Pain


A simple graphic to compare Neurogenic Pain vs what might be called 'Other Pain' or 'Common Pain' or perhaps 'Everyday Pain' and their response to analgesics (pain medicine).

Regular Pain when treated with analgesics

Neurogenic Pain treated with the same analgesics

So how do you relieve burning Neurogenic pain?  In short you don't.  You grit your teeth and learn to live with it!

To my knowledge there are only four drugs which currently claim to alleviate Neurogenic pain.
  1. Gabapentin
  2. Nortriptyline
  3. Amitryptyline
  4. Lyrica (Pregabalin)
Are there any others under investigation, development or under restricted use?

From my personal experience (and I imagine every injury is unique), the above listed drugs may reduce my pain by perhaps 10% at best.  And I've tried them all.

Now if someone burns you with a lit cigarette 100 times an hour then reduces the burn to 90 times an hour, will you accept the kind gesture with gratitude?  Absolutely!  But ask yourself, is the quality of your life substantially improved?

I continue to grasp at straws...

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