Bupropion for Neuropathy

[Guest guest]

Has any one with CMT had success with the drug Bupropion,

which apparently has been prescribed to many with neuropathy?

Thanks.

[Guest guest]

, I have not tried bupropion for my severe neuropathy but

have had tremendous results with neurontin(3600mg daily) and

Tegretol(200mg daily). In combination it has greatly reduced

my pain and cramping in my feet, legs and hands. Good Luck in

your quest to find something that is right for you.

Kurt

[Guest guest]

- yes, I tried Buproprion for nerve pain. However, I had some

strange nausea with it and had to discontinue. Back to tricyclics where

I have no effects other than nerve pain management. Think I lasted all of

about 5 weeks on B. Not enough time or dosage to make a diference.

Here's an old (1999) research call on B and neuropathy for you. Good luck.

I hope it works for your pain. -----Larsa

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Research Matters at The University of Arizona Health Sciences Center

(AHSC)

This Edition: The UMC Pain Management Institute

Aug. 5, 1999

From: Riley, Humphrey, (520) 626-7301

UA Breakthrough May Lead to Treatments for Mysterious Pain Thought to

Plague 5 Million Americans

People with neuropathic or pathological pain have pain that often exists

in the absence of an injury or which exists far out of proportion to

their injury.

" Normally, pain lets us know we are injured in some way, " said

Porreca, Ph.D., UA professor of pharmacology and anesthesiology. " But

for people with pathological pain, some stimuli that is normally not

painful -- such as a light touch or puff of air -- might be felt as a very

intense, burning pain. The body is telling us that something is wrong,

but we haven't understood what it is. " Dr. Porreca's research on the

neurobiology of pain, conducted in association with phine Lai, Ph.D., UA

associate professor or pharmacology, suggests that a flaw in the expression

of certain sodium channels may explain why some people process pain

abnormally. Sodium channels are the molecular mechanism by which nerves

generate electrical signals that allow them to communicate.

" This is a major conceptual advance in our understanding of pain. It

tells us that if we can block or inhibit specific sodium channels, we

might be able to relieve this terrible neuropathic pain, " Dr. Porreca said.

His research findings are described in the July 6, 1999, issue of Proceedings

of the National Academy of Science.

Local anesthetic agents are known to block sodium channels, but these

drugs affect all types of sodium channels, preventing electrical

transmission in the nerves and leading to a complete loss of sensation. As a

result of the UA research, drug companies already are gearing up to develop

drugs that block only the sodium channels involved in abnormal pain.

" Identifying the molecular mechanism of abnormal pain represents a major

breakthrough in the road to developing medications that will restore the

ability of hurting patients to lead a normal life, " he said.

Do New Antidepressants Relieve Nerve Pain?

The UMC Pain Management Institute and the UA Department of Neurology

are conducting research to determine whether a common antidepressant is

effective in relieving nerve pain.

Investigators are halfway through a study in which patients with

persistent, daily nerve pain receive a bupropion tablet or a placebo for

several weeks. Bupropion is the pharmaceutical name for the antidepressant

sold as Wellbutrin.

" The older anti-depressants like amitriptyline have always been the gold

standard for treating this type of pain, " said principal investigator

Marilyn Semenchuk, Pharm.D. " But these drugs have many side-effects and

are poorly tolerated by patients. We're hoping that a newer antidepressant

like Wellbutrin will relieve pain without the negative side-effects. "

Nerve pain may be caused by injury, diseases like diabetes or herpes, or

from unknown causes. Dr. Semenchuk said one of the study's patients had

nerve pain following a bite by a brown recluse spider.

Early results of the study are promising, she said.

Individuals interested in participating in the study should call the UMC

Pain Management Institute at 626-7200 or the UA Neurology Clinic at

322-3816.

The UMC Pain Management Institute, 1501 N. Ave., offers a

multidisciplinary team of health care professionals who are experts in

treating and managing acute and chronic pain, including back pain,

headaches, chest, neck and spine injuries, shingles, muscular pain,

neuropathy, etc. Treatment can range from medications to spinal cord

stimulation, spinal drug infusion therapy and nerve blocks. Stress

management and other behavioral medicine techniques are used along with physical

and vocational

rehabilitation.

PLEASE NOTE: Patients must have a physician's referral to be seen at the

Pain Management Institute.