• A Devers and B S Galer.
• Institute for Education and Research in Pain and Palliative Care, Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York 10003, USA.
• Clin J Pain. 2000 Sep 1;16(3):205-8.

ObjectiveOur goal was to perform a pilot study to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of a topical lidocaine patch (Lidoderm) for the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain conditions other than postherpetic neuralgia.DesignThis was an open-label prospective study.PatientsSixteen patients with refractory peripheral neuropathic pain conditions who had reported intolerable side effects or inadequate pain relief with antidepressant, anticonvulsant, antiarrhythmic, and opioid medications participated in this study. Diagnoses included postthoracotomy pain, stump neuroma pain, intercostal neuralgia, diabetic polyneuropathy, meralgia paresthetica, complex regional pain syndrome, radiculopathy, and postmastectomy pain.Outcome MeasuresA six-item Pain Relief Scale was used (0 = worse pain, 1 = no change, 2 = slight relief, 3 = moderate relief, 4 = a lot of relief, 5 = complete relief).ResultsModerate or better pain relief was reported by 13 of the 16 participants (81%). One patient stopped treatment after 4 days due to lack of relief. The remaining 15 patients had a mean duration of patch use of 6.2 weeks with continued relief. Only 1 patient reported a side effect, a mild skin irritation.ConclusionsThe Lidoderm patch provided clinically meaningful pain relief in most of these refractory neuropathic pain patients without side effects. Controlled trials need to be performed to confirm these preliminary findings.

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