• S Criscuolo, C Auletta, S Lippi, F Brogi, and A Brogi.
• U.O.C. Terapia Antalgica e Terapia Postoperatoria, Azienda Ospedaliera Senese Policlinico Le Scotte Siena, Italy.
• Acta Neurol. Scand. 2005 Apr 1;111(4):229-32.

ObjectivesWe present the results of a preliminary, open-label trial to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of oxcarbazepine in postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) unresponsive to treatment with antiepileptic drugs (carbamazepine and gabapentin) and local anesthetic blocks.Materials And MethodsTwenty-four patients were treated with oxcarbazepine monotherapy for 8 weeks. Starting dose was 150 mg/day, subsequently increased by 150 mg/day every 2 days until a maintenance dose of 900 mg/day. Pain was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS).ResultsThere was a significant decrease in the mean VAS score following 8 weeks of treatment (Delta=5.33; paired t-test: P <0.0001) compared with baseline. Oxcarbazepine was effective from the first week of treatment. There was a significant reduction in allodynia, leading to improvements in patients' functioning and quality of life. Oxcarbazepine was generally well tolerated.ConclusionOxcarbazepine appears to be a promising alternative monotherapeutic approach for patients affected by PHN.

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