European journal of pain : EJP
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Venlafaxine in neuropathic pain following treatment of breast cancer.
Amitriptyline effectively relieves neuropathic pain following treatment of breast cancer. However, adverse effects are a major problem. Venlafaxine has no anticholinergic effects and could have a better compliance. ⋯ Adverse effects did not show significant differences between treatments. The two poor responders had low venlafaxine concentrations whereas the two slow hydroxylizers had high venlafaxine concentrations and excellent pain relief. Thus, higher doses could be used in order to improve pain relief.
-
The study assessed the influence of stimulus modality on adaptation or facilitation of pain during tonic cold and tourniquet pressure stimulation. Experimental set-up for the cold stimulation consisted of a thermo-tank with water, cooled to 3 degrees C, circulation pump, electronic thermometer and an electronic 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS). Experimental set-up for the tonic pressure stimulation consisted of a pneumatic tourniquet cuff, a computer-controlled air compressor, and an electronic VAS. ⋯ The overshoot magnitude was lowest during "VAS 6" session. Adapting and non-adapting/facilitating responses to cold and to pressure during "VAS 6" session were not correlated, suggesting that pain course and therefore stimulus tolerance during tonic stimulation are modality-specific. The results of the study suggest that tolerance of tonic painful pressure and cold stimulations is specific to stimulus modality and may represent separate nociceptive mechanisms.