title: The analgesic effect of tocainide in trigeminal neuralgia.
abstract: Tocainide is a derivative of lidocaine with anti-arrhythmic action and, unlike lidocaine, can be used for oral treatment. Tocainide was alternatively with carbamazepine given to 12 patients with trigeminal neuralgia in a double-blind cross-over study for 2 weeks. The analgesic effect was estimated each day by the patients using a 0-10-point scale summarizing the frequency and severity of the attacks. The similarity in analgesic effect of the two drugs was striking. A possible analgesic mechanism could be that tocainide blocks the sodium channels in the hyperexcitable nerve membranes in the pain-producing foci in trigeminal neuralgia.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016677:Tocainide; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D016677:Tocainide; D002220:Carbamazepine; D008012:Lidocaine