title: Salmon calcitonin in the treatment of post herpetic neuralgia.
abstract: A 78-year-old man with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease presented to our pain medicine clinic for treatment of post herpetic neuralgia. Pharmacotherapy with tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants, tramadol and traditional analgesics had failed, primarily due to adverse drug effects, particularly sedation, dizziness and nausea. Consequently, intravenous salmon calcitonin was administered, based on evidence of efficacy in the treatment of other neuropathic pain syndromes and its relatively benign side-effects profile. The patient reported immediate and sustained improvement in his post herpetic neuralgia for over two months, without adverse effects from the calcitonin therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Kwei
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D051474:Neuralgia, Postherpetic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; C028815:salmon calcitonin; D002116:Calcitonin