title: The effect of venlafaxine HCl on painful peripheral diabetic neuropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of venlafaxine HCl in the symptomatic treatment of painful peripheral diabetic neuropathy (PPDN) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was designed as a prospective, randomized, and controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted at the Dicle University Medical Faculty (Diyarbakir, Turkey).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty type 2 DM outpatients (47 females and 13 males) with PPDN who had a minimum visual analog scale (VAS) score of 40 mm were enrolled in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients randomized to the treatment group (n=30) received venlafaxine HCl, whereas those randomized to the control group (n=30) received a combination of vitamins B(1)and B(6) tablets.
  
  
  METHODS
  Severity of pain was measured by VAS, Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, and numerical analog scale scores at admission and at the second, fourth, and eighth weeks of the study. Polyneuropathy was supported by electromyelography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the treatment group, severity of pain was measured as 70.0+/-13.0 in the VAS, as 24.9+/-6.2 in the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, and as 7.2+/-1.1 in the numerical analog scale. In the control group, it was measured as 73.0+/-8.0 in the VAS, as 26.8+/-6.2 in the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, and as 7.4+/-0.8 in the numerical analog scale (P>.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common form of PPDN was distal symmetrical sensorimotor polyneuropathy in both groups (46.8% vs. 50.0%). At the end of the study, there was a significant difference in severity of pain between the groups. In the treatment group, scores were 8.5+/-5.2 and 3.1+/-1.6 in the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire and numerical analog scale, respectively; in the control group, these were 20.5+/-7.0 and 5.5+/-1.6, respectively (P<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Venlafaxine HCl is a safe and well-tolerable analgesic drug in the symptomatic treatment of PPDN; however, it has minimal adverse effects. It showed its efficacy markedly in the second week of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Dicle University Medical Faculty, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali Kemal
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kadiroglu
authors.forename: Dede
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sit
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kayabasi
authors.forename: Alpaslan Kemal
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Tuzcu
authors.forename: Nebahat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tasdemir
authors.forename: M Emin
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003511:Cyclohexanols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D003511:Cyclohexanols; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride