title: [Treatment of neuropathic pain with lacosamide].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lacosamide is a new antiepileptic drug with a novel mechanism of action, as it selectively promotes the slow inactivation of voltage-dependent sodium channels without affecting fast inactivation. There are studies in the literature regarding its effectiveness in controlling neuropathic pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe the use of intravenous lacosamide in the treatment of three patients with neuropathic pain: a woman with neuropathic pain in the first branch of the right trigeminal nerve during the acute phase of herpes zoster, a woman with central pain secondary to Dejerine-Roussy syndrome due to a malignant brain tumour, and a man with facial pain due to infiltration of the trigeminal nerve by a secondary lymphoma of the central nervous system. In the three cases, the administration of intravenous lacosamide has led to a considerable improvement in pain. The lacosamide dose has been 200 mg/day with excellent tolerability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lacosamide can be an effective and well-tolerated alternative in the treatment of neuropathic pain and, moreover, its intravenous use can achieve pain control faster or be suitable when it is not tolerated orally.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital IMED-Levante, Benidorm, Espana. agarcia@imedhospitales.com
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Escrivá
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: López-Hernández
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gil-Cortés
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D000078334:Lacosamide; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D013786:Thalamic Diseases / Q000150:complications; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000078334:Lacosamide