Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 1999
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialIontophoretic vincristine in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial.
The effect of iontophoretic administration of vincristine in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) was investigated in a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Twenty patients with intercostal or lumbar PHN for more than 6 months that was unresponsive to conventional medical therapy were randomized to receive vincristine 0.01% (n = 11) or saline (n = 9), by iontophoresis over 1 hour daily for 20 days. Demographics and median duration of pain were similar in both groups. ⋯ Moderate or greater pain relief was maintained in 30% of patients with vincristine and 33% of patients with placebo at follow-up on day 90. We conclude that iontophoresed vincristine is no better than iontophoresed saline in the treatment of PHN. The maintained improvement in both groups at 3 months follow-up may reflect the natural history of PHN, or might possibly by related to a beneficial effect of iontophoresis.