Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Lidocaine patch 5% with systemic analgesics such as gabapentin: a rational polypharmacy approach for the treatment of chronic pain.
To assess the effectiveness and safety of the lidocaine patch 5%, a targeted peripheral analgesic, in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia, painful diabetic neuropathy, and low back pain patients with incomplete responses to their current analgesic treatment regimen containing gabapentin. ⋯ Results of this study highlight the potential advantages achieved with rational polypharmacy using a targeted peripheral analgesic, the lidocaine patch 5%, with centrally acting agents such as the anticonvulsant gabapentin. Controlled trials are warranted to further define the impact of such combination therapy.