Neuropathic pain
Burning, shooting or electric pain caused by nerve damage or disease.
About this condition
Neuropathic pain comes from damage or disease affecting the nerves themselves rather than from injury to tissue. People describe burning, shooting, stabbing or electric sensations, often with numbness, pins and needles, or skin so sensitive that clothing hurts. Common causes include diabetes, shingles, surgery, chemotherapy, spinal nerve compression and multiple sclerosis.
It responds poorly to ordinary painkillers. Anti inflammatory medicines and paracetamol usually do very little, so treatment uses medicines that act on nerve signalling instead. These help some people considerably and others not at all, and drowsiness, dizziness and difficulty thinking clearly are frequent reasons people stop them.
Treatments people usually try first
These are the treatments commonly offered in the UK for this condition. A specialist doctor will want to know which of them you have tried, and what happened.
- Amitriptyline, nortriptyline or duloxetine
- Gabapentin or pregabalin
- Topical capsaicin or lidocaine patches
- Treatment of the underlying cause, for example diabetes control
- Nerve blocks or referral to a specialist pain clinic
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and physiotherapy
Could medical cannabis be appropriate?
People with this condition sometimes ask whether medical cannabis could be appropriate for them. That is a question for a specialist doctor, who will look at your diagnosis, your history and everything you have already tried before saying anything either way.
Medical cannabis is an unlicensed prescription only medicine in the UK. It is considered only where a diagnosed condition has not responded adequately to conventional treatment, and it is never a first step. We cannot tell you in advance what might be prescribed, and UK law does not allow us to describe or advertise any medicine on this website.
What we can do is assess you properly and be honest with you. If a specialist doctor does not think this route is right for you, they will say so, and they will explain why.
All treatment is subject to clinical assessment and eligibility.
Questions about neuropathic pain
Chronic pain
Other conditions in this category
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