Pain Relief for Diabetic Neuropathy

A person who is suffering from diabetes for a long time is at a higher risk of getting affected by painful neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy causes symptoms such as prickly feelings or numbness, generally in the feet. Given below are few medications that doctors prescribe for pain relief in case of diabetic neuropathy.

Tricyclic Antidepressants: Tricyclic Antidepressants or TCAs can prove to be very useful when it comes to treating and reducing the pain associated with diabetic neuropathy. Even though they are categorized as antidepressants, they are able to provide pain relief at doses which are much lower than what is suggested to an individual suffering from depression. Some of the frequently prescribed TCAs are nortriptyline, amitriptyline and imipramine.

Anticonvulsants: Anticonvulsants work by maintaining the impaired nerves and reliving the pain signals that are sent to the brain by them. Some common anticonvulsants that are prescribed by doctors for diabetic neuropathy are pregabalin and gabapentin.

Narcotics: Narcotics, also known as opioids, are usually prescribed only when all other types of medications fails to relieve pain. Commonly prescribed narcotics for diabetic neuropathy are fentanyl and oxycodone.

One can also consider using Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), which like TCAs are classified as antidepressants but have fewer side effects than TCAs.