Doctors Have A New Way To Ease Post-Shingles Pain (NAPSA)—It may seem sur- saicin through a patch applied by a health care professional in a occurring compound in chili pep- have shown that PHN pain can be prising, but using a synthetic form of capsaicin, the naturally doctor’s office. Clinical studies pers that gives them their heat reduced for three months following a single one-hour treatment. How It Works sensation, may help thousands of Americans who suffer from what many say is excruciating pain from nerve damage caused by postherpetic neuralgia. The Problem Each year, about one million Americans develop shingles, a painful viral infection caused by a reactivation of the same virus that causes chickenpox. Anyone who has had chickenpox—approximately 95 percent of adults—is at risk. The shingles virus can damage nerves, and the pain from damaged nerves mayfeel like a sharp, burning, tingling, shooting or numb sensation. After the shin- gles rash clears up, the pain can persist and disrupt sleep, mood, work andactivities of daily living. The nerve pain that can occur after shingles is a condition known as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). The chances of developing PHN increase with age and are especially high for people who experi- ence severe pain or a severe rash during an acute shingles outbreak. It is estimated that up to one in five people with shingles will experience prolonged pain due to PHN. “The pain that may occur after a shingles outbreak can be excruciating and can greatly affect a person’s daily living,” said Dr. The Qutenza patch is cut to fit the size and shape of the painful area and is then applied to the painful area by a doctor or other health care professional. Up to four patches may be used during a single one-hour treatment. According to Dr. Webster, “Qutenza works by acting on the nerve fibers in the skin and The pain that can come from an attack of shingles may be relieved by a patch made from synthetic peppers. Lynn Webster, medical director, Lifetree Clinical Research, Salt Lake City, Utah. “Despite a variety of pain medications, side effects of these medications, such as drowsiness and interactions with other drugs, often limit how doctors and patients can use them. Because of these limitations, the treatment of post-shin- gles pain continues to represent a significant unmet need.” A New Solution The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Qutenza (capsaicin) 8% patch, the first and only product containing prescription-strength capsaicin for post-shingles pain, also known as PHN. Qutenza delivers a synthetic form of cap- reduces their ability to transmit pain from the skin to the central nervous system. It is targeted directly to the site of the pain and may be used alone or in combination with existing therapies.” Qutenza is non-narcotic, un- likely to cause drowsiness, or interact with other medicines. Treatment may be repeated every three or more monthsas needed. In clinical trials, the most common side effects were application site redness, pain, itching and papules (small bumps). Serious adverse reactions included appli- cation site pain and increased blood pressure. Increases in blood pressure were unrelated to the pretreatment blood pressure but were related to treatment-related increases 1n pain. Learn More You can find more information at www.Qutenza.com and bycalling 877-900-6479.
