Effectiveness and safety of lidocaine patch 5%

In summary, we do not find convincing evidence that lidocaine patch is more effective than placebo for unselected patients with PHN and believe that further clinical investigation is warranted. Some patients have had no response from multiple therapies and have benefited from the lidocaine patch. The resourceful and compassionate clinician should consider the lidocaine patch when confronted with a patient with refractory PHN who is intolerant of or a poor candidate for therapies with a stronger evidence basis (tricyclic antidepressants, topical capsaicin, gabapentin, and oxycodone).

Brain S. Alper, MD, MSPH
Columbia, Missouri
E-mail: alperb@health.missouri.edu
Peter R. Lewis, MD
Hershey, Pennsylvania

References

1. Galer BS, Rowbotham MC, Perander J, Friedman E. Topical lidocaine patch relieves postherpetic neuralgia more effectively than a vehicle topical patch: results of an enriched enrollment study. Pain 1999; 80:533–8.
2. Lidoderm (lidocaine) patch. Center for Drug Evaluation and Research application number: NDA 20-612. Medical reviews. Washington, DC: US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Submitted June 1, 1998. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/nda/99/20612_medr_P6.pdf; pp. 9–12. Accessed April 23, 2002.
3. Lidoderm (lidocaine) patch. Center for Drug Evaluation and Research application number: NDA 20-612. Medical reviews. Washington, DC: US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Submitted June 11, 1996. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/nda/99/20612_medr_P1.pdf; pp. 6–ff. Accessed April 23, 2002.
4. Lidoderm (lidocaine) patch. Center for Drug Evaluation and Research application number: NDA 20-612. Administrative documents. Washington, DC: US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/nda/99/20612_medr_P1.pdf; p. 12. Accessed April 23, 2002.