Medication that Treats Seizures Might Also Relieve Debilitating Leg Aches in Diabetics
ST. LOUIS -- Patients who have nerve damage in their legs and arms with pain from diabetes may be eligible for a clinical trial at Saint Louis University to test the effectiveness of an investigational medication for pain relief.
"Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a chronic and debilitating disorder," says Ghazala Hayat, M.D., associate professor of neurology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and principal investigator for the study. "It affects your quality of life. Patients can wake up with pain and go to bed with pain. They may hurt so badly they can't enjoy life. Many are willing to try anything."
Saint Louis University is the only place in St. Louis that is researching whether a medication commonly given to treat seizures can control the pain from diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Typically, antidepressants, "numbing medications" and prescriptions such as OxyContin may be used for pain control.
"Trileptal (oxcarbazepine), which is used to treat seizures, has shown some efficacy in treating diabetic neuropathy because it works on the nerve fibers to calm and stabilize them," Dr. Hayat says.
Diabetic neuropathy can affect the nerve fivers of upper and lower extremities -- i.e. hands, arms, feet and legs. Patients may experience a tingling, burning sensation or sharp shooting pains. Some people have numbness; some patients experience episodic pain, while still others are in constant discomfort. If diabetic neuropathy affects their legs, a person might have difficulty walking and become more likely to fall.
Diabetic neuropathies -- nerve damage caused by diabetes -- can affect practically any organ system, including the digestive tract, heart and sex organs. More than 1.27 million people who have diabetes also have diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is the most common form of the condition, and affects the arms and legs.
"For some people, it's like putting your hand in an oven. For others it's similar to the uncomfortable feeling of your foot being asleep. Only they might have it all the time," Hayat says.
Progressive or severe neuropathy is more likely to occur in people whose diabetes is not controlled because diabetic neuropathy is caused by prolonged high blood sugar levels. Nerves throughout the body gradually become damaged once blood glucose levels rise above a certain level. However, even if a person with diabetes deceases high cholesterol levels and controls his blood sugar by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and taking medication, he still could develop peripheral neuropathy. The longer a person has diabetes, the greater the risk of developing neuropathy.
Those participating in the 18-week study must be at least 18-years old, have an established clinical diagnosis of Type I or Type II diabetes and have experienced diabetic neuropathic pain for six months to five years. Study investigators use a variety of tests to individually assess the condition of potential participants. Study participants will receive study medication or a placebo, office visits and lab tests related to the study and nerve conduction tests. At the end of 18 weeks, even those patients who receive the placebo will be allowed to take the study medication for a year.
Established in 1836, Saint Louis University School of Medicine has the distinction of awarding the first M.D. degree west of the Mississippi River. Saint Louis University School of Medicine is a pioneer in geriatric medicine, organ transplantation, chronic disease prevention, cardiovascular disease, neurosciences and vaccine research, among others. The School of Medicine trains physicians and biomedical scientists, conducts medical research, and provides health services on a local, national and international level.
To learn more about the study, please call 314-577-8026.
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