Novel ways of approaching the pharmacologic treatment of trigeminal neuralgia

Abstract

their randomized, controlled trial on the treatment of TN with intravenous lidocaine. They found that intravenous lidocaine led to significant pain reduction compared to placebo and the effect was maintained for the first 24 h following treatment. 23 In patients with concomitant continuous pain, the effi - cacy of first-line drugs may drop, and both calcium channel blockers (gabapentin and pregabalin) and antidepressants should be tried as an add-on to first-line drugs. Treatment of TN can pose a great challenge for the clinician and can be frustrating for patients. Despite there being effective phar - macologic treatment there are still patients who do not respond and still experience this debilitating facial pain disorder. Novel pharma - cologic treatments are fortunately on the rise and results appear favorable, although more rigorous studies are needed to provide patients with tolerable and effective pharmacologic treatment, ob - viating the need for surgical treatment, which poses risks in and of itself