ArticlePharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)2018
Phenytoin Cream for the Treatment for Neuropathic Pain: Case Series.
Article in Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04647877 (Enrichment Randomized Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Cross-over Trial With PHEnytoin Cream in Patients With Painful Chronic Idiopathic Axonal polyNEuropathy), which is not on this map. Cited by 12 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Enrichment Randomized Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Cross-over Trial With PHEnytoin Cream in Patients With Painful Chronic Idiopathic Axonal polyNEuropathy
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- Fast Analgesic Effect in Response Test with Topical Phenytoin Cream Correlates with Prolonged Pain Relief After Extended Use in Painful Diabetic Neuropathy.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Antagonists in Neuropathic Pain Management.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Serum Magnesium Level as a Biomarker to Predict the Risk of Labor Epidural Anesthesia Associated Fever.International journal of general medicine · 2023Article
- Article
- Neuropeptide Y in the amygdala contributes to neuropathic pain-like behaviors in ratsBioengineered · 2022Article
- No Detectable Phenytoin Plasma Levels After Topical Phenytoin Cream Application in Chronic Pain: Inferences for Mechanisms of Action.Journal of pain research · 2022Article
- Topical Treatments and Their Molecular/Cellular Mechanisms in Patients with Peripheral Neuropathic Pain-Narrative Review.Pharmaceutics · 2021Review
- Usefulness of a Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Response Test to Demonstrate Rapid Onset Analgesia with Phenytoin 10% Cream in Polyneuropathy.Journal of pain research · 2020Article
- Membrane Stabilizer Medications in the Treatment of Chronic Neuropathic Pain: a Comprehensive Review.Current pain and headache reports · 2019Review
- Topical loperamide for the treatment of localized neuropathic pain: a case report and literature review.Journal of pain research · 2019Review
- Ethical justification of single-blind and double-blind placebo-controlled response tests in neuropathic pain and N-of-1 treatment paradigm in clinical settings.Journal of pain research · 2019Article
- Single-Blind Placebo-Controlled Response Test with Phenytoin 10% Cream in Neuropathic Pain Patients.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNeuropathic pain can be disabling, and is often difficult to treat. Within a year, over half of all patients stop taking their prescribed neuropathic pain medication, which is most probably due to side effects or disappointing analgesic results. Therefore, new therapies are needed to alleviate neuropathic pain. As such, topical analgesics could be a new inroad in the treatment of neuropathic pain. In 2014, we developed a new topical formulation containing either phenytoin or sodium phenytoin. After optimization of the formulation, we were able to reach a 10% concentration and combine phenytoin with other co-analgesics in the same base cream.
objectiveTo describe a series of 70 neuropathic pain patients who were treated with phenytoin cream. MATERIAL AND
methodsCases treated with phenytoin 5% or 10% creams were gathered. The mean onset of pain relief, the duration of effect, and reduction in pain intensity measured on the 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS) were all studied. A single-blind response test with phenytoin 10% and placebo creams was conducted on 12 patients in order to select responders prior to prescribing the active cream. Plasma phenytoin concentrations were measured in 16 patients.
resultsNine patients applied phenytoin 5% cream, and 61 patients used phenytoin 10% cream. After grouping the effects of all of the patients, the mean onset of pain relief was 16.3 min (SD: 14.8), the mean duration of analgesia was 8.1 h (SD: 9.1), and the mean pain reduction on the NRS was 61.2% (SD: 25.0). The mean pain reduction on the NRS while using phenytoin cream was statistically significant compared with the baseline, with a reduction of 4.5 (CI: 4.0 to 5.0,
conclusionIn this case series, the phenytoin cream had reduced neuropathic pain considerably, with a fast onset of analgesic effect.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.