Therapeutic Effects of Paroxetine on Pain in Herpes Zoster Patients

Abstract

Statistical analyses of the therapeutic effects of amitriptyline and paroxetine on herpes zoster patients treated with an antiviral agent and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug were performed. Two hundred and thirty-four patients admitted to the hospital within 14 days after the onset of herpes zoster were included in the analysis. Amitriptyline (25 mg) and paroxetine (10 mg) were administered daily to 113 and 121 patients, respectively. To determine the VAS score of pain after final administration of each drug, the VAS score before administration was set as 100. The VAS score of pain after final administration was significantly lower with paroxetine (37.7±1.8) than with amitriptyline (43.4±1.4) (P<0.01). There was no statistically significant difference of incidence of postherpetic neuralgia between amitriptyline and paroxetine. Side effects of paroxetine were observed in four cases (3.3%), including two cases of anorexia, one case of vomiting, and one case of nocturnal polyuria, whereas those of amitriptyline were observed in nine cases (8.0%), including seven cases of dizziness, one case of drowsiness, and one case of stiffness. Thus, it was confirmed that paroxetine may be an effective medicine for reducing pain in herpes zoster patients with few side effects.