Pilot Study of High-Dose Capsaicin Patches to Treat Postherpetic Neuralgia Pain

Exclusion Criteria

• •Patients will not be eligible for this study if they:
• •Have diffusely distributed neuropathic pain (i.e., pain that is evident in more than 2 different sites). Subjects must not have significant pain outside the areas to be treated.
• •Have any implanted medical device (spinal cord stimulator, intrathecal pump or peripheral nerve stimulator) for the treatment of neuropathic pain.
• •Currently (within the past 21 days) use topically applied non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, local anesthetics, steroids or capsaicin products on the painful areas.
• •Currently (within the past 21 days) use topical agents such as lidoderm patch 5%, topical steroids or aspirin.
• •Have a history or current problem with prescription drug or illicit substance abuse (from self report or as judged by investigator).
• •Currently have an abuse problem with alcohol (from self-report or as judged by investigator).
• •Are suspected of psychosocial gain/benefit of continued pain as judged by the investigator or primary treating physician.
• •Plan to travel more than 100 miles from home during the study or engage in unusual activities that might exacerbate pain.
• •Have poor cardiac, renal, hepatic, or pulmonary function judged by the investigator or primary treating physician.
• •Have a laboratory value at screening outside the normal range, unless it is judged by the investigator as not clinically significant after appropriate evaluation.
• •Have hypersensitivity to capsaicin (i.e., chili peppers or OTC capsaicin products), local anesthetics, oral opioid-based analgesic agents, or adhesives.
• •Have a high tolerance to opioids.
• •Currently using Class 1 anti-arrhythmic drugs (such as tocainide and mexiletine).