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Table 4 Number of changesa from initialb to stablec therapy by condition for initial treatments (drug(s) and dose) prescribed to ≥ 10 patients

From: Primary care incidence and treatment of four neuropathic pain conditions: A descriptive study, 2002–2005

Initial treatment

Patients

Changes to stable therapy

Drug (dose)

Treated (% all treated)

Followed >1 year (% treated)

Stable in 1 year (% followed)

Mean

Median

Range

Post-herpetic neuralgia

      

Amitriptyline hydrochloride (10 mg per day)

93 (6.6)

50 (53.8)

9 (18.0)

2.6

2

1–5

Amitriptyline hydrochloride (10 mg not specified)

65 (4.6)

36 (55.4)

4 (11.1)

4.8

5

2–8

Amitriptyline hydrochloride (25 mg per day)

64 (4.5)

39 (60.9)

10 (25.6)

2.6

3

1–5

Codeine phosphate (8 mg)+paracetamol (500 mg not specified)

34 (2.4)

21 (61.8)

9 (42.9)

4

2

1–12

Co-dydramol (not specified) Dihydrocodeine tartrate (10 mg)+paracetamol (500 mg)

30 (2.1)

20 (66.7)

7 (35.0)

5.6

4

1–18

Codeine phosphate (30 mg)+paracetamol (500 mg not specified)

24 (1.7)

15 (62.5)

5 (33.3)

5.4

5

1–9

Capsaicin (0.025% 4 times a day)

19 (1.3)

15 (78.9)

6 (40.0)

2.8

2

1–6

Carbamazepine (200 mg per day)

19 (1.3)

12 (63.2)

7 (58.3)

4

4

1–8

Paracetamol (500 mg not specified)

18 (1.3)

14 (77.8)

4 (28.6)

2.8

2

1–6

Co-proxamol (not specified) Dextropropoxyphene hydrochloride (32.5 mg)+paracetamol (325 mg)

17 (1.2)

11 (64.7)

2 (18.2)

5

5

3–7

Trigeminal neuralgia

      

Carbamazepine (200 mg per day)

103 (8.8)

67 (65.0)

9 (13.4)

3.7

3

1–10

Amitriptyline hydrochloride (10 mg per day)

53 (4.6)

35 (66.0)

6 (17.1)

2

2

1–4

Amitriptyline hydrochloride (10 mg not specified)

43 (3.7)

33 (76.7)

3 (9.1)

1.3

1

1–2

Carbamazepine (300 mg per day)

35 (3.0)

22 (62.9)

8 (36.4)

2.1

2

1–4

Carbamazepine (100 mg not specified)

33 (2.8)

19 (57.6)

4 (21.1)

1.5

2

1–2

Amitriptyline hydrochloride (25 mg per day)

31 (2.7)

17 (54.8)

4 (23.5)

3.5

3

2–6

Carbamazepine (100 mg per day)

30 (2.6)

22 (73.3)

4 (18.2)

2.5

2

1–5

Carbamazepine (400 mg per day)

29 (2.5)

23 (79.3)

5 (21.7)

4.8

2

1–16

Gabapentin (300 mg per day)

21 (1.8)

14 (66.7)

5 (35.7)

2.8

3

1–4

Codeine phosphate (8 mg)+paracetamol (500 mg not specified)

20 (1.7)

12 (60.0)

3 (25.0)

5.7

6

5–6

Codeine phosphate (30 mg)+paracetamol (500 mg not specified)

19 (1.6)

13 (68.4)

4 (30.8)

2

1

1–5

Co-proxamol (not specified) Dextropropoxyphene hydrochloride (32.5 mg)+paracetamol (325 mg)

14 (1.2)

11 (78.6)

1 (9.1)

1

1

1-1

Painful diabetic neuropathy

      

Amitriptyline hydrochloride (10 mg per day)

72 (7.8)

35 (48.6)

4 (11.4)

1.5

2

1–2

Amitriptyline hydrochloride (25 mg per day)

41 (4.4)

25 (61.0)

7 (28.0)

3

2

1–11

Amitriptyline hydrochloride (10 mg not specified)

35 (3.8)

21 (60.0)

2 (9.5)

1

1

1-1

Gabapentin (900 mg per day)

30 (3.3)

15 (50.0)

5 (33.3)

5.2

4

2–12

Co-dydramol (not specified) Dihydrocodeine tartrate (10 mg)+paracetamol (500 mg)

21 (2.3)

15 (71.4)

4 (26.7)

2.8

1

1–8

Paracetamol (500 mg not specified)

20 (2.2)

11 (55.0)

1 (9.1)

1

1

1-1

Codeine phosphate (8 mg)+paracetamol (500 mg not specified)

18 (2.0)

13 (72.2)

1 (7.7)

2

2

2-2

  1. aTreatment changes comprised each switch, discontinuation, new treatment or addition of a concomitant treatment, but not a change in dose. bStarted within 28 days of the first record of the disease. cMore than two prescriptions for the same treatment with less than 56 days between each one.