- Medications used to treat peripheral nervous system pain include over-the-counter pain relievers or prescription medications like opiate painkillers, anti-seizure medications, topical anesthetics like the lidocaine patch and antidepressants.
- Over-the-counter pain relievers function by disrupting the production of chemicals known as prostaglandins that cause pain sensations, while opiate pain relievers block the areas of your brain and spinal cord that receive pain signals from your peripheral nerves. Anti-seizure medications slow down your nervous system to lessen pain, while antidepressants change the balance of chemicals in your brain, decreasing its responses to pain signals.
- Over-the-counter pain relievers used to treat nervous system pain include acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, while anti-seizure medications include gabapentin, phenytoin and topiramate. Duloxetine, amitriptyline and nortriptyline are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants for nerve pain.
- Over-the-counter pain relievers pose a number of risks, such as liver damage, heart disease and gastrointestinal ulceration or bleeding, while opiate pain relievers can lead to addiction, warns the Mayo Clinic. Some of the antidepressants and anti-seizure drugs used to treat peripheral nervous system pain have the potential to cause suicidal thoughts or actions.
- It may be necessary for you to try several different medications before you find one that successfully relieves your peripheral nervous system pain without causing unpleasant side effects. Depending on the cause of your pain, your doctor may prescribe additional medications to treat the underlying issue contributing to your discomfort.