The effect of treatment with fentanyl patches on pain relief and improvement in overall daily functioning in patients with postherpetic neuralgia.

Postherpetic neuralgia often causes persistent pain, which can compromise patients' quality of life. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of pain reduction after the application of transdermal fentanyl on the quality of life of patients with postherpetic neuralgia. The study lasted 12 weeks. The study population included adult patients experiencing spontaneous pain, expressed by 4 points on the pain numeric rating scale (NRS). To assess quality of life questionnaire SF-36, the Zung depression scale and NRS were used. Pharmacotherapy included amitryptyline (Amitriptylinum VP) 10 mg orally once daily, gabapentine (Gabapentin TEVA 100 mg) 200-900 mg/24 hour orally twice daily and fentanyl skin patches (Durogesic) 12.5-100 microg/hour. Thirty four patients were qualified for the study. Comparison of pain intensity before the treatment and after 12 weeks showed that all the patients experienced relief. The treatment evidently reduced limitations in the physical and social domains. There was little improvement in the general physical capacity and mental condition. Analysis of correlation between changes in quality of life in the emotional, physical and social domains revealed that they were strongly interlinked. Increase in physical activity was accompanied by positive changes in the mental condition, better general wellbeing was correlated with increased social activity, and increased social activity was accompanied by improved physical condition. The more effective the treatment was, the more evident was improvement in the patients' quality of life in the physical, social and mental domains.