Anti-depressants and anti-convulsants for the treatment of neuropathic pain syndromes in cancer patients.

20 patients with neuropathic pain syndromes due to tumor-infiltration, who had not responded to conventional analgesics including strong opioids, received additional combination anti-convulsant and anti-depressant treatment. Pain amelioration occurred in all patients within median 46 h, and maximum effect was encountered within one week. Severe side effects were confined to three cases and were associated with carbamazepine treatment. Replacement by another type of anticonvulsants in 6 cases with either no response or intolerable side effects was successful in 5 patients, both in terms of efficacy and tolerability. One patient stopped taking AD/AC after 48 h.