Herbal Palmitoylethanolamide has been shown useful in neuropathic pain. It is well tolerated and suitable for use in elderly that cannot tolerate other agents. Now it has been shown to help reduce migraine effects by about 50%.
PEA is useful in chronic pain especially neuropathic pain:
Gatti, Antonio, et al.
Palmitoylethanolamide in the treatment of chronic pain caused by different etiopathogenesis.
Pain medicine 13.9 (2012): 1121-1130.
https://academic.oup.com/painmedicine/article/13/9/1121/1864240
Hesselink, Jan M. Keppel, and Thecla AM Hekker.
Therapeutic utility of palmitoylethanolamide in the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with various pathological conditions: a case series.
Journal of Pain Research 5 (2012): 437.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3500919/pdf/jpr-5-437.pdf
In this case, it was found useful in migraines:
Front Neurol. 2018 Aug 17;9:674.
Effects of Add-On Ultramicronized N-Palmitol Ethanol Amide in Patients Suffering
of Migraine With Aura: A Pilot Study.
Chirchiglia D et al.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6109682/pdf/fneur-09-00674.pdf
- 20 cases
- took PEA 1,200 mg/day
results:
Comment –
- as can see, attack rate and number of days in pain cut in 1/2. I would expect placebo effect in first month but not for 3 months.
- For elderly, and those unable to tolerate traditional drugs this might be an option. You can get it over the internet.
- I previously reported its use in a case of migraine with nerve damage to scalp causing nummular headaches. It was especially useful given its effects of nerve damage pain. There are many cases of migraine with over-sensitized occipital and supraorbital nerves. Perhaps some of its benefits work on those nerves.
- Getting the patient to invest in a herbal is difficult but perhaps these results will help.
- Randomized Double blind studies will probably not be as good, so the verdict is still out on this agent.
newpainmuse 