Medicines for nerve damage (neuropathic pain) often include anticonvulsants like gabapentin and pregabalin, antidepressants such as amitriptyline, duloxetine, and nortriptyline, and topical treatments like lidocaine patches or capsaicin cream, as standard painkillers are less effective. These medications work by calming overactive nerves, but finding the right one can take time, and they are usually prescribed by a doctor.
Medicines used to treat depression, seizure or insomnia may be used to relieve nerve pain. Some people with peripheral nerve injuries may need corticosteroid injections for pain relief. Your healthcare professional may recommend physical therapy to prevent stiffness and restore function.
The main medicines recommended for neuropathic pain include:
Ways to Treat Nerve Pain at Home
Your child may receive one, or a combination of several treatments, including:
People with neuropathic pain might need a combination of different treatments, including medication, physical therapy, psychological counseling and surgery.
Researchers demonstrate that transferring healthy mitochondria from support glial cells to nerve cells could reduce nerve pain and degeneration. Fluorescence microscopy images show satellite glial cells transferring mitochondria (red) to neurons through nanotubes that connect the two cells.
Podiatry and foot care.
Peripheral neuropathy commonly affects your feet. That can cause soft tissue and bone changes, including sores and infections, especially in people with type 2 diabetes. Many people with peripheral neuropathy need to see a podiatrist (foot specialist).
To stop nerve pain immediately, topical lidocaine or capsaicin creams/patches can provide quick numbing relief, while prescription options like anti-seizure drugs (gabapentin) or strong painkillers (tramadol) offer faster but not always instant relief; gentle stretches, TENS, and relaxation techniques can also help manage acute flare-ups by blocking pain signals or relaxing muscles.
Camphor and menthol are topical analgesics that may help ease peripheral neuropathy. This is nerve pain in the feet and hands that causes "pins and needles" or burning sensations. Peripheral neuropathy can result from medications, diabetes, and other conditions that damage nerve insulation, known as the myelin sheath.
What types of medicine are used for nerve pain?
Tramadol, classified as an opioid analgesic, is primarily used for moderate to severe pain, often post-surgery or for chronic conditions like arthritis. Gabapentin, initially developed for epilepsy, has found extensive use in treating neuropathic pain conditions, such as diabetic neuropathy and postherpetic neuralgia.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) – Helps relieve pain but does not reduce inflammation. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) – An anti-inflammatory that may offer modest relief for nerve pain caused by inflammation. Topical creams – Capsaicin cream and lidocaine patches can be applied directly to the painful area.
Neuropathic pain (Nerve pain)
Neuropathic pain comes from problems with signals from the nerves. There are various causes. Traditional painkillers such as paracetamol, anti-inflammatories and opiates (Codeine, Morphine) usually don't help very much and opiates can in fact lead to a worsening of this pain.
Nerves may be squeezed or pinched by surrounding tissues, which increases pressure on the nerve and may disrupt function. This can lead to muscle weakness, a burning or tingling sensation, numbness or pain.
Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine anticonvulsant acting as a GABA agonist. Lorazepam, nitrazepam and diazepam have also been used in chronic pain. They have anxiolytic and anticonvulsant properties.
Peripheral neuropathy can result from traumatic injuries, infections, metabolic problems, inherited causes and exposure to toxins. One of the most common causes of neuropathy is diabetes. People with peripheral neuropathy usually describe the pain as stabbing, burning or tingling.
Antidepressants as Nerve Pain Medication
Amitriptyline is one of the oldest and most effective nerve pain medications we have. It's a tricyclic antidepressant that blocks pain signals in your spinal cord and brain. Your doctor will typically start you on 10-25 mg at bedtime and gradually increase the dose.
A neurologist is a medical doctor who specializes in diseases and conditions affecting your brain, spinal cord and nerves.
Home remedies can support medications and specialist procedures commonly used to treat nerve pain in the feet, known as peripheral neuropathy. 1 These include therapeutic foot baths, compression socks, foot massage, topical pain relievers, and simple rest.
5 Signs You Shouldn't Ignore: Time to Visit a Foot Doctor
Confirming if you have a neuropathy
electromyography (EMG), where a small needle is inserted through your skin into your muscle and used to measure the electrical activity of your muscles.
Medical experts say suzetrigine, which is made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, is not addictive because it works by blocking pain signals that originate in the peripheral nervous system, before they reach the brain.
Over-the-counter (OTC) options like capsaicin cream and magnesium, and herbal supplements like chamomile or L-theanine, may help manage mild pain and anxiety.
QUTENZA® (capsaicin) 8% topical system is indicated in adults for the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) or associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) of the feet. Do not dispense QUTENZA to patients for self-administration or handling. Use only on dry, unbroken skin.