This contagious skin infection causes an itchy rash from microscopic-sized mites burrowing under your skin. Just as they can treat head lice, oral or topical ivermectin can also treat scabies. Patients have also used permethrin in cream or lotion form to treat scabies.
Often called the future of blood testing, this method requires whole capillary blood from a nearly painless finger prick. It does not involve needles, and it does not require your blood sample to be put in a tube. Instead, the blood spots dry on a collection card, which gives us highly accurate results of your …
Saliva testing is a convenient, inexpensive, and accurate way to test steroid hormones. The levels of steroid hormones in your saliva correlate strongly with the amount of hormone in the blood that is active, or bioavailable. This method of testing can be done anywhere, anytime. Moreover, hormones in saliva are highly stable and can be …
Iontophoresis and phonophoresis are drug delivery methods. They both involve medical devices and help topical medication absorb into your skin more effectively. Whereas iontophoresis uses electrical currents to do this, phonophoresis uses ultrasound waves to do it. These methods appear most commonly in the physical therapy setting. Patients have benefited from iontophoresis to decrease pain, …
NSAIDs, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, have long helped patients with back aches, headaches, or arthritis. However, side effects often interfere with the ability of these drugs to work well. Our team can compound topical NSAIDs that work directly on a painful or inflamed site while avoiding the side effects of oral doses. Although many patients …
Affecting over 39 millions Americans, migraines can start as dull headaches that progress to severe headaches with nausea, vomiting, and light sensitivity. It is a neurological condition and can affect all ages. One study found the effectiveness of intranasal (or in-the-nose) oxytocin for migraine patients. Other compounded medications can include (but are not limited to) …
Also called neuropathic itch, neuropathic pruritus is a severe itch that happens when your neurons fire incorrectly. It is also a complication of herpes zoster (or chickenpox). Patients with neuropathic itch have found moderate relief with a compounded gel that includes amitriptyline (2%) and ketamine (0.5%).
Elderly patients experience more neuropathic pain conditions (and therefore more neuropathic pain) than do younger patients. The elderly also usually require lower dosing and more monitoring due to certain potential adverse effects. Topical analgesics have shown the most promise for neuropathic pain among this demographic. Either in patch or gel form, lidocaine (5%), capsaicin (8%), …
Herpes zoster reactivation, shingles, affects 0.2% of the population and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) occurs in 10 -15% of patients following an episode of shingles, with the greatest risk in the elderly. A retrospective review involved 23 consecutive patients attending a tertiary complex pain clinic (University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board), …
Severe Postherpetic Neuralgia Relieved by Topical Gabapentin Read More »
Neuropathic pain stems from injured or damaged nerves and can happen anywhere on your body. Patients have described the pain as a burning sensation, a zapping, or like pins and needles. Topical clonidine (0.1%) has shown to provide moderate relief for neuropathic pain but also for hypertension and chronic pain. Clinical trials are ongoing, and …
