Method for treatment of chronic neuropathic pain

Abstract

Chronic pain is treated in an individual suffering from chronic pain by administering to the individual an amount of a therapeutic containing a glycine receptor agonist such as D-cycloserine or a GlyT-1 glycine transporter antagonist such as sarcosine in an amount effective to treat the chronic pain. The therapeutic may also contain a secondary analgesic such as opiates, NSAIDs or cox-2 inhibitors. The analgesic can be formulated in a pharmaceutical composition in the form of an injectable solution that contains at least two different analgesics, at least one of the analgesics of which is a glycine receptor agonist or a GlyT-1 glycine transporter antagonist. Suitable pharmaceutical compositions contain D-cycloserine and/or sarcosine, optionally in combination with opiates, NSAIDs or cox-2 inhibitors.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for treating chronic pain in an individual suffering from chronic pain, comprising administering to the individual an amount of a therapeutic comprising a glycine receptor agonist or a GlyT-1 glycine transporter antagonist in an amount and for a period of time effective to treat the chronic pain. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a glycine receptor agonist is administered. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the glycine receptor agonist is D-cycloserine. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of co-administering a secondary analgesic different from the glycine receptor agonist. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the secondary analgesic is an opiate, NSAID or cox-2 inhibitor. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a GlyT-1 glycine receptor antagonist is administered. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the GlyT-1 glycine receptor antagonist is sarcosine. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of co-administering a secondary analgesic different from the glycine receptor agonist. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the secondary analgesic is opiate, NSAID or cox-2 inhibitor. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the glycine receptor agonist or a GlyT-1 glycine transporter antagonist is administered orally. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a glycine receptor agonist is administered. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the glycine receptor agonist is D-cycloserine. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein D-cycloserine is administered to a human individual in an amount of from 10 to 1000 mg per day. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of co-administering a secondary analgesic different from the glycine receptor agonist. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the secondary analgesic is an opiate, NSAID or cox-2 inhibitor. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a GlyT-1 glycine receptor antagonist is administered. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the GlyT-1 glycine receptor antagonist is sarcosine. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of co-administering a secondary analgesic different from the glycine receptor agonist. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the secondary analgesic is opiate, NSAID or cox-2 inhibitor.