I am a diabetic with severe neuropathic pain. Do you think capsaicin may help relieve this pain?

Capsaicin has been heavily marketed for a variety of pain syndromes. Today people buy this product and use it for the treatment of neuropathic and herpetic pain. When capsaicin is first applied, it actually worsens the pain, but then the pain sensitivity is reduced after repeated applications. While many people claim that it works, there are very few clinical studies that have actually looked at its efficacy. Based on some studies, capsaicin may work for mild neuropathic pain but complete relief is not possible. The product must be combined with other medications.

One can buy a low dose cream containing 0.075% capsaicin which can be used for repeat applications or use the 8% formula for single application. One of the most common side effects of capsaicin is the skin irritation which often leads to discontinuation of therapy. Capsaicin also does not come cheap. If you have the money, you may want to try the small dose of capsaicin. Pain relief is not instant and often takes many days. If you do not have money to waste on a product that may not work, you may want to try lyrica.