Compositions for the treatment of peripheral neuropathies containing antidepressants and/or monoamine oxidase inhibitors and/or vitamin b12 and/or precursors or inducers of a neurotransmitter

Abstract

Methods and compositions for treatment of a patient suffering from a form of peripheral neuropathy are disclosed. The method comprises administering to the patient any one of the following combinations of components: I. A, B and C; II. A and B; III. B and C; IV. A and C, wherein A is an antidepressant or a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, B is vitamin B12, and C is a precursor or inducer of a neurotransmitter, e.g. L-phenylalanine.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the use of a combined medicament in the treatment of various forms of peripheral neuropathy, especially painful neuropathies and diabetic neuropathy, including diabetic amyotrophy, mononeuritis, mononeuritis multiplex, cranial nerve palsies and autonomic neuropathy. The invention also relates to the preparation of medicaments for such treatments.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART[0002] Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder resulting in hyperglycaemia (raised blood sugar), polyuria (increased output of urine) and glycosuria (appearance of sugars (e.g. glucose) in the urine). Diabetes has been recognised as a major disease for centuries. In addition to defective carbohydrate metabolism, it can also lead to altered metabolism of lipids and proteins and patients are at risk of complications from microvascular and macrovascular diseases which are serious and may be fatal.[0003] Insulin dependent diabetes results from failure of the islet...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0058] said components being administered simultaneously or separately, in amounts which in combination have the effect of ameliorating the peripheral neuropathy.

Problems solved by technology

In addition to defective carbohydrate metabolism, it can also lead to altered metabolism of lipids and proteins and patients are at risk of complications from microvascular and macrovascular diseases which are serious and may be fatal.

Diabetic amyotrophy is indicated by pain over the thigh and loss of quadriceps power, sometimes also loss of power in the lower leg resulting in foot drop.

However these seem only to be mildly effective, and not in all cases.

Whilst multiple sclerosis leads to demyelination of the neurons of the central nervous system (that is, degeneration of the myelin sheath which surrounds the neurons), the toxic effects of diabetes occur in the body of the peripheral neuron, possibly due to the toxic effect of metabolites arising through the underlying diabetic disturbance of carbohydrate metabolism, or as a secondary effect of diabetic microvascular degeneration.