List of Drugs That MAY Cause Neuropathy

Today's post from neuropathyawareness.blogspot.com (see link below) may well be a very important and useful one for HIV patients who also suffer from neuropathy and seems to be well-researched. There is an important disclaimer at the beginning and the reader must take his/her own advice about the content but it is potentially a very useful list of drugs with the potential to either cause neuropathy or make neuropathy symptoms worse. The point is, that if you also have other conditions, or are suddenly confronted with new medications issued by your doctor, you may wish to discuss the possible neuropathic  implications of taking them. People with neuropathy  and HIV always need to be alert to possible drug conflicts.

Drugs, Treatments, and Substances that May Cause Neuropathy
Author: Jessica Benjamin: Friday, November 4, 2011

This is an article that I put together. I found that there was a need to create a comprehensive list.

Important notice: It is important to remember that these medications do not always cause neuropathy. A patient’s unique metabolism may cause him or her to be more prone to developing neuropathy when taking a particular drug. Your doctor may have prescribed these drugs because he or she feels that the benefits outweigh any possible risks. You are welcome to review these drugs that may cause neuropathy and ask your doctor to consider the possibility of drug-induced neuropathy. Also, physicians may have different opinions about whether or not these drugs can cause neuropathy- based on their experience and any available research.

Antibiotics

-Chloramphenicol

-Chloroquine

-Flagl (Metronidazole)

Gentamincin

-Nitrofurantoin (INH)

- Isoniazid

-Thalomid (Thalidomide)- used to treat Leprosy

- Myambutol (Ethambutol)- also used to treat Tuberculosis

Fluoroquinone antibiotics:

- Avelox

- Cipro

- Levaquin

- Floxin

Chemotherapy drugs

Highly Toxic ones: can cause neuropathy in up to 30% of patients, according to the University of New Mexico Cancer Center.

- Cisplatin

- Eloxatin (Oxaliplatin)

- Taxol (Paclitaxel)

- Taxotere (Docetaxel)

- Trisenox (Arsenic trioxide)

- Velcade (Bortezomib)

- Vincristine

Less toxic chemo. Drugs

These medications have been shown to cause peripheral neuropathy in 10 to 29 percent of patients treated, according to the University of New Mexico cancer center.

- Campath (Alemtuzumab)

- DaunoXome (Liposomal Daunorubicin)
- DTIC-Dome (Dacarbazine)
- Fludara (Fludarabine)
- Hexalen (Altretamine)
- Intron (Interferon Alpha)
- Navelbine (Vinorelbine)
- Oncovin (Vincristine)
- Ontak (Denileukin Diftitox)
- Paraplatin (Carboplatin)
- Platinol (Cisplatin)
- Velban (Vinblastine)
- Vesanoid (Tretinoin)
- Xeloda (Capecitabine)

Other chemo. drugs that may cause neuropathy:

- ARA-C (Cytarbine)
- Etoposide

Cholesterol reducing drugs

- Indapamid
- Gemfibrozi

Statins

- Atorvastatin (Lipitor and Torvast)
- Fluvastatin (Lescol)
- Lovastatin (Mevacor, Altocor, Altoprev)
- Pitavastatin (Livalo, Pitava)
- Pravastatin (Pravachol, Selektine, Lipostat)
- Rosuvastatin (Crestor)
- Simvastatin (Zocor, Lipex)

Heart and blood pressure medicines or treatments*

*- Adenoisine (ddl)- given by injection to help the heart return to a normal rhythm or to test for coronary heart disease
- Amiodarine
-Hydralazine
- Lozol (Indapamide)
-Perhexiline

HIV Medications

- Agenerase (Amprenavir)
- Hivid (Zalcitabine,ddC)
- Norvir (Ritonavir)
- Retrovir (Zidovudine, formerly AZT)
- Zerit (Stadavine)
- Videx (Didanosine)

Toxins

-Acrylamide

- Aresenic
- Carbon disulfide
- Ethylene oxide
- ketone
- Lead
- n–hexane
- Mercury
- Methyl n butyl- ketone
-Perchloroethylene
- Styrene
- Thallium (insecticide)
- Toluene
-Trichloroethane (methyl chloroform)
-Trichloroethylene
- Vinyl chloride
- Xylene

Other medications/substances/treatments that may cause neuropathy:

- Alcohol

- Allopurniol- used primarily to treat hypouricemia (excess uric acid in blood plasma)

- Colchisine- used to treat gout

- Dapsone- used to treat certain skin conditions

- Disulfiram- used to treat chronic alcoholism by producing a temporary sensitivity to it
- Gold (Gold salts used for their anti-inflammatory properties, used as a radiation source in some cancers)

- Indomethacin- an anti-inflammatory drug commonly used to reduce pain, fever, stiffness, and swelling

- Lithium- used to treat bipolar disorder, depression, and schizoaffective disorder

- L-tryptophan- an amino acid (alternative medicine) that may be used to treat sleep problems and other disorders

- Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas)

- Perhexilene- used to treat angina (used mostly in Australia and New Zealand)

- Phenytoin- anti-seizure drug

- Pyridoxine- compound used in Vitamin B6 (B6 intake of more than 200 mg. a day may be toxic)

- Radiation

- Streptokinase- a thrombolysis medication (used to break down blood clots)

- Sulfapyridine- not generally used for treatment in humans, except for Linear IgA Disease

- Suramin- It is used for treatment of human sleeping sickness (Human African Trypanosomiasis) caused by trypanosomes.

- Surgery that damages a nerve

- Tacrolimus- mostly used as an immunosuppressive drug to reduce the risk of organ rejected after transplantation

- TNF inhibitor or TNF Alpha Antagonists- inhibits the inflammatory response which can cause symptoms of the autoimmune diseases

- Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor- same as above, inhibits inflammatory response

Author: Jessica Benjamin

References:

Burke, Marjorie A. Which Drugs Can Cause Peripheral Neuropathy? E-How Health. Cleveland Clinic.http://www.ehow.com/about_5057701_drugs-can-cause-peripheral-neuropathy.html

Busse, Matthew. Drugs That Cause Neuropathy.

Livestrong.com.http://www.livestrong.com/article/171430-drugs-that-cause-peripheral-neuropathy/. Updated August 2011.

Chemotherapy drugs. Chemocare.com. http://www.chemocare.com/BIO/arac.asp

Donofrio, Peter D. Medication Induced Neuropathy. Neuropathy News, May 2010.

http://www.neuropathy.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7873&news_iv_ctrl=1221

Drugs.com

Haiken, Melanie. Neuropathy and Chemotherapy: What You Can Do.http://www.caring.com/articles/what-is-neuropathy.

Leong, Kristie. What Causes Neuropathy After Surgery. Oct. 2010.http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5822350/what_causes_neuropathy_after_surgery.html?cat=5.

Rutchik, Jonathan S, MD. Toxic Neuropathy. Medscape Reference. Updated Feb. 2009.http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1175276-overview

The Many Uses of Gold. Geology.com. http://geology.com/minerals/gold/uses-of-gold.shtml

Wikipedia

http://neuropathyawareness.blogspot.com/2011/11/drugs-treatments-and-substances-that.html