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Definition of Neuropathy secondary to drugs:
Neuropathy secondary to drugs is a loss of sensation or movement in a part of the body due to nerve damage from a certain medicine.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
The damage is caused by the toxic effects of certain medications on the peripheral nerves (nerves that are not in the brain or spinal cord). There may be damage to the axon part of the nerve cell, which interferes with nerve signals.
Most commonly, many nerves are involved (polyneuropathy). This usually causes sensation changes that begin in the outside parts of the body (distal) and move toward the center of the body (proximal). There may also be changes in movement, such as weakness.
Many medications may affect the development of neuropathy, including:
- Heart or blood pressure medications
- Amiodarone
- Hydralazine
- Perhexiline
- Drugs used to fight cancer
- Cisplatin
- Docetaxel
- Paclitaxel
- Suramin
- Vincristine
- Drugs used to fight infections
- Chloroquine
- Isoniazid (INH) -- used against tuberculosis
- Metronidazole (Flagyl)
- Nitrofurantoin
- Thalidomide (used to fight leprosy)
- Drugs used to treat autoimmune disease
- Etanercept
- Infliximab
- Leflunomide
- Drugs used to treat skin conditions (Dapsone)
- Anticonvulsants (phenytoin)
- Anti-alcohol drugs (disulfiram)
- Drugs to fight HIV
- Didanosine (Videx)
- Stavudine (Zerit)
- Zalcitabine (Hivid)
- Arsenic
- Colchicine
- Gold
- Reviewed last on: 2/5/2011
- David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Division of Neurology, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
References
Weimer LH, Sachdev N. Update on medication-induced peripheral neuropathy. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2009;9(1):69-75.
Harati Y, Bosch EP. Disorders of peripheral nerves. In: Bradley WG, Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J, eds. Neurology in Clinical Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Butterworth-Heinemann Elsevier; 2008:chap 80.
Shy M. Peripheral neuropathies. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 446.
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