The Role of Psychiatric, Analgesic, and Antiepileptic Medications in Chronic Pruritus

Abstract

Chronic pruritus is a complex yet prevalent concern without a gold standard treatment. The mainstay therapy for chronic pruritus includes topical ointments such as corticosteroids, capsaicin, local anesthetics, antihistamines, and immunomodulators. There are many different subtypes of chronic pruritus, and each unique subtype may benefit from specialized treatments. This review article sheds light on the role of psychiatric, analgesic, and antiepileptic medications in chronic pruritus. We believe that further large-scale studies are needed to determine the true effectiveness of these medications in treating chronic pruritus.