Antioxidants Offer Pain Relief for Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis

A new study has found that antioxidant supplementation is effective in relieving pain and reducing levels of oxidative stress in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP).

Researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS, New Delhi) conducted a placebo controlled, double-blind trial of127 patients (aged 30.5 +/- 10.5 years), who were assigned to a placebo or an antioxidant group. The primary outcome measure was pain relief, and secondary outcome measures included analgesic requirements, hospitalization, and markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant status, as measured by the ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP).

The study results showed that after six months, the reduction in the number of painful days per month was significantly higher in the antioxidant group, compared with the placebo group. The reduction in the number of analgesic tablets per month was also higher in the antioxidant group. The reduction in the level of oxidative stress and the increase in FRAP were significantly higher in the antioxidant group compared with the placebo group. Furthermore, 32% and 13% of patients became pain free in the antioxidant and placebo groups, respectively. The beneficial effect of antioxidants on pain relief in this case was noted at three months. The study was published in the January 2009 issue of Gastroenterology.

"We are encouraged by our findings, as significant improvement was noted with antioxidants in respect to all the parameters of pain in this study,” said lead author Pramod Kumar Garg, M.D., of the department of gastroenterology. "In addition, reduction in pain resulted in fewer man-days lost, thus providing functional employment gain to the patients. The findings should spur further research in this exciting area.”

CP is a progressive inflammatory disease of the pancreas in which patients experience abdominal pain (in early stage), and diabetes and maldigestion (in late stage). Pain is the major problem in 90% of patients, and usually has a sudden onset often caused by gallstones, alcohol abuse, or genetic mutations. Symptoms start with a gradual or sudden severe pain in the central part of the upper abdomen, penetrating through to the back. Treatment often focuses on the nutritional and metabolic needs of the patient and on relieving pain, but there is currently no effective medical therapy for pain relief.

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All India Institute of Medical Sciences