Long-term pain outcomes after serial lidocaine infusion in participants with recent onset of peripheral neuropathic pain: A pilot double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: This study investigated the outcomes up to 12 weeks after serial lidocaine infusion for early-onset peripheral neuropathic pain.

Methods: This pilot double-blind, randomized, 2-arm placebo-controlled trial recruited 50 participants with onset of peripheral neuropathic pain within the past 6 months and randomized them to either receive lidocaine (3 mg/kg) in normal saline (50 mL) intravenous infusion over 1 hour (lidocaine group) once a week for 4 weeks or 50 mL of normal saline infusion (placebo group) once a week for 4 weeks. Twenty-nine participants completed the protocol; 15 participants were assigned to the lidocaine group and 14 to the placebo group.