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Previous Volume 335:1768-1769 December 5, 1996 Number 23 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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To the Editor: In their review of postherpetic neuralgia Drs. Kost and Straus (July 4 issue) ¹ suggest that narcotic analgesic drugs be given before antidepressant drugs (or carbamazepine) in patients with this disorder. The use of opioid narcotic drugs for the treatment of chronic pain not caused by cancer is controversial, and it has been suggested that such treatment should be considered only if "all other reasonable attempts at analgesia have failed." ² The recommendation of a trial of opioid therapy before tricyclic antidepressant therapy disregards this guideline as well as the evidence of the efficacy of antidepressant drugs in patients . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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