Successful treatment of complex regional pain syndrome with topical ambroxol: a case series

AIM: The secretolytic drug ambroxol may be useful for the treatment of neuropathic pain due to its multiple modes of action. We hypothesized that ambroxol may be a treatment option for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). METHODS: Additional to standard therapy, eight CRPS-patients with symptoms of less than 12 months were treated with topical 20% ambroxol cream. Clinical courses were assessed using detailed anamnesis and clinical examination. RESULTS: Following treatment we found a reduction of spontaneous pain (6 patients), pain on movement (6 patients), edema (seven patients), allodynia (six patients), hyperalgesia (seven patients), reduction of skin reddening (four patients), improvement of motor dysfunction (six patients) and improvement of skin temperature (four patients). CONCLUSION: Topical treatment with ambroxol cream may ameliorate symptoms of CRPS.