Treatment of Notalgia Paresthetica with Bee Venom and Capsaicin: A pilot study with 20 patients

Abstract

Notalgia paresthetica (NP) is a common clinical disorder characterized by hyperpigmentation, pruritus, paresthesia, and/or pain, located on the back. There is no effective treatment for patients with NP. We investigated the efficacy of a product containing bee venom (0.04%) and capsaicin (0.025%) for treating NP. Twenty patients (10 men and 10 women) with NP were included in this open-label pilot study. A biopsy was performed for each patient to exclude other dermatologic diseases. The patients were asked to apply the product to the pruritic areas once daily for 2 weeks. No other product was used during the study. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score was used to evaluate the efficacy of the product. VAS scores before and after treatment were statistically different ( p = 0.005). The pretreatment median of VAS score was 8 (7-10) (8.20 ± 1.03), while the median after treatment was 3 (1-7) (3.40 ± 1.71). The product containing bee venom and capsaicin is effective in treating NP. A double-blind and placebo-controlled study has been planned and initiated with a greater sample size.