Drug Derived from Chili Peppers May Reduce Acute Pain After Surgery

Purified capsaicin, a drug derived from chili peppers, reduced pain for at least three days following groin hernia surgery, according to a new study. The study involved 41 men undergoing open (not laparoscopic) groin hernia repair with mesh. Half of the men received 1,000 micrograms of ultra purified capsaicin (an odorless, flavorless substance) directly into their wounds during surgery. The remaining patients were given a placebo. All of the study participants received ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

Patients in the capsaicin group had significantly lower pain scores during the three days following surgery, compared to the patients who had received the placebo. There were no significant differences in average pain scores after this period.

The study showed pain relief “without any clinically important side effects,” said study author Eske K. Aasvang, MD, anesthesiology research fellow at JulianaMarie Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. “The potential for a much longer duration- potentially weeks- of pain relief induced by a single administration of ultra purified capsaicin should be investigated in patients with severe postoperative pain,” Aasvang said.

Source: American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)