Affiliations: [a] Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA | [b] Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, The Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA | [c] The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: André Min-Teh Hu, M.D., Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Medical Education Office Rm. 1323, 345 E. Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. Tel.: +1 312 238 2870; Fax: +1 312 238 1219; E-mail: ahu@rehabchicago.org
Abstract: Objective:To increase the awareness of topiramate as a phantom limb pain treatment. Setting:Outpatient rehabilitation office in an urban academic center. Patient:34-year-old white female who suffered a traumatic right upper limb amputation. Intervention:Oral topiramate at an initial dosage of 100 milligrams per day increased to 200 milligrams per day. Results and conclusion:After failure of multiple medications traditionally used to control phantom pain, the patient described significant relief with the use of oral topiramate. The authors suggest topiramate as an alternative approach to phantom limb pain treatment.
