Efficacy of a fixed combination of palmitoylethanolamide and acetyl-l-carnitine (PEA+ALC FC) in the treatment of neuropathies secondary to rheumatic diseases
Controlled trialHumansWith 82 patients with rheumatoid arthritis or spondyloarthritis and a neuropathy under 12 months old confirmed by electromyography: 42 given the combination on top of standard therapy (18 sciatica, 16 carpal tunnel, 8 lower-limb neuropathy) and 40 matched patients on standard therapy alone (20, 15 and 5)
This study tested palmitoylethanolamide together with 82 patients with rheumatoid arthritis or spondyloarthritis and a neuropathy under 12 months old confirmed by electromyography: 42 given the combination on top of standard therapy (18 sciatica, 16 carpal tunnel, 8 lower-limb neuropathy) and 40 matched patients on standard therapy alone (20, 15 and 5). Its results cannot be assigned to palmitoylethanolamide alone. More combination studies.
- Design
- Controlled trial
- Subjects
- 82 patients with rheumatoid arthritis or spondyloarthritis and a neuropathy under 12 months old confirmed by electromyography: 42 given the combination on top of standard therapy (18 sciatica, 16 carpal tunnel, 8 lower-limb neuropathy) and 40 matched patients on standard therapy alone (20, 15 and 5)
- Dose used in the study
- Palmitoylethanolamide 600 mg plus acetyl-L-carnitine 500 mg (Kalanit, Chiesi) twice a day for 2 weeks then once a day
- Duration
- 82 patients with rheumatoid arthritis or spondyloarthritis and a neuropathy under 12 months old confirmed by electromyography: 42 given the combination on top of standard therapy (18 sciatica, 16 carpal tunnel, 8 lower-limb neuropathy) and 40 matched patients on standard therapy alone (20, 15 and 5)
- What was measured
- Pain VAS and condition-specific questionnaires (low back pain, carpal tunnel, neuropathic pain); PEA 600 mg + acetyl-L-carnitine 500 mg
What the authors reported
Pain VAS improved more in the combination group across all three conditions (sciatica p = 0.032, carpal tunnel p = 0.025, lower-limb neuropathy p = 0.041), and the condition-specific scores also favoured the combination (LBP-IQ p = 0.031, CHFD p = 0.011, NPQ p = 0.025).
Limits of this study
Not randomised; the comparison group was matched, not assigned. Not blinded. Groups of 5 to 20 per condition. A fixed two-compound product made by Chiesi, named in the abstract. Funding not stated in the abstract.
Source
PubMed 34056884 · doi:10.23736/S0026-4806.21.07486-3
Entry checked against the abstract on PubMed on 2026-09-22. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.