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Capsaicin

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Pruritus

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Abstract

Capsaicin is extracted from the hot pepper plant. Its use is ancient but the understanding of its effects is relatively new. Capsaicin is a ligand of TRPV1, which appears to be involved in many burning itchings. Capsaicin is traded in some countries but it has to be prepared by pharmacists in many countries. A new patch containing 8 % of capsaicin is now available but its use is restricted to specialized centres. Research about other TRPV1 antagonists with less side effects is dynamic.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Neurosciences of Brest, and Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, and University of Brest, 5 avenue Foch, Brest, 29200, France

    Laurent Misery MD, PhD

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  1. Laurent Misery MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Laurent Misery MD, PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University of Brest, Brest, France

    Laurent Misery

  2. Center of Chronic Pruritus, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Sonja Ständer

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Misery, L. (2016). Capsaicin. In: Misery, L., Ständer, S. (eds) Pruritus. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33142-3_45

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33142-3_45

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-33140-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-33142-3

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