Verapamil and venlafaxine combined as an effective and well-tolerated adjunct for cancer pain management.

AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy of combining verapamil and venlafaxine in cancer pain management.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 203 patients with cancer pain treated between March 2022 and March 2025. The patients were divided into a control group (n = 98) receiving verapamil alone and an observation group (n = 105) receiving a combination of verapamil and venlafaxine. Pain relief was assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) at baseline, and post-treatment 2 and 4 weeks. Secondary measures included anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS] and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 [GAD-7] scale), quality of life (Karnofsky Performance Status [KPS] and Quality of Life [QOL] scale), and adverse reactions.

RESULTS

The observation group had higher rates of significant pain relief (42.9% vs 18.4%) and overall pain relief efficiency (81.0% vs 53.1%; P < 0.001 for both) compared with the control group. At post-treatment 2 and 4 weeks, the observation group demonstrated greater reductions in NRS, VAS, and BPI pain scores, lower anxiety and depression scores, and higher KPS and quality-of-life scores (all P < 0.001). Adverse events were comparable between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Compared with verapamil alone, combined therapy of verapamil and venlafaxine significantly relieves pain, improves psychological outcomes, and enhance patients' quality of life without increasing adverse events. These findings support its potential as an effective and well-tolerated adjunctive strategy for cancer pain management.