Capsaicin Safe, Effective for Intractable Pruritis Ani

"Capsaicin is safe and effective for the treatment of intractable pruritis ani, according to the results of a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study published in the September issue of Gut. 'Topical capsaicin is known to be effective and safe in the treatment of pain and itching,' write J. Lysy, from Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel, and colleagues. 'Although the precise mechanism of action is not fully understood, evidence suggests that capsaicin exercises an active depressant effect in the synthesis, storage, transport, and release of substance P.'"