Table 2.

Treatment of herpes zoster-related pain by drug class

	Antidepressants		Anticonvulsants		NSAIDs		Opioids		Miscellaneous
Year	Users	Cost (CAD)	Users	Cost (CAD)	Users	Cost (CAD)	Users	Cost (CAD)	Users	Cost (CAD)
1997	348	$35,607	153	$15,520	400	$23,122	866	$33,208	544	$13,980
1998	378	$29,458	168	$29,124	380	$34,326	838	$23,896	520	$13,471
1999	404	$39,612	235	$83,398	475	$64,916	893	$43,752	571	$13,651
2000	424	$46,315	250	$64,642	479	$66,661	893	$34,441	505	$12,567
2001	440	$48,663	293	$85,722	469	$47,112	885	$70,139	544	$20,157
2002	435	$52,683	298	$82,635	453	$48,795	920	$56,048	574	$14,806
2003	425	$46,661	303	$71,625	398	$32,101	819	$62,947	532	$18,498
2004	444	$49,589	326	$63,383	368	$28,335	889	$36,793	552	$16,273
2005	445	$44,140	364	$78,247	377	$29,826	902	$40,096	540	$22,127
2006	419	$49,873	389	$70,737	364	$27,909	848	$31,437	502	$27,437
2007	396	$37,136	485	$86,579	325	$24,099	829	$31,008	501	$15,119
2008	397	$51,837	533	$112,910	389	$27,118	828	$35,141	515	$25,988
2009	430	$54,128	540	$122,855	348	$24,299	866	$41,026	518	$25,558
2010	428	$49,949	581	$123,577	326	$23,549	853	$42,545	526	$36,763
2011	447	$67,903	694	$132,685	383	$31,252	926	$55,318	582	$45,824

Notes: Total treated herpes zoster episodes (users) and drug class cost by year. Numbers are for all herpes zoster-related pain, including postherpetic neuralgia. A single episode can be treated with more than one class of drug, possibly contributing data to multiple categories. Costs adjusted for inflation to 2013 Canadian dollars.

Abbreviation: NSAID, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug.