PLACENTAL EXTRACT AMELIORATES DEXAMETHASONE-INDUCED BEHAVIORAL ALTERATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH LUMBAR PAIN

Dexamethasone (DEX) effectively relieves musculoskeletal pain but is frequently associated with insomnia and fatigue, while human placental extract (HPE) has been reported to reduce pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbance. This retrospective study examined whether co-administration of HPE could mitigate DEX-induced sleep disturbance and fatigue in 134 patients with chronic lumbar pain. Both DEX and HPE produced dose-dependent reductions in pain, and combined treatment enhanced analgesia beyond DEX alone. However, DEX alone worsened sleep quality with insomnia in three patients and did not improve fatigue. In contrast, HPE alone improved sleep and reduced fatigue below the clinical threshold, and these benefits were preserved in the combined DEX-HPE group. These findings suggest that co-administration of HPE mitigates DEX-induced sleep disturbance and fatigue while providing additive pain relief in patients with lumbar pain.