What medications help treat nerve pain in the feet?

Pain caused by nerve damage may not respond well to the usual pain relievers, so doctors rely on other medications. Two mainstays in treating nerve pain in the feet include the antidepressant amitriptyline (Elavil), which increases the levels of brain chemicals that ratchet down pain signals, and the anticonvulsant gabapentin (Neurontin), which apparently works by interfering with nerve signaling involved in pain as well as seizures. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved pregabalin (Lyrica), a medication for nerve pain relief that also doubles as an antiseizure medication, and duloxetine (Cymbalta), an antidepressant, for nerve pain associated with diabetes.