Peripheral Neuropathy Pain: Comparison of Gabapentin(Neurontin) +Amitriptyline(E

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Agri. 2006 Apr;18(2):34-40.

Comparison of efficacy of gabapentin (Neurontin) and amitriptyline

(Elavil) in the management of peripheral neuropathic pain.

Keskinbora K, Pekel AF, Aydinli I.

Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Department of

Anesthesiology, Pain Clinic, Istanbul, Turkey.

In this single center, double blind and randomized trial gabapentin

as a new anticonvulsant was compared in efficacy and safety with

amitriptyline which is a classic agent in neuropathic pain

treatment. Fourty six patients with neuropathic pain which was

burning, stabbing and shooting in quality were allocated to take

gabapentin (group GBP) and amitriptyline (group AMI) monotherapy.

The assesment variables were burning, stabbing, shooting pain on

visual analog scale (VAS; 0: no pain, 10: worst pain imaginable),

allodynia as present or not by lightly touching the skin with

cotton. Primary efficacy variable was the degree of burning,

stabbing and shooting pain improvement that was accepted as the

difference of beginning and 4th week's VAS of all pain qualities.

The secondary efficacy variable was the patient satisfaction scale

determined as whether possible side effects of study drugs affect

the patients' daily life. The degree of pain improvement was only

seen in shooting pain and was statistically significantly high in

group GBP. The patient satisfaction scale was also high in group

GBP.

Both gabapentin and amitriptyline provided effective pain control in

peripheral neuropathic pain. Additionally gabapentin was more

effective especially in paroxysmal shooting pain than other pain

qualities. And also gabapentin was tolerated well.