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Pain due to peripheral neuropathies is often refractory to treatment, but two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials suggest that an already available anticonvulsant may provide relief.
The first study tested the effects of varying doses of gabapentin (Neurontin) or placebo in 165 patients with chronic pain due to diabetic neuropathy. After an eight-week period, the patients assigned to gabapentin had a reduction in average pain scores from 6.4 to 3.9 on an 11-point scale, while the placebo group had a significantly smaller decline (6.5 to 5.1). The gabapentin group also had significantly better scores for bodily pain, mental health, and vitality.
The second study used a similar protocol to compare gabapentin with placebo in 229 …