Topical Gabapentin for Vulvodynia

In a retrospective study, 80% of women who used topical gabapentin for symptoms of vulvodynia reported improvements of ≥50% in pain scores.

Vulvodynia is a poorly understood yet common and highly uncomfortable chronic condition with no satisfactory treatment. Extrapolating from the usefulness of oral gabapentin for vulvodynia, investigators conducted a retrospective case series review of 51 patients who had been treated with topical gabapentin for generalized or localized vulvodynia. Patients were included if they reported 3 or more months of vulvar discomfort without an identifiable cause and had been prescribed treatment with topical gabapentin. Treatments were not standardized — prescriptions were for 2%, 4%, or 6% gabapentin cream (made by compounding pharmacists) to be applied topically three times daily, with or without concomitant therapies.

Participants (mean age, 40) ha…

Reviewing Author

Sandra Ann Carson, MD

Topical Gabapentin for Vulvodynia

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Reviewing Author