Lamotrigine reduces painful diabetic neuropathy

Abstract

Lamotrigine is effective and safe in relieving the pain associated with diabetic neuropathy.

Newer antiepileptic drugs: Possible uses in the treatment of neuropathic pain and migraine

“…11,12,83 Limited numbers of randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials have evaluated lamotrigine [84][85][86][87][88] and topiramate [89][90][91] in various neuropathic pain states, and gabapentin 92 and topiramate [93][94][95][96][97] in the prophylaxis of migraine. Much of the clinical research concerning the use of the newer AEDs for neuropathic pain and migraine has been in the form of open-label, uncontrolled studies in small, nonrandomized samples.…”

“…88 Medication was titrated slowly to a final dosage of 400 mg/d in the eighth week. The primary outcome variable was the mean daily pain score (0-10 scale), which decreased from 6.4 to 4.2 in the active-treatment group (lamotrigine 200, 300, and 400 mg/d) and from 6.5 to 5.3 in the placebo group (P < 0.001).…”

“…127,128 In the clinical trials summarized in the present article, rash was more common in patients with HIV-associated neuropathy (5/20) 85 than in those with central poststroke pain (2/30) 86 or PDN (2/29). 88 In a meta-analysis of controlled trials of add-on lamotrigine therapy in patients with partial epilepsy, 124 the 5 most frequently reported AEs were nausea, dizziness, ataxia, diplopia, and blurred vision.…”

“…* The initial dosing and titration schedules are the same for neuropathic pain and migraine prophylaxis, although the effective dose is generally in the middle of the dosing range for migraine, whereas higher doses are often necessary in neuropathic pain. 88,97 Therapeutic and/or toxic levels of the newer AEDs have not yet been rigorously defined as they have for standard AEDs, and serum monitoring of plasma levels is not currently performed on a routine basis. 133 However, several studies have investigated the relationship between serum levels and therapeutic effects for some of these agents.…”

Efficacy of lamotrigine in the management of chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy

“…In normal volunteers lamotrigine has been demonstrated to raise the threshold to cold-induced pain compared with placebo. 10 At the time this study was designed, data were available to suggest a role for lamotrigine in the therapy of pain from a variety of etiologies, including painful diabetic neuropathy, 11 central poststroke pain, 12 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neuropathy, 13 and trigeminal neuralgia. 14 In addition to these data, local anecdotal experience of using lamotrigine to treat patients with CIPN suggested that some patients appeared to benefit with such therapy, with a reduction in pain and other symptoms (such as numbness and tingling).…”