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Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a sequela of herpes zoster that adversely affects quality of life seriously.
Gabapentin, brand
name - Neurontin, is a medication used to treat epilepsy, neuropathic pain, hot
flashes, and restless leg syndrome. This study shows that dosage concentration
greatly effects the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia according to the
interpretation of the statistical results.
Postherpetic
neuralgia (PHN) is a sequela of herpes zoster that adversely affects quality of
life seriously. The risk factors for PHN are well known but the effective
interventions that reduce the incidence of PHN are less studied. The objective
of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of treatment with gabapentin in patients
with acute herpes zoster for preventing PHN.
We performed a
prospective randomized controlled study of 120 participants diagnosed with
acute herpes zoster, aged 50 and over and complaining moderate to severe pain.
All patients were treated with valacyclovir and acetaminophen. Half of the
participants were assigned to the gabapentin group and received gabapentin 300
mg three times a day additionally. The intensity of pain at every visit and the
incidence of PHN in both groups were measured. Total 52 and 49 patients in the
gabapentin group and the control group, respectively, had completed 12 weeks of
follow-up period.
Although the
incidence of PHN was higher in the control group, the difference was not
statistically significant (6.1% vs. 3.8%, p = 0.67).
Our results
indicate that the use of low-dose gabapentin in acute herpes zoster seems not
effective in the prevention of PHN.
Dermatol Ther. 2016 Jan 22. doi: 10.1111/dth.12331
Efficacy of low dose gabapentin in acute herpes zoster for preventing postherpetic neuralgia: a prospective controlled study
Eo G. Lee et al.
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