Antiepileptic Drugs for Neuropathic Pain and Fibromyalgia

CLINICAL QUESTION: Are antiepileptic drugs associated with reduced pain intensity in patients with neuropathic pain or fibromyalgia? BOTTOM LINE: In treating diabetic neuropathy and postherpetic neuralgia compared with placebo, gabapentin and pregabalin are associated with a modest increase in the number of patients experiencing meaningful pain reduction. In treating fibromyalgia, compared with placebo, pregabalin alone is associated with a small increase in the number of patients experiencing meaningful pain reduction. There is insufficient evidence for other antiepileptics.