While gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica) share many similarities, there are a few things that set them apart. We’ll highlight seven key differences between these medications below. 1. Pregabalin is FDA approved for more uses than gabapentin, but both are often used off-label. Learn about the common side effects of gabapentin in elderly patients, including dizziness, fatigue, cognitive impairment, and more. Explore the connection between gabapentin and depression, mechanisms behind gabapentin-related depression, and strategies to manage and mitigate side effects. Discover other significant concerns for elderly gabapentin users and the importance of personalized Examples of pain-relieving anti-seizure medications include gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise) and pregabalin (Lyrica). Side effects of these medications are common and may include nausea, dizziness, drowsiness and a sense of tiredness. Gabapentin and pregabalin are similar drugs but differ in several distinct ways. The main differences are their indications—specific uses that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved them to treat—and their dosages. Background Older patients are typically underrepresented in clinical trials of medications for chronic pain. A post hoc analysis of multiple clinical studies of pregabalin in patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) or postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pregabalin in older patients. Methods Data from 11 double-blind, randomized Pregabalin is licensed for peripheral and central neuropathic pain whereas gabapentin is licensed for peripheral neuropathic pain only. Use of gabapentin for central neuropathic pain is therefore off-label. Randomized trials on pregabalin and gabapentin have shown their effectiveness on peripheral neuropathic pain reduction. Gabapentinoids are also indicated in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia, central neuropathic pain and the neuropathic component of cancer pain. Although several different types of anticonvulsants have been shown to modulate neuropathic pain activity, the 2 most commonly used are gabapentin (Neurontin, others) and pregabalin (Lyrica). Both gabapentin and pregabalin pre-synaptically bind to the a2d-subunit on voltage-dependent calcium channels, modulating calcium influx and reducing The average number of pills per day by a patient in the gabapentin group was 1.8 pills higher than the pregabalin group which was statistically significant (p = 0.01). The results of this analysis support the notion that there is no significant difference in meaningful pain reduction with gabapentin versus pregabalin. Pregabalin showed superior results compared to gabapentin in the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at various time intervals up to 12–14 weeks (SMD −0.47, 95% CI −0.74 to −0.19). Researchers publishing in JAMA Neurology describe the results of a unique trial in which 402 people with idiopathic sensory polyneuropathy were randomly assigned to one of four medications: duloxetine, mexiletine, nortriptyline, or pregabalin. After 12 weeks, each person rated their neuropathy symptoms on a scale from 1 to 10, noted any side Both Lyrica and gabapentin are used as anti-epileptic medications and to treat nerve pain. But there are several differences between them. The main differences between Lyrica and gabapentin are: Lyrica is a brand name for pregabalin. Gabapentin is a generic name - brands of gabapentin include Neurontin, Gralise, and Horizant. Gabapentin is indicated as adjunct therapy for partial seizures and postherpetic neuralgia. 4 Pregabalin is indicated for the same uses as gabapentin, plus the management of fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain associated with diabetes, specifically diabetic neuropathy. 5 The particular NNTs for pregabalin and gabapentin were 7.71 and 7.16, respectively. 10 A more recent meta-analysis in 2022 specifically focused on post-herpetic neuralgia and found greater efficacy with pregabalin in alleviating pain and improving global perception of pain and sleep. 15 Another meta-analysis published in 2021 reported similar Pregabalin showed superior results compared to gabapentin in the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at various time intervals up to 12–14 weeks (SMD −0.47, 95% CI −0.74 to −0.19). Pregabalin and gabapentin both resulted in moderate to large increases in cognitive effects (4.8%), dizziness (25.6%), and weight gain (10.1%); pregabalin also resulted in large increases in the Gabapentin and pregabalin are indicated for the treatment of neuropathic pain only. Use in other types of pain is unapproved. Cases of abuse and dependence have been reported with gabapentin and pregabalin. Evaluate patients for a history of substance abuse and observe for signs of misuse or abuse. Keywords: Gabapentin, pregabalin, pain management, adverse effects, pharmacology. Introduction. The gabapentinoid drugs gabapentin and pregabalin are antiepileptic drugs that are considered as first-line treatments for the management of neuropathic pain. 1 Pregabalin is also approved for generalised anxiety disorders in the United Kingdom. The Compare Gabapentin vs Pregabalin head-to-head with other drugs for uses, ratings, cost, side effects and interactions. The general recommendation is to commence treatment with gabapentin/pregabalin or a tricyclic antidepressant (eg, amitriptyline or nortriptyline) and, in case of focal neuropathy, topical lidocaine. The choice between a gabapentinoid and a tricyclic is based on considerations on tolerability rather than quality or intensity of pain.
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