Gabapentin
Gabapentin was originally licensed for use as an anti-epileptic drug. It then became widely used in neuropathic pain, and has been proven to work as for migraine prevention. Many severe headache disorders can be treated: - Migraine (randomised trial 1998, but never published in full (to my knowledge), 145 subjects, dose 2400-3000mg/day)
- Chronic Daily Headache - 9% reduction in pain, randomised trial 2003, 133 subjects
- Cluster Headache (case series only, but 8 out of 8 resistant cases became pain free)
- SUNCT. Several case series. One series of 3 cases all responded. Another 10 did not. Not certain to say if effective.
- Trigeminal Neuralgia. Case series evidence only. Seemed to help at least one case of MS related neuralgia. NO randomised trials
- Supraorbital Neuralgia. Case report only.
- Glossopharyngeal neuralgia. Case series only. Recent series of 9 from Spain (article in Spanish, abstract in English 7/9 some response).
- Occipital Neuralgia Case report only.
- High Altitude Headache Case report only.
- Hypnic Headache case report evidence only
- Nummular Headache
References
Spira and Beran Prophylaxis of chronic daily headache. Neurology 2003;61:1753-1759. (Free Abstract only)Mathew NT 1998 - presented to American Pain Society, California Leandri M et al. Drug-resistant cluster headache: a pilot study Cephalalgia 2001;21:744-746 (Free Abstract only) MC França Jr et al. Gabapentin-responsive idiopathic stabbing headache. Cephalalgia 2004;24:993-6 (Free Abstract only) Cohen AS et al. Abnormal blink reflex studies in a patient with supraorbital neuralgia. Cephalalgia 2006;26:875-8. (Free Abstract only) Moretti R et al. Glossopharyngeal neuralgia: a follow-up of four years of a single case.Eur J Pain. 2002;6:403-7. (Free Abstract only) Frese A et al. Geniculate neuralgia as a manifestation of neuroborreliosis. Headache 2002;42:826-8(Free Abstract only) i.e. describes nervus intermedius pain treated with GBP. Jafarian S et al. Low-dose-gabapentin in treatment of high-altitude headache. Cephalalgia 2007;27:1274-7 (Free Abstract only)
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