Gabapentin: a promising drug for the treatment of uremic pruritus.
Despite advances made in treatment, uremic pruritus remains a common and distressing symptom in patients on hemodialysis (HD). Gabapentin is an effective drug in the management of neuropathic pain. Considering that neuropathic pain and pruritus share similar pathogenic mechanisms, we conducted this study to evaluate the efficacy of gabapentin in controlling uremic itch. In a double blind, placebo-controlled trial, 34 adult patients on maintenance HD were enrolled. The patients were assigned to receive four weeks of treatment with either gabapentin (400 mg) or placebo administered twice weekly after HD sessions. Pruritus scores were measured using a visual analogue scale and compared between the two groups.After four weeks of treatment, the mean decrease in pruritus score in gabapentin and placebo groups was 6.7 +/- 2.6 and 1.5 +/- 1.8, respectively (p< 0.001). None of the patients was forced to drop out of the study due to side effects of the treatment. Our study suggests that gabapentin is a safe and effective treatment for uremic itch.
Department of Nephrology, Noor Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. emaminaini_afsoon@yahoo.com
Afsoon Emami
AE
Naini
Ali Amini
AA
Harandi
Saeid
S
Khanbabapour
Shahrzad
S
Shahidi
Shiva
S
Seirafiyan
Masood
M
Mohseni
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000588:Amines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D000077206:Gabapentin; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011537:Pruritus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014511:Uremia / Q000150:complications*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000588:Amines; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin