title: Pregabalin reduces pain in patients with chronic pancreatitis in a randomized, controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pain is a disabling symptom for patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) and difficult to treat. Evidence from basic science and human studies indicates that pain processing by the central nervous system is abnormal and resembles that observed in patients with neuropathic pain disorders. We investigated whether agents used to treat patients with neuropathic pain are effective in CP.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the effects of the gabapentoid pregabalin as an adjuvant analgesic. We measured pain relief, health status, quality of life, and tolerability in 64 patients with pain from CP; they were randomly assigned to groups given increasing doses of pregabalin or placebo (control) for 3 consecutive weeks. The primary end point was pain relief, based on a visual analogue scale documented by a pain diary. Secondary end points included Patients' Global Impression of Change (PGIC) score, changes in physical and functional scales, pain character, quality of life, and tolerability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pregabalin, compared with placebo, caused more effective pain relief after 3 weeks of treatment (36% vs 24%; mean difference, 12%; 95% confidence interval, 22%-2%; P = .02). The percentage of patients with much or very much improved health status (PGIC score) at the end of the study was higher in the pregabalin than the control group (44% vs 21%; P = .048). Changes in physical and functional scales, pain character, quality of life, and number of serious adverse events were comparable between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a placebo-controlled trial, pregabalin is an effective adjuvant therapy for pain in patients with CP.
authors.affiliation: Mech-Sense, Department of Gastroenterology, Aalborg Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Søren Schou
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Olesen
authors.forename: Stefan A W
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bouwense
authors.forename: Oliver H G
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Wilder-Smith
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Goor
authors.forename: Asbjørn Mohr
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Drewes
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D000069583:Pregabalin; D011788:Quality of Life; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000069583:Pregabalin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid