title: Cross-over, open-label trial of the effects of gabapentin versus pregabalin on painful peripheral neuropathy and health-related quality of life in haemodialysis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Painful peripheral neuropathy (PPN) is common in haemodialysis patients and associated with impaired health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). Gabapentin and pregabalin have not been fully investigated in haemodialysis patients. Therefore, we compared the effects of gabapentin and pregabalin on intensity of pain and associated HR-QoL in haemodialysis patients with PPN.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gabapentin and pregabalin were administered after each haemodialysis session at doses of 300 and 75 mg, respectively. Patients were randomized into two groups; after 6 weeks patients underwent a 2-week washout and crossover and received another 6 weeks of treatment. All patients underwent electromyography at the outset. The short-form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ) for assessment of pain, and short-form medical outcomes study for assessment of HR-QoL at baseline and at the end of the study were applied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty patients completed the 14-week study period. Gabapentin and pregabalin significantly improved SF-MPQ total scores compared with pretreatment values (mean ± SD) [from 18.9 ± 4.3 to 9.3 ± 4.3 for gabapentin, p < 0.001, and from 18.5 ± 3.9 to 9.8 ± 3.6 for pregabalin, p < 0.001]. There was no significant difference between the study drugs in terms of efficacy against neuropathic pain (p > 0.05). Both gabapentin and pregabalin significantly improved HR-QoL at the end of the study compared with pretreatment scores (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed strong efficacy of gabapentin and pregabalin on pain intensity in the given doses. HR-QoL was also significantly improved by both drugs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Meram School of Medicine, Selcuk University, Meram, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Atalay
authors.forename: Yalcin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Solak
authors.forename: Zeynep
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Biyik
authors.forename: Abduzhappar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaipov
authors.forename: Figen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guney
authors.forename: Suleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000588:Amines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D000077206:Gabapentin; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000069583:Pregabalin; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D000700:Analgesics; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D000069583:Pregabalin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin