A comparison of pregabalin and gabapentin in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy

Paper presented to the 7th Annual Symposium on Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) held at the Marcus Welcome Center, Wichita State University, May 4, 2011.Research completed at the Department of Physician AssistantBackground: Peripheral neuropathy is a condition involving the nerves that carry information to and from the central nervous system. It is characterized by numbness, tingling, burning in the limbs, pain, and loss of sensation and muscle control. Diabetes mellitus is the most common cause in the United States. Two drugs recommended for treatment include gabapentin and pregabalin. Study purpose: To compare the efficacy of pregabalin to gabapentin in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy. Methods: An evidence based review was used to evaluate English language literature articles from 2003 to 2010. Expected results: Based on initial article reviews we expect to find that treatment of peripheral neuropathy with pregabalin is more efficacious than gabapentin in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy