Morphine and pregabalin in the treatment of neuropathic pain

Abstract

The drugs that are currently available to treat neuropathic pain exhibit inadequate efficacy and numerous adverse effects. The present study compared the efficacy of combination therapy with pregabalin and morphine with that of each as a single agent in patients with neuropathic pain. The primary measurement was mean daily pain intensity. Secondary measurements included a pain questionnaire, adverse effects, mood and quality of life. Combination therapy of morphine plus pregabalin and morphine monotherapy were both more effective at reducing neuropathic pain than pregabalin monotherapy. Furthermore, patients in the combination group noted that their quality of life markedly improved from the baseline, as compared with the patients in the other two groups. These findings indicate that combination therapy with morphine and pregabalin may be used as a valuable therapy for neuropathic pain.