Which of the following anti-epileptic drugs has the most support for effectively treating neuropathic pain?
a. Carbamazepine
b. Phenytoin
c. Levetiracetam
d. Lamotrigine
The correct answer: A.
Carbamazepine and its analogue oxcarbazepine are effective for treating neuropathic pain, specifically trigeminal neuralgia. The routine use of carbamazepine may be limited due to its significant number of side effects. Oxcarbazepine appears to be as effective as carbamazepine for treating trigeminal neuralgia without the side effects. Phenytoin (Dilantin), levetiracetam (Kepra), and lamotrigine (Lamictal) do not have strong evidence to support their use in neuropathic pain.
Fast Fact #271 AEDs in Neuropathic Pain
