Evaluating efficacy of pregabalin in diabetic peripheral neuropathy pain management

This study aims to define the efficacy of pregabalin in treating neuropathic pain in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), both as a monotherapy and in combination with other drugs that are commonly used to treat DPN in a clinical setting. Thus, physicians are able to make more informed decisions when choosing drugs to relieve DPN. Studies found on PubMed and Embase were evaluated for the role of pregabalin in DPN pain management, as well as its efficacy in comparison to other treatments. Search terms included "pregabalin," "diabetic," "peripheral," "neuropathy," and "pain." Experimental groups varied from amitriptyline, duloxetine, carbamazepine, venlafaxine, and Xiaoketongbi Formula (XF). Pregabalin was shown to have no difference when compared to amitriptyline; however, longer treatment regimens should be performed. Duloxetine is more effective at lower dosages, but pregabalin is more effective at higher dosages. Additionally, pregabalin was found to be more effective than carbamazepine and venlafaxine. Surprisingly, XF was found to be as effective as pregabalin, demonstrating a potential role of herbal treatments. Combination therapies did not have a significant advantage over pregabalin monotherapy in treating DPN. In terms of adverse effects, pregabalin was more tolerated among patients, though side effects were generally mild. Pregabalin remains an effective option for DPN pain management and is considered noninferior to current monotherapies and combination therapies.