• H McQuay, D Carroll, A R Jadad, P Wiffen, and A Moore.
• Oxford Pain Relief Unit, Churchill Hospital.
• BMJ. 1995 Oct 21;311(7012):1047-52.

ObjectiveTo determine effectiveness and adverse effects of anticonvulsant drugs in management of pain.DesignSystematic review of randomised controlled trials of anticonvulsants for acute, chronic, or cancer pain identified by using Medline, by hand searching, by searching reference lists, and by contacting investigators.SubjectsBetween 1966 and February 1994, 37 reports were found; 20 reports, of four anticonvulsants, were eligible.Main Outcome MeasuresNumbers needed to treat were calculated for effectiveness, adverse effects, and drug related withdrawal from study.ResultsThe only placebo controlled study in acute pain found no analgesic effect of sodium valproate. For treating trigeminal neuralgia, carbamazepine had a combined number needed to treat of 2.6 for effectiveness, 3.4 for adverse effects, and 24 for severe effects (withdrawal from study). For treating diabetic neuropathy, anticonvulsants had a combined number needed to treat of 2.5 for effectiveness, 3.1 for adverse effects, and 20 for severe effects. For migraine prophylaxis, anticonvulsants had a combined number needed to treat of 1.6 for effectiveness, 2.4 for adverse effects, and 39 for severe effects. Phenytoin had no effect on the irritable bowel syndrome, and carbamazepine had little effect on pain after stroke. Clonazepam was effective in one study for temporomandibular joint dysfunction. No study compared one anticonvulsant with another.ConclusionsAnticonvulsants were effective for trigeminal neuralgia and diabetic neuropathy and for migraine prophylaxis. Minor adverse effects occurred as often as benefit.

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