Pregabalin as an add-on Therapy to Carbamazepine in Trigeminal Neuralgia Patients

Trigeminal neuralgia is a very painful condition associated with paroxysmal severe episodes of pain. Carbamazepine has been the first line of drug for Trigeminal Neuralgia. However, there are several adverse effects linked with Carbamazepine like drowsiness, accommodation disorders, hepatitis, derangement in hepatic enzymes, renal dysfunction. Pregabalin which is an established drug in neuropathic pain has better pharmacokinetic nature which allows for easy management and rapid dose escalation to therapeutic doses. There have been only few trials evaluating efficacy of Pregabalin in classical trigeminal neuralgia. Thus, the present study is designed to evaluate the efficacy of Pregabalin as an add-on therapy to carbamazepine in patients suffering from Trigeminal Neuralgia. In present trial 50 patients fulfilling the exclusion and inclusion criteria will be recruited in two arms that is test group and the control group. The test group will be prescribed carbamazepine along with fixed dose of Pregabalin 75mg twice daily while the control group will be prescribed carbamazepine only. The dose of carbamazepine will be titrated in both groups as per patients need. The outcome regarding pain relief, quality of life and adverse effects and mean dose of carbamazepine required in both groups will be evaluated.