Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Gabapentin Superadded to a Pre-Existent Regime Containing Amytriptyline for Chronic Sciatica.

Kelvin L Robertson1,2, Laurence A G Marshman2,3

  • 1*Department of Pharmacy, Medical Services Group, The Townsville Hospital, Townsville, Douglas, Queensland kelvin.robertson@health.qld.gov.au.

Pain Medicine (Malden, Mass.)
|April 5, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Look-alike, sound-alike medication perioperative incidents in a regional Australian hospital: assessment using a novel medication safety culture assessment tool.

International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care·2025
Same author

Look-alike medications in the perioperative setting: scoping review of medication incidents and risk reduction interventions.

International journal of clinical pharmacy·2023
Same author

Posttraumatic Amnesia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Proposal for a New Severity Classification.

World neurosurgery·2022
Same author

Growth and Resorption of Chronic Subdural Hematomas: Gardner, Weir, and the Osmotic Hypothesis Revisited.

World neurosurgery·2019
Same author

S-100β in chronic subdural haematoma: Prospective cohort study.

Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia·2019
Same author

Long-term health outcomes in survivors after chronic subdural haematoma.

Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia·2019

Adding gabapentin (GBP) to amytriptyline (AMP) improved chronic sciatica (CS) in 56% of patients. However, side effects were common, leading many to discontinue GBP, though some tolerated it despite adverse events.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pharmacology
  • Pain Management

Background:

  • Chronic sciatica (CS) lacks robust evidence for medical management.
  • Current guidelines suggest antidepressants (e.g., amytriptyline, AMP) as first-line for neuropathic pain.
  • Gabapentin (GBP) is often a second-line agent, with guidelines recommending overlap with first-line treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and side effects of adding gabapentin (GBP) to an existing amytriptyline (AMP) regimen for chronic sciatica (CS).
  • To assess the impact of side effects on treatment outcomes and tolerability.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study involving patients with unilateral CS receiving AMP.
  • Gabapentin (GBP) was added to the existing AMP regimen for 3 months without other medication changes.
Keywords:
AmitriptylineGabapentinNeuropathicPainSciaticaSide-Effects

Related Experiment Videos

  • Pain reduction (Visual Analog Scale - VAS) and disability (Oswestry Disability Index - ODI) were measured, along with side effects (SE).

    • Main Results:

    • 56% of patients showed reduced VAS and ODI scores with the addition of GBP.
    • Side effects (SE) were reported by 53% of patients, with 23 different types noted.
    • 34% discontinued GBP during the titration period due to SE, and SE were associated with reduced efficacy.

    Conclusions:

    • This is the first prospective study on adding GBP to AMP for CS, reflecting clinical practice and guidelines.
    • Super-added GBP demonstrated further efficacy in over half of the patients.
    • Frequent and diverse side effects were observed, impacting tolerability and efficacy, yet 37% tolerated GBP despite SE.