The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of topiramate in the
treatment of chronic low back pain and changes in anger status and processing,
weight, pain-related disability and health-related quality of life over
a 10-week period. Investigators conducted a randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled study of topiramate in 96 patients (36 women) that
were randomly assigned to topiramate (n=48) or placebo (n=48). Compared
to the placebo group, significant changes on the pain rating index of
several scales used in this study were observed after 10 weeks in the
patients treated with topiramate. Weight loss was also observed and
was significantly greater in the group treated with topiramate than
in the placebo group. Most patients tolerated topiramate relatively
well although 2 patients dropped out of the study because of side effects.
The researchers concluded that topiramate appears to be relatively safe
and effective in the treatment of chronic low back pain, delivering
significantly positive changes in pain sensitivity, anger status and
processing, subjective disability, health-related quality of life, and
loss of weight. Muehlbacher M, Nickel MK, Kettler C, Tritt K, Lahmann
C, Leiberich PK, Nickel C, Krawczyk J, Mitterlehner FO, Rother WK, Loew
TH, Kaplan P. Adapted from Clin J Pain. 2006 July/August; 22(6):526-531.
PMID 16788338
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed
Credit: PubMed, developed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information
(NCBI) at the National
Library of Medicine (NLM).
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