The Effects of Lamotrigine on Pain, Sleep, and Mood in Refractory Form of Central Post-Stroke Pain Syndrome

Background: Central post-stroke pain (CPSP) is a distressing pain syndrome, sometimes become refractory to the conventional pain managements. Anticonvulsants have been used to alleviate different central pains. Lamotrigine is a novel anticonvulsant and its proper dosage and its efficacy have not been well studied yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of 100 mg lamotrigine on refractory form of CPSP. Methods: The medical files of 17 patients with CPSP who had not responded to the other drugs and were treated with lamotrigine were studied. Using Brief Pain Inventory, pain, sleep and mood were assessed before, and after 8 and 24 weeks of treatment.  Results: After 24 weeks, 70.5 % of the patients responded to lamotrigine, and there was an improvement of 2.41 in the mean score of average pain (P=0.001). Conclusion: Lamotrigine 100 mg daily was effective in the treatment of refractory CPSP, and might be prescribed before planning for more aggressive surgical managements.