Gabapentin in combination with venlafaxine in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain

WENG Ying; GUO Shouyu; SUN Hui

doi:10.3639/j.issn.1671-2897.2025.03.017

Abstract：Objective To investigate the efficacy of gabapentin in combination with venlafaxine in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain(DPNP).Methods A total of 168 patients with DPNP were selected from the Department of Endocrinology at the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 1,2022,to January 1,2023.Patients were randomly divided into a control group(treated with gabapentin)and an observation group(treated with venlafaxine in combination with gabapentin),with 84 patients in each group,both in 4 weeks'treatment.The total effective rate of treatment between the two groups were compared,the visual analog score(VAS)and serum pain mediator level before and after treatment were compared,and the nerve function of each group and the incidence of adverse reactions were also compared.Results After treatment,compared with the control group,the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher(P<0.05).Before treatment,there was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of VAS scores,5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT),substance P(SP)and prostaglandin(PG)levels(P>0.05),and after treatment there was a significant decrease in the two groups in these aspects,and the decrease was more significant in the observation group(P<0.05).Before treatment,there was no statistically significant difference in the conduction velocity of median and common peroneal nerves in both groups(P>0.05),and the conduction velocity of median and common peroneal nerves in both groups increased significantly after treatment,and the increase was more significant in the observation group(P<0.05).At the end of the treatment,there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence rate of adverse reactions in the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusions Gabapentin combined with venlafaxine in the treatment of DPNP significantly increases the nerve conduction velocity,improves the analgesic effect,and does not increase the adverse reactions.