Gabapentin's anti-nausea and anti-emetic effects: a review

Exp Brain Res. 2014 Aug;232(8):2535-9. doi: 10.1007/s00221-014-3905-1. Epub 2014 Mar 26.

Abstract

Gabapentin's main clinical use is in the treatment of neuropathic pain where its binding to neuronal alpha-2/delta subunits of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) is critical to its mechanism of action. Over the past 10 years, there have been several reports of gabapentin also having anti-nausea and anti-emetic effects in conditions including postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), and hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). In this report, a MEDLINE electronic search was performed, and relevant citations were reviewed and classified by level of evidence; a grade of recommendation was then assigned for gabapentin's use for each studied indication. Out of 33 clinical trials reviewed, 12 assessed nausea and/or vomiting (N/V) associated with gabapentin therapy as primary outcome measures. These 12 studies provided a Grade A recommendation for gabapentin use in treating PONV, a Grade B recommendation for use in treating CINV, and a Grade C recommendation for use in treating HG. Further research is needed to confirm these initial promising results, which implicate the alpha-2/delta VGCC subunit as a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of several N/V-associated clinical conditions.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amines / therapeutic use*
  • Animals
  • Antiemetics / therapeutic use*
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / therapeutic use*
  • Gabapentin
  • Humans
  • MEDLINE / statistics & numerical data
  • Nausea / drug therapy*
  • Vomiting / drug therapy*
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Amines
  • Antiemetics
  • Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
  • Gabapentin