Drug Education: Lyrica Vs Gabapentin

Lyrica And Gabapentin: A Point by Point Comparison

Gabapentin was discovered by a group of Japanese scientists as early as 40 years ago. It was introduced in the United States by the pharmaceutical company Parke-Davis back in 2004 under the trade name Neurontin. Parke-Davis’s parent company Pfizer considers Neurontin as one of its best selling drugs.

Lyrica is another popular drug marketed by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. It was approved by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration the same year Neurontin was brought to the US. Unlike Gabapentin, Lyrica is regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency as a Schedule V drug. (1)

Uses of Lyrica and Gabapentin

Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant, an anti-epileptic medication. It is used to treat epilepsy as well as nerve pain from shingles by altering body chemicals, which in turn affect nerves in the body.

Lyrica, also known as pregabalin, is chemically related to Gabapentin. Like the latter, it is also an anti-epileptic medication. However, Lyrica has been proven to cure more diseases. Aside from nerve pain caused by shingles, it can also be used for such as a result of diabetes, spinal cord injury, and fibromyalgia.

Evidently, Lyrica proves to be the more superior drug, being a cure for a wider range of diseases. However, before deciding which of the two you should take, there are more things that you should consider.

What are the Side Effects of Lyrica and Gabapentin?

Sharing some functions, the use of either Lyrica or Gabapentin may display the following side effects:

Chest pain and/or trouble breathing
Mood behavior and depression
Muscle Pain
Vision Problems
Problems with memory and/or concentration
Tremors
Dizziness
Drowsiness

Side Effects of Lyrica

Aside from those shared with Gabapentin, the side effects of Lyrica include (2)

Easy bruising or bleeding
Swelling in your hands or feet
Rapid weight gain
Loss of balance or coordination
Breast swelling
Dry mouth
Constipation

Side Effects of Gabapentin

Aside from those shared with Lyrica, the side effects of Gabapentin include (3)

Increased seizures
Severe weakness or tiredness
Upper stomach pain
Kidney problems—little or painful urination and swelling of feet or ankles
Severe skin reaction – fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling
Headache

What is Cheaper?

Gabapentin is the more popular option between the two. Looking only at the per unit value of both drugs, it definitely comes cheaper with the lowest price available only at $13.38 for 90 capsules or $0.1497 each. Unlike Lyrica, this has a variety of generic options. (4)

Lyrica commands a higher price from the market. To purchase a 75mg (60 capsules) bottle, you will have to make your pocket $431.10 lighter. That is $7.185 per capsule, which is 4,800 percent higher compared to Gabapentin. Generic version for this drug is also expected in 2019, possibly lowering its price. (5)

Effectiveness Of Lyrica and Gabapentin

Lyrica has been proven to be more effective in treating neuropathic pain compared to Gabapentin. In fact, a lower dosage of Lyrica is needed to cure the same sickness owing to its high absorption rate. It’s plasma concentrations increase linearly with the dose.

The more Lyrica you take, the higher the concentrations. This is not true, however, for Gabapentin. The same goes for partial epilepsy. When the two were compared, 150mg to 600mg of Lyrica was shown to be more effective than 900mg to 2400mg of Gabapentin. (6) (7)

Conclusion

Given the budget, Lyrica remains to be the more viable choice for both neuropathic pain and epilepsy. It is the more expensive option, but it requires a lower dosage to acquire the same results.

References

Lyrica. (n.d.) Retrieved August 7, 2017, from https://www.drugs.com/lyrica.html

Gabapentin. (n.d.) Retrieved August 7, 2017, from https://www.drugs.com/gabapentin.html

How does pregabalin compare to gabapentin in the treatment of neuropathic pain? by McAuley. (n.d.). Retrieved August 7, 2017, from http://www.globalrph.com/pregabalin.htm

Pregabalin versus gabapentin in partial epilepsy: a meta-analysis of dose-response relationships by Delahoy, Thompson, and Marschner. (2010). Retrieved August 7, 2017, from https://bmcneurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2377-10-104

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