Gabapentin - A Solution to Uremic Pruritus?

• Status: Unknown status
• Trial end date: 2006-03-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

To investigate using the drug gabapentin to relieve the intense pruritic sensation associated with chronic renal failure patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

• Phase: N/A

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Hospital Authority, Hong Kong
• Collaborator: Pfizer
• Treatments: Gabapentin; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult Chinese male and female patients aged > 18 undergoing CAPD for at least 3 months and able to read and understand Chinese

• Patients experiencing moderate to severe pruritis, defined as persistent, treatment-resistant pruritis considerably impairing sleep or daytime activity. Treatment resistance is defined as no or only partial resolvement of pruritis under current anti-pruritis treatment regimens such as anti-pruritis lotions and anti-histamines.

• Patients in stable clinical condition in terms of peritoneal dialysis and general health

• Patients able to understand and answer the SDS questionnaire

• Patients able to express the sensation of itchiness in the terms of the VAS and the SDS score

• Patients who are willing to give written informed consent and to participate in and comply with the study protocol

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with a known history of pruritis or dermatologic disease antedating renal failure.

• Patients with skin disease other than the usual cutaneous findings of uraemia such as xerosis or ecchymosis.

• Patients under current treatment with systemic steroids

• Known history of allergy to Gabapentin

• Those patients already put on anti-convulsants

• Unable to give written informed consent for the study

• Pregnancy or female patients of child-bearing age who are unwilling to use contraception

• Poor drug compliance

• Known HIV positivity

• Active neoplastic disease

• Those who do not want to participate the study