Gabapentin Add-On Therapy for Patients with Spinal Cord Injury
Associated Neurogenic Overactive Detrusors That Are Unresponsive to
Combined Anticholinergic and Beta-3 Adrenergic Therapy
Abstract
Spinal cord injury is a major cause of lifelong morbidity. Functional
micturition problems are common while the management choices are
comparatively narrow. Some patients are refractory to the combination of
the available therapeutics, namely the anticholinergics and a
beta-adrenergic named mirabegron. In this paper we report our results of
using gabapentin as an add-on treatment in the refractory overactive
detrusor cases secondary to spinal cord injury. Material and Methods A
total of 27 patients who had spinal cord injury between the levels of
second thoracic and fourth lumbar vertebrae and had an overactive
detrusor in urodynamic studies were included in this retrospective
study. The patients were selected as they also had not responded to a
combination of an anticholinergic and mirabegron and had neuropathic
pain. Gabapentin treatment was added to the previous therapy.
Demographics, previous treatments, chronic conditions, urodynamic
findings, clinical and urodynamic responses are reported in this paper.
Results We observed the response in the urodynamic studies of 11
patients (40.17%), in terms of decreased detrusor contractions, maximal
detrusor pressure, and the number of the incontinence episodes. Sixteen
patients did not respond to the gabapentin add-on therapy and were
referred for Botulinum Toxin injections to the bladder. Conclusion
Gabapentin add-on therapy can be considered as an option in neurogenic
overactive detrusor patients who did not respond to the combination of
anticholinergics and mirabegron. The approved usage of gabapentin for
neurogenic pain justifies its usage in this area. In our selected
patient group, who had not responded to the combination therapy, we
observed a clinical benefit in one-third of the patients.