Report Describes Potential Problem With New Drug For Seizures, Pain

A report in the July Annals of Neurology describes a serious adverse event experienced by a participant in a clinical trial that may raise a new caution about the use of antiepileptic drugs for conditions other than epilepsy. An elderly women enrolled in a clinical trial of pregabalin, a new drug for the treatment of pain and seizures, abruptly discontinued the medication and then developed neurological symptoms including headache, confusion and hallucinations. The study's authors from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) suggest that all patients stopping antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) should do so gradually to avoid complications of withdrawal.