ABSTRACT
Antiepileptic drugs (AED) are moderately effective in the management of neuropathic pain with the number needed to treat ranging from 1.9 to 7.1. AEDs may have efficacy in conditions not considered neuropathic. Safety issues vary from one AED to another, are complex, and require the full attention of the prescribing clinician. The clinical applications of the two families of drugs have subsequently separated somewhat, with AEDs finding a new role in non-neuropathic pain. Several small case series are reported in which most of the second and third generation antiepileptic drugs have been used in various chronic pain conditions, usually neuropathic pain and/or headache. The clinician should resist the temptation to try just another drug from this class when others have failed; many old and new AEDs require good understanding of their pharmacological properties and attention to detail if they are to be used safely.
