Efficacy of a novel and potent antiepileptic in inflammatory and acute pain model in rodents

Pain is one of the most common presentations of many disorders and needs immediate appropriate attention of treating physician. Some antiepileptics are established drugs for neuropathic pain while the analgesic effect of these drugs in acute and prolonged inflammatory pain needs to be evaluated. The present study was planned to observe the effect of lamotrigine [a newer anticonvulsant] in formalin test which is a model of acute and prolonged inflammatory pain and to compare it with conventional opioid analgesic tramadol. Per oral administration of lamotrigine produced no marked effect on first phase response of formalin test but significantly suppressed the second phase response. As lamotrigine produced significant effect in prolonged inflammatory pain in second phase of formalin induced paw oedema test, so it could be effective in various clinical conditions associated with prolonged inflammatory pain.