Usage of pregabalin in the treatment of pain associated with chronic pancreatitis – a clinically oriented narrative review

Abdominal pain is one of the main symptoms of pancreatic diseases, including chronic pancreatitis (CP). Once the disease is in remission, pain management is a key element of treatment. Co-analgesics may also be used at any stage of analgesia, among which antiepileptic drugs such as pregabalin. The first data on the beneficial effect of pregabalin on pain in the course of CP was published in a clinical trial in 2011, and it has been known since 2015 that the analgesic effect of pregabalin on CP has a different mechanism of action than conventional analgesics. Currently, research is focused on combining pregabalin with antioxidants and on methods to predict the patient's response to pregabalin administration. Based on current research, pregabalin appears to be a very useful agent for the pharmacologic treatment of pain in the setting of CP.