Table 2.
Withdrawals due to adverse events
| INTERVENTION TYPE | NO. OF RCTs | INTERVENTION EVENT RATE, % (n/N) | CONTROL EVENT RATE, % (n/N) | RISK RATIO (95% CI) | NUMBER NEEDED TO HARM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture | 1 | 7 (2/28) | 3 (1/31) | 2.21 (0.21 to 23.11) | NSS |
| Anticonvulsant medications | |||||
| • Gabapentin | 8 | 13 (184/1470) | 8 (72/911) | 1.47 (1.13 to 1.91) | 22 |
| • Oxcarbazepine | 3 | 26 (102/395) | 7 (16/234) | 3.82 (2.28 to 6.39) | 6 |
| • Pregabalin | 24 | 11 (399/3701) | 5 (105/2240) | 2.15 (1.74 to 2.65) | 17 |
| • Topiramate | 1 | 24 (52/214) | 8 (9/109) | 2.94 (1.51 to 5.75) | 7 |
| Opioids | 6 | 14 (84/593) | 6 (31/556) | 2.55 (1.73 to 3.76) | 12 |
| SNRIs | 7 | 13 (207/1655) | 5 (42/879) | 2.48 (1.78 to 3.45) | 13 |
| Rubefacients | 3 | 6 (36/599) | 2 (8/428) | 3.31 (1.56 to 7.01) | 25 |
NSS—not statistically significant, RCT—randomized controlled trial, SNRI—serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor.