Comparison of Celecoxib and Gabapentin in Preventing Post-Cesarean Section Pain: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: Given the established effectiveness of gabapentin and NSAIDs in reducing postoperative pain and the paucity of comparative studies of gabapentin and NSAIDs for postoperative pain management, our current study was designed to assess and compare the effectiveness of celecoxib and gabapentin in preventing post-cesarean section pain.

Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on pregnant women who underwent elective caesarean sections with spinal anesthesia who were referred to Mousavi Hospital, Iran, in 2022. Patients meeting inclusion criteria were grouped via balanced block randomization into three groups. Group 1 received 600 mg of gabapentin and group 2 received 200 mg of celecoxib 1 hour before the surgery, while group 3 did not receive any pain-relief medication before the surgery. Patients’ pain levels were recorded using the visual analog scale (VAS) in the recovery room, as well as at 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery. Comparisons between groups were made using one-way ANOVA and chi-squared tests.

Results: The mean age of participating mothers was 27.4 ± 4.69 years. There were no statistically significant differences in the mean nausea levels or the request for additional medication among the groups at any time points (0, 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours after the intervention) in mothers following cesarean section surgery (p > 0.05). At all time points, the mean VAS score in the gabapentin group was lower than in the celecoxib and control groups (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Our study suggests that preoperative administration of 600 mg of gabapentin can effectively reduce postoperative pain in women undergoing elective cesarean section surgery. No significant differences in side effects were observed among groups. This research highlights the potential of gabapentin as a valuable component of pain management strategies for cesarean section patients.