A commonly prescribed pain medication—gabapentin—often considered a safer alternative to opioids for those who suffer from low back pain is now under scrutiny after being linked to increased Gabapentin is commonly used to treat and prevent seizures in people with epilepsy or to treat nerve pain (postherpetic neuralgia) that can occur after a viral infection called shingles. A large U.S. medical records study has found that adults prescribed gabapentin six or more times for chronic low back pain face significantly higher risks of dementia (29%) and mild cognitive impairment (85%) within 10 years. Gabapentin is a medication that has gained significant attention for its effectiveness in managing nerve pain. Originally developed as an anticonvulsant, it is now commonly prescribed for various conditions, including neuropathic pain, postherpetic neuralgia, and even restless legs syndrome. Gabapentin is approved to prevent and control partial seizures, relieve postherpetic neuralgia after shingles and moderate-to-severe restless legs syndrome. Learn what side effects to watch for, drugs to avoid while taking gabapentin, how to take gabapentin and other important questions and answers. It can take one to two weeks to feel the full effects of Gabapentin for nerve pain. Some people use this medication long-term. Learn how long you should take Gabapentin for nerve pain. Gabapentin is in a class of medications called anticonvulsants. Gabapentin treats seizures by decreasing abnormal excitement in the brain. Gabapentin relieves the pain of PHN by changing the way the body senses pain. It is not known exactly how gabapentin works to treat restless legs syndrome. Gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise, Horizant) is a medicine used to treat partial seizures, nerve pain from shingles and restless leg syndrome. It works on the chemical messengers in your brain and nerves. Gabapentin is from a group of medicines called anticonvulsants. Frequent use of gabapentin for back pain may raise the risk of dementia by 29% and mild cognitive impairment by 85%, new study finds. Gabapentin is used to control seizures, to treat nerve pain that can happen after having had shingles, and to treat a condition called restless legs syndrome. In addition to these FDA-approved uses, doctors sometimes prescribe gabapentin off-label. Gabapentin is a prescription medication commonly used to manage conditions such as epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and anxiety disorders. It works by altering the way nerves communicate with the brain. USES: Gabapentin is used with other medications to prevent and control seizures. It is also used to relieve nerve pain following shingles (a painful rash due to herpes zoster infection) in adults. Receiving six or more prescriptions of the drug gabapentin for low back pain is associated with significantly increased risks of developing dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI)—29% and Gabapentin is commonly used to treat some types of nerve pain but is classified as an anticonvulsant medicine, not as an opioid or painkiller. Gabapentin was first approved in 1993 and is used to treat: postherpetic neuralgia, a nerve pain caused by the shingles virus (herpes zoster), restless legs syndrome (RLS), a painful movement disorder in the legs partial seizures in adults and children Gabapentin, which is used to treat seizures, nerve pain and restless leg syndrome might be linked with increased risk of dementia, a new study says. People who’d received six or more gabapentin prescriptions were more likely to be diagnosed with dementia or mild cognitive impairment within 10 years of their initial pain diagnosis, results show. Looking at age groups, researchers found that 18- to 64-year-olds prescribed gabapentin were more than twice as likely to develop dementia or MCI. Postherpetic neuralgia: It’s also used to treat pain from nerve damage caused by shingles, a painful rash that affects adults. Shingles appear after infection with the varicella-zoster virus. Neurontin: Treats pain from shingles (postherpetic neuralgia) and, when combined with other seizure medications, treats partial-onset seizures in adults and children over 3 years old. In animal models of analgesia, gabapentin prevents allodynia and hyperalgesia. Michael Verret et. al.; Perioperative Use of Gabapentinoids for the Management of Postoperative Acute Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Anesthesiology 2020; 133:265–279 doi: Gabapentinoid drugs—specifically gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica)—are increasingly being prescribed for pain because physicians and patients seek alternatives to opioids in the
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