Gabapentin: Saint Or Sinner For Neuropathy?

Today's post from fibromyalgianewstoday.com (see link below) looks carefully at the effects of Gabapentin (neurontin), an anti-epilepsy drug, on neuropathic pain and other symptoms. While the drug doesn't emerge too badly from the studies done, there are reservations regarding who is suitable for this sort of treatment and what any potential side effects may be. As with most drugs currently used to treat neuropathy symptoms, the issue of side effects is never very far away and this is largely due to the fact that almost all drugs are designed for other diseases and conditions altogether but because of their potential effect on the brain and nerve pain signals, they have been 'extended' to cover neuropathic symptoms. They are of theoretical benefit therefore but patients should always discuss their use carefully with their doctors and then after that, do their own research about the drug on the internet.

Gabapentin Has Therapeutic Benefits in Some Patients With Neuropathic Pain and Fibromyalgia
August 6th, 2015 Patricia Silva, PhD

The study entitled “Gabapentin for chronic neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia in adults” represents an updated review on the work developed regarding the effects of gabapentin in pain conditions. The study was published in The Cochrane Library by researchers at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London in the United Kingdom, and the Technische Universität München in Germany.

Chronic neuropathic pain corresponds to a complex state of pain where the nerve fibers have become damaged or dysfunctional. Neuropathic pain is not responsive to normal pain medicines, like paracetamol or ibuprofen. Antiepileptic drugs are in fact often used in the management of chronic neuropathic pain and also fibromyalgia, a medical disorder characterized by widespread chronic musculoskeletal pain, incapacitating fatigue, stiffness and numbness in certain parts of the body, painful response to pressure, headaches, unrefreshing sleep (poor sleep quality), anxiety or depression and mood alterations. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can affect people’s ability to conduct simple daily tasks, compromising their quality of life.

Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant and analgesic drug used to relieve neuropathic pain. In the study, the authors assessed the analgesic efficacy and adverse effects associated with gabapentin use in patients with chronic neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia. The team conducted a retrospective analysis of literature on the subject and selected for further assessment randomized, double-blind studies on adult participants with neuropathic pain or fibromyalgia under gabapentin treatment. Special attention was given to the drug’s analgesic effects as well as adverse events; pain intensity and/or relief were assessed.

Researchers found that gabapentin therapy (doses of 1200 mg or more) was effective as a pain reliever in some patients with chronic neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, post-herpetic neuralgia (chronic pain following shingles) and painful diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage linked to diabetes). Concerning other pain conditions there was insufficient data to draw any conclusions.

In terms of safety, more adverse events were reported in patients under gabapentin treatment in comparison to placebo groups, including dizziness (19%), somnolence (14%), gait disturbance (9%) and peripheral edema (7%). Regarding serious adverse events, a similar proportion (3%) was found in both gabapentin and placebo groups.

The research team concluded that gabapentin can be a helpful therapeutic agent for some patients struggling with neuropathic pain or fibromyalgia. Unfortunately, at this point, it is not possible to predict who might benefit from such therapy beforehand. The team suggests that further studies should be conducted on the subject.

Patricia Silva, PhD

Patrícia holds her PhD in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases from the Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, The Netherlands. She has studied Applied Biology at Universidade do Minho and was a postdoctoral research fellow at Instituto de Medicina Molecular in Lisbon, Portugal. Her work has been focused on molecular genetic traits of infectious agents such as viruses and parasites.

http://fibromyalgianewstoday.com/2015/08/06/gabapentin-therapeutic-benefits-patients-neuropathic-pain-fibromyalgia/