We selected gabapentin (Neurontin), a medication reported to be widely used off label, as a specific example to explore specialist physicians' experiences with off-label prescribing. In today’s video, we explore the off-label uses of Gabapentin, also known as Neurontin. While Gabapentin is FDA-approved for partial seizures and postherpetic neuralgia, its off-label uses are more extensive, especially in psychiatry. We examined clinical trials of gabapentin (Neurontin, Pfizer) for off-label use for migraine prophylaxis, bipolar disorders, neuropathic pain, or nociceptive pain. We occasionally offer patients gabapentinoids off-label; during those clinical encounters, we note to patients that the supporting evidence is limited, review potential adverse effects, and The authors concluded that gabapentin is associated with reduction in acute pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia and peripheral diabetic neuropathy (the later indication is not approved by the FDA), and that there is limited evidence to support the use of gabapentin for other types of neuropathic pain and pain disorders. 1 This Editorial related to off-label gabapentin use; (3) review medical information pertaining to the off-label use of gabapentin; (4) outline alternatives to off-label use of gabapentin in an evidence-based fashion, where literature exists to support such alternatives; and (5) encourage key clinicians and decision makers in managed This summary uses a Cochrane review, updated in 2014, to address the efficacy of gabapentin compared with placebo to palliate neuropathic pain. 3 The Cochrane review includes 37 trials enrolling All three are taking the non-opioid pain drug for off-label uses. The only conditions for which gabapentin has been approved for adult use by the Food and Drug Administration are epileptic For gabapentin, the only pain-related indication approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is postherpetic neuralgia. For pregabalin, FDA-approved indications related to pain are limited to postherpetic neuralgia, neuropathic pain associated with diabetic neuropathy or spinal cord injury, and fibromyalgia. Off-label uses for gabapentin. Doctors often prescribe gabapentin off-label to treat conditions such as: pain from diabetic neuropathy, which is numbness or uncomfortable tingling caused by nerve damage from diabetes; nerve pain in the neck and back from conditions such as sciatica, a painful compression of the sciatic nerve Gabapentin is widely used in the United States for a number of off-label indications, often as an alternative to opioid therapy. Increasing evidence has emerged suggesting that gabapentin may not be as benign as once thought and may be associated with substance abuse in concert with opioids. Gabapentin is FDA-approved for epilepsy and neuropathic pain caused by shingles, but is often prescribed off-label for depression, ADHD, migraine, fibromyalgia, bipolar disorder and postoperative pain. Benefits of Gabapentin for Arthritis Pain . Gabapentin is used off-label for the treatment of severe knee osteoarthritis and typically when all other treatment options have failed to provide adequate relief. Gabapentin’s off-label uses—meaning prescribing gabapentin for a problem not on the FDA approval list for this medication—that physicians are finding include: Alcohol withdrawal; Anxiety; Cocaine withdrawal; Fibromyalgia; Headaches; Hiccups; Hot flashes; Hyperhidrosis; Insomnia; Migraines; Mood disorders; Pain syndromes; Peripheral Off-label gabapentin (Neurontin) got a bad rep when it missed the mark in bipolar disorder, but there may be something worth salvaging in this drug. Here, we weigh its pros and cons for anxiety, substance use disorders, sleep, pain, and hot flashes, and compare it to its underutilized cousin, pregabalin (Lyrica). Gabapentin is indicated for the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain, whereas pregabalin is approved for both central and peripheral neuropathic pain. 7 However, gabapentinoids are not indicated for sedation or for treating non-neuropathic pain. The off-label use of gabapentinoids is believed to constitute a significant portion of all There is minimal or no evidence for the use of gabapentin as an off-label therapy for other types of neuropathic pain, low-back pain, radiculopathy, or fibromyalgia. Several of the hot topics in geriatrics are pain management, medication reduction/deprescribing, and use of off-label medications. Best-practice use of gabapentinoids — gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica) — comfortably fits into all three categories. For gabapentin, the only pain-related indication approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is postherpetic neuralgia. For pregabalin, FDA-approved indications related to pain are limited to postherpetic neuralgia, neuropathic pain associated with diabetic neuropathy or spinal cord injury, and fibromyalgia. Regardless of the settlement outcome, Gabapentin (brand name “Neurontin”) is still commonly prescribed for a variety of off-label conditions including: fibromyalgia, chronic pain, bipolar disorder, alcohol withdrawal, and migraine headaches.
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