Gabapentin

From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history
(Redirected from Horizant)

Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant drug primarily developed to treat epilepsy, but now more commonly used for chronic pain.[1] It is being used off-label for ME/CFS and fibromyalgia patients mostly to augment pain relief.[2][3] Common brand names for gabapentin are Neurontin, Horizant, which is used for restless legs syndrome, and Gralise.[1] Gabapentin is very similar to Lyrica (pregabalin).[4]

Theory[edit | edit source]

Evidence[edit | edit source]

Gabapentin is one of the drugs suggested for use in people with ME/CFS to treat related pain; it is suggested in both the Canadian Consensus Criteria for ME/CFS and the International Consensus Criteria for ME.[5][6]

Side Effects[edit | edit source]

Many side effects have been reported.[7][1]

More commonly ones reported are:

  • clumsiness
  • unsteadiness, and continuous, uncontrolled, back-and-forth, or rolling eye movements
  • weight gain[5]

More commonly one reported in children are:

  • aggressive behavior or other behavior problems
  • anxiety
  • concentration problems and change in school performance
  • crying
  • depression
  • false sense of well-being
  • hyperactivity or increase in body movements
  • rapidly changing moods
  • reacting too quickly, too emotional, or overreacting
  • restlessness
  • suspiciousness or distrust

Less commonly ones reported are:

  • black, tarry stools
  • chest pain
  • chills
  • cough
  • depression, irritability, or other mood or mental changes
  • fever
  • loss of memory
  • pain or swelling in the arms or legs
  • painful or difficult urination
  • shortness of breath
  • sore throat
  • sores, ulcers, or white spots on the lips or in the mouth
  • swollen glands
  • unusual bleeding or bruising
  • unusual tiredness or weakness

Learn more[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Gabapentin - brand name list from Drugs.com". Drugs.com. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Fibromyalgia treatment: Is Neurontin effective?". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Gabapentin Shown Effective for Fibromyalgia Pain". National Institutes of Health (NIH). September 29, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Lyrica vs Gabapentin: What's the difference?". Drugs.com. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Carruthers, Bruce M.; Jain, Anil Kumar; De Meirleir, Kenny L.; Peterson, Daniel L.; Klimas, Nancy G.; Lerner, A. Martin; Bested, Alison C.; Flor-Henry, Pierre; Joshi, Pradip; Powles, AC Peter; Sherkey, Jeffrey A.; van de Sande, Marjorie I. (2003), "Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Clinical Working Case Definition, Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols" (PDF), Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 11 (2): 7–115, doi:10.1300/J092v11n01_02
  6. ↑ Carruthers, BM; van de Sande, MI; De Meirleir, KL; Klimas, NG; Broderick, G; Mitchell, T; Staines, D; Powles, ACP; Speight, N; Vallings, R; Bateman, L; Bell, DS; Carlo-Stella, N; Chia, J; Darragh, A; Gerken, A; Jo, D; Lewis, DP; Light, AR; Light, KC; Marshall-Gradisnik, S; McLaren-Howard, J; Mena, I; Miwa, K; Murovska, M; Stevens, SR (2012), Myalgic encephalomyelitis: Adult & Paediatric: International Consensus Primer for Medical Practitioners (PDF), ISBN 978-0-9739335-3-6
  7. ↑ "Gabapentin (Oral Route) Side Effects - Mayo Clinic". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
Retrieved from "https://me-pedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gabapentin&oldid=237854"