In article , "CatNipped"
wrote:

"Howard Berkowitz" wrote in message
...

Neurontin (generic name gabapentin) isn't quite a major breakthrough
drug, as in a completely new therapeutic class, but it's an important
improvement both for preventing convulsion and treating pain from nerve
damage. In the present climate of problems in reporting side effects,
I
thought I might add one that's been observed by several human
physicians
I know, but isn't mentioned in the product literature.

I have no way of knowing if this will occur in cats, but it appears to
cause weight gain in a fair number of humans. In some of these cases,
that may even be beneficial, to a patient that's debilitated from
convulsions or intractable nerve pain. Up to very recently, it was the
best thing we had for diabetic neuropathic pain, although a new and
specific agent has just been approved for that indication. Research
I'm
tracking indicate that it's reasonably likely that several new classes
of pain management drugs will be reaching approval soon, but I have no
idea if they can be used in cats.

Please be careful and do a lot of research before using Neurontin.
Pfizer
has promoted this drug for at least 11 "off-label" medical conditions,
including pain management (pain management is a multi-billion dollar
market). Here's a link that tells more about their unethical practices:
http://www.citizen.org/ELETTER/ARTICLES/neurontin.htm

I have no financial or personal interest in Pfizer. I do, however, have
an appreciable background in the scientific basis of pain management,
and have seen appreciable independent research, as well as specific
clinical applications, where gabapentin gave relief for neurogenic pain
that could not be relieved by other drugs.

From the article:

"A senior marketing executive at Parke-Davis was quoted during a
teleconference as saying to medical liaisons:

Pain management, now that's money. Monotherapy, that's money. We don't
want
to share these patients with everybody, we want them on Neurontin only.
We
want their whole drug budget, not a quarter, not half, the whole
thing....That's where we need to be holding their hand and whispering in
their ear: 'Neurontin for pain, Neurontin for monotherapy, Neurontin for
everything' ... I don't want to hear that safety crap either, have you
tried
Neurontin, every one of you should take one just to see there is nothing
[that the drug is safe], it's a great drug."

The above indeed is crap. Nevertheless, see comments below.

It was prescribed to me for my Fibromyalgia and when I had to quit taking
it
the withdrawal was devastating - including nausea, feeling electrical
shock-like tingling all over my body, headache, dizziness, swelling
limbs,
black-out episodes (quite scary when driving), trembling, feeling
increased
pain, and panic attacks.

Gabapentin, as do other drugs, including those with multiple approved
applications, are of the family of anticonvulsants. Some of their modes
of action involve increasing the action potential (i.e., triggering
level) of various peripheral and central nerves.

Regardless of what the Pfizer marketdroid said, there are many extremely
legitimate indications, on and off label, for the several classes of
anticonvulsants. Valproate and carbemazepine may well be more effective
and safer than lithium for hypomanic states and some other mood
disorders. Carbemazepine was the first treatment for tic douloreaux,
often described as the worst pain syndrome known, that did not involve
destroying the trigeminal nerve, a key facial nerve.

I would find it extremely unlikely that ANY reputable pharmacology
textbook or medical school course would EVER recommend quitting an
anticonvulsant that the patient has been taking for any appreciable
time. Especially when there is a history of a convulsive disorder, but
even when the drug has been prescribed for other purposes, seizures are
not at all uncommon.

The reactions describe could very well have taken place had you suddenly
stopped, after therapy of any duration, any anticonvulsant, be it
phenytoin, carbemazepine, valproate, phenobarbital, etc. Indeed, when
there is a medical necessity to stop drugs of this class,
hospitalization is frequently recommended (especially with
barbiturates). Severe physical withdrawal is less likely with
benzdiazepine anticonvulsants such as clonazepam -- which has other
valid applications, some on and off label. I take it myself, and have
been terrified at the possible reactions on running out. While I haven't
had any severe reactions, I absolutely would not drive, for example, if
I had missed several doses.

Having lost my insurance, I fully appreciate the problems that an
expensive drug can present. While some drug warnings are more to protect
the manufacturer, this is a class of drugs where the warning not to stop
without medical supervision is not an exaggeration.

There is also no generally accepted treatment for fibromyalgia, and a
quite competent rheumatologist or neurologist is quite likely to try an
assortment of drugs (and nonpharmacologic treatments) on a mostly trial
and error basis. There really is no alternative to such an approach.

In other words, it's not all evil drug companies.