gabapentin

[lizziecorran]

I have been proscribed Gabapentin 900 mgs daily and it is helping with pain relief and clarity of thought . Is this drug commonly used to treat ME and why does it help please

[Dr Charles Shepherd]

I would not say that gabapentin is commonly used to treat pain in ME/CFS but it is an option that can be considered for moderate to severe pain, especially where this has a neuropathic (nerve pain) quality, that has not responded to other approaches.

Gabapentin has also been assessed in the closely related condition of fibromyalgia in a placebo-controlled trial.

If you download the MEA Management Report (over 4,000 respondents) from the MEA website (http://www.meassociation.org.uk) you will get some idea of the patient feedback we receive on the use of this drug (and others) for pain relief

We have an MEA information leaflet covering all aspects of pain relief (drug and non drug) and one on gabapentin - where the possible mode of action is discussed.

[Dr Charles Shepherd]

Nobody is certain how gabapentin acts to reduce pain sensation. But it may well be due to the way in which it affects chemical transmitter systems (= neurotransmitters) in the brain that are involved in the recognition and processing of messages about pain that are constantly being passed to the brain.

[curlytots71]

My gp has recently put on gabapentin as I have moderate/ severe pain I'm only on a low dose for now but before I was on codrydramol which wasn't doing anything