When it comes to managing chronic pain, doctors often face a difficult balance: finding treatments that are effective without being addictive or overly risky. One medication that has grown increasingly popular in recent years is gabapentin — a prescription drug originally approved by the FDA to control seizures and nerve-related pain.

Because gabapentin is considered safer than opioids, many physicians prescribe it not only for epilepsy and nerve pain but also “off-label” for issues like sciatica, fibromyalgia, hot flashes, restless nights, and even anxiety.

But like all medications, gabapentin isn’t without side effects. Common ones include dizziness, drowsiness, and nausea. More concerning are recent findings suggesting a possible connection between long-term use of gabapentin and cognitive decline, including mild memory problems and dementia.

What the New Study Found

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University and several medical institutions examined health records from over 26,000 adults dealing with chronic pain conditions. They compared patients who had received at least six prescriptions of gabapentin with those who did not take the drug, then followed the data over a ten-year period.

The results, published in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, raised important questions:

see next page