Re: Medicines: Going Off Label

[Guest guest]

I have so many different opinions about this. I was put on

nuerontin way back when when I was first diagnosed and it scared me

to my shoes.

A epilepsy drug being given to me for pain and headaches.

I was on it for 3 months and didn't get any relief so my doctor

didn't refill the prescription.

Last year I read an article where the company that makes neurontin

was pushing the use of their drug for things it wasn't approved of

and was being sanctioned by the FDA.

The people at the top were telling the saleman to push the drug to

doctors to up its sales. They weren't making enough money off of it

just selling it as an epileptic seizure medication.

I myself, won't take off-label drugs. I have had several

discussions with my physicians about this. There are no studies

done for a patient with RA taking neurontin for headaches or

pain...no studies to show what affects could happen down the road.

there are studies for the epileptic and they are given a list of

things to watch for.

I believe that we should only take the drugs that the FDA has

approved for a certain condition and not the others until they have

been approved by the FDA for use in that particular spectrum.

Why should we be the guinea pigs for the drug companies. You do

know that when you take these drugs you are doing there testing for

them.

In several books, I had read by Yale and Harvard Doctors - I would

tell you the exact book but it was loaned to my SIL a couple years

ago and destroyed but it was a book on FMS and talked about RA.

Anyway, the doctors in there warned against giving drugs out for

other then their purpose. It can be very harmful and we don't know

the risks we are putting ourselves at.

God bless,

Althea

[Guest guest]

Althea: Sorry to hear what you went through with the sulf...I had a

similar reaction to methadone it was awful, I am not a crier by

nature, but all you had to do was say boo, and an ocean was at your

feet....stopped the methadone a bingo.....on the other hand I hsve

to disagree with the neurontin. I know we all react differently with

drugs, but neurontin has proved to me to be awesome with the

neuropathic pain I deal with, and as the docs refuse to even

consider a surgical intervention it has been the only way to cope.

It has been FDA aprroved for neuropathic pain, and it with topomax

have much fewer side effects then the other drugs in their class.

The biggie is sleepyness which being a chronic insomniac has also

been a boon to me with this drug. The big media on nerontin was it

was being prescribed for manic depression which it was never in

trials for......and as far as pushing off label use there is alot of

that going on in more companies that Phizer......hope you are

felling a bit better with the switch to MTX......Kathi in OK

Neurontin® has been approved for use in the treatment of post-

herpetic neuralgia and there is scientific research that indicates

it may be effective in the treatment of other conditions that result

in neuropathic pain.

There is no scientific evidence that Neurontin® is effective in

treating acute pain, somatic pain from sprains or strains, or

myofascial pain.

In this guideline, chronic pain has been classified into three

categories with recommendations for use of Neurontin® for each

category.

Category 1

Neurontin® is most likely to be effective when it is prescribed for

the following neuropathic pain conditions:

Peripheral nerve injury

Peripheral polyneuropathy

Cauda equina syndrome

Spinal cord injury

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type II (CRPS Type II)

HIV and cancer related neuropathies

Radiculopathy, chronic, not acute

Other conditions with objective finding of nerve injury and a

clearly documented history of neuropathic symptoms

Category 2

Neurontin® is less likely to be effective when it is prescribed for

questionable neuropathic pain conditions with no objective finding

of nerve injury, such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) Type

I. Accordingly, prescriptions for gabapentin (Neurontin®) for

questionable neuropathic pain conditions with no objective finding

of nerve injury should be written only after prior consultation and

recommendation from a physician specializing in pain therapies,

rehabilitation and physical medicine, or neurology.

Category 3

There is no credible scientific evidence that Neurontin® is

effective in relieving pain associated with the following non-

neuropathic pain conditions:

Acute musculoskeletal pain

Primary somatic pain from chronic musculoskeletal strain/sprain

Low back pain without radiculopathy

Tendinitis

Repetitive strain without evidence of entrapment neuropathy

Recommended Dosing

Refer to the original guideline document for a recommended dosing

plan for Neurontin® in the management of neuropathic pain.

CLINICAL ALGORITHM(S)

None provided

Neurontin® has been demonstrated to reduce the symptoms from

periodic leg movements during sleep (PLMS) also known as restless

leg syndrome. Dosing up to 2400 mg per day may be required.

Neurontin® is widely used in the prevention of migraine. The

mechanism by which Neurontin® exhibits its anti-migraine effect is

not known. Only relatively small studies have been published with

this medication in a placebo controlled manner but it appears to be

quite effective.

Neurontin® has been shown in at least one double blinded placebo

study to reduce headaches days in patients with chronic daily

headache. The effect was relatively small (about 3 days per month)

but interesting the headaches also tended to last fewer hours as

well.

Neurontin® may be useful in the prevention of cluster headaches.

Placebo controlled data is lacking but small open label studies

suggests it is useful.

Neurontin® is also used by psychiatrists. Here is a nice article on

neurontin on Dr. Phelps' psychiatric web site.

Anti-Epileptic Drug Articles

Vagal Nerve Stimulator

Depakote and Depacon

Diastat

Dilantin, Phenytek, and Cerebyx

Keppra

Lamictal

Neurontin

Other AEDs

Tegretol and Carbatrol

Tiagabine

Topiramate

Trileptal

Zonegran

Related Items

Anti-epileptic Related Diseases

Cluster

Epilepsy

Migraine

Neuropathic Pain

Web Sites of Interest

Epilepsy Foundation

Book Recommendations

Ad content by Google. No

--- In , " blueroses11 " <bluerose11@e...>

wrote:

> I have so many different opinions about this. I was put on

> nuerontin way back when when I was first diagnosed and it scared

me

> to my shoes.

>

> A epilepsy drug being given to me for pain and headaches.

>

> I was on it for 3 months and didn't get any relief so my doctor

> didn't refill the prescription.

>

> Last year I read an article where the company that makes neurontin

> was pushing the use of their drug for things it wasn't approved of

> and was being sanctioned by the FDA.

>

> The people at the top were telling the saleman to push the drug to

> doctors to up its sales. They weren't making enough money off of

it

> just selling it as an epileptic seizure medication.

>

> I myself, won't take off-label drugs. I have had several

> discussions with my physicians about this. There are no studies

> done for a patient with RA taking neurontin for headaches or

> pain...no studies to show what affects could happen down the

road.

> there are studies for the epileptic and they are given a list of

> things to watch for.

>

> I believe that we should only take the drugs that the FDA has

> approved for a certain condition and not the others until they

have

> been approved by the FDA for use in that particular spectrum.

>

> Why should we be the guinea pigs for the drug companies. You do

> know that when you take these drugs you are doing there testing

for

> them.

>

> In several books, I had read by Yale and Harvard Doctors - I would

> tell you the exact book but it was loaned to my SIL a couple years

> ago and destroyed but it was a book on FMS and talked about RA.

> Anyway, the doctors in there warned against giving drugs out for

> other then their purpose. It can be very harmful and we don't

know

> the risks we are putting ourselves at.

>

> God bless,

> Althea