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Neurontin (pronounced NUHR-on-tin) is a prescription
anticonvulsant medication used as a supplementary
treatment for partial seizures, most commonly epileptic
seizures, as well as the burning nerve pain that
sometimes persists for months or even years after an
attack of shingles (herpes zoster) in adults. The
generic name of Neurontin is gabapentin, and the drug is
chemically unrelated to any other anticonvulsant or
mood-regulating medication, and there is no generic form
of gabapentin as the manufacturer, Pfizer Inc., has
patent protection for Neurontin. (Gabapentin was
originally sold by Parke-Davis – a subsidiary of
Warner-Lambert, which was acquired by Pfizer Inc. in
2000.)
The drug was approved for sale in the U.S. in 1993 as a
treatment for epileptic seizures. When taken for
epilepsy, clinical studies showed the most common side
effects included blurred, dimmed, or double vision;
bronchitis (in children); dizziness; drowsiness;
fatigue; fever (in children); involuntary eye movement;
itchy; runny nose; lack of muscular coordination;
nausea; tremor; viral infection (in children); vomiting,
and weight increase (in children).
For nerve pain, the most common side effects included
accidental injury; constipation; diarrhea; dizziness;
drowsiness; dry mouth; headache; infection; lack of
muscular coordination; nausea; swelling in arms and
legs; vomiting, and weakness.
Though gabapentin (Neurontin) was approved by the Food
and Drug Administration only as a supplementary
treatment for seizures, Pfizer Inc. is being sued by a
number of litigants who claim the drug maker illegally
promoted the medication for at least 11 unapproved
medical conditions, and used their own employees and
paid physicians to promote the drug for these
“off-label” conditions. The 11 illegally promoted,
unapproved uses for gabapentin as outlined in court
documents are:
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Bipolar
disorder
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Pain
syndromes, peripheral neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy
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Treatment of
epilepsy alone
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Reflex
sympathetic dystrophy
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Reflex
sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)
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Attention
deficit disorder (ADD)
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Restless leg
syndrome (RLS)
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Trigeminal
neuralgia
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Post-hepatic
neuralgia (PHN)
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Essential
tremor periodic limb movement
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Migraines
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Drug and
alcohol withdrawal seizures
Though it is
not illegal for a doctor to prescribe a drug for
unapproved conditions, it is illegal for drug companies
like Pfizer Inc. to market a medication for unapproved
uses.
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