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Neurontin

What Is Neurontin Used for?

Neurontin is a medicine from the clinical and pharmacological group of anticonvulsants, from the pharmacotherapeutic group of antiepileptic drugs. Its active ingredient is gabapentin. The exact mechanism of gabpentin’s effect on the human body has not yet been clarified, but its chemical structure is similar to that of the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). The main areas of use of neurontin are the treatment of epilepsy, namely partial seizures with and without secondary generalization in adults and children aged 3 years and older. The medicine is rarely used in this case as monotherapy and is a component of complex therapy. Another common indication for Neurontin is the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia in adults.

In some cases, Neurontin is also used to treat other conditions. For example, some doctors prescribe it for severe pain in the lower extremities and lower back associated with pain and sciatica caused by protrusion of the intervertebral discs. The medicine helps get rid of lumbago, numbness and other unpleasant sensations because it reduces the conductivity of muscle pain. Also, in some cases, Neurontin is recommended for use for severe pain in the legs due to diabetes, known as diabetic polyneuropathy. However, in this case, taking this medicine is fraught with the development of severe side effects, which are especially poorly tolerated by diabetics.

Other Neurontin uses include therapy for facial nerve inflammation. This condition, although underestimated by many, can not only worsen the patient’s quality of life, but make it completely unbearable.

Neurontin for Anxiety

Neurontin is a drug that not only has anticonvulsant properties, but also reduces the level of anxiety in many patients. This drug has a calming effect on the central nervous system, affects sleep, mood, muscle tone (can relieve muscle spasms). This medication may be used in the treatment of certain mental disorders, such as bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, dissociative disorder, and eating disorder.

In recent years, it has been noted that anxiety disorders are worsening in patients who have recovered from COVID-19, especially in severe forms. Moreover, this disease contributes to the emergence of an anxiety disorder even in those patients who have never complained of mental problems before. Neurontin may be recommended in such cases, despite the fact that it is not a first or second line drug for the treatment of anxiety disorders.

Neurontin Dosage

Neurontin is taken orally regardless of food intake. The medicine is available in the form of capsules with a dosage of 100, 300 or 400 mg. Capsules have different sizes: the higher the dosage, the larger the capsule.

If it is necessary to reduce the dosage, stop the drug, or replace it with some other medicine, this should be done gradually over at least one week. This is due to the fact that when using Neurontin, physical and psychological dependence develops, despite the fact that its active substance does not belong to the group of strong narcotic compounds. Some patients may develop tolerance to Neurontin and experience unpleasant symptoms when the dosage is sharply reduced or discontinued. Sometimes, after stopping the medication, patients experience increased anxiety, panic attacks, disturbances in spatial orientation, and sleep problems.

It is important to carefully follow all doctor’s recommendations when treating with Neurontin.

For neuropathic pain in adults, the initial dosage is usually 900 mg per day, divided into three doses of equal doses. If necessary, the dose is increased to the maximum, which is 3,600 mg per day. Some doctors begin treatment immediately with a dosage of 900 mg per day, others recommend a gradual increase in dosage according to the following scheme: the first day – 300 mg of the drug once a day, the second day – 300 mg twice a day, the third day – 300 mg three times a day.

Epilepsy usually requires long-term treatment. The dose of the drug is determined by the attending physician depending on individual tolerability and effectiveness of the drug.

In adults and children over 12 years of age, the effective dose ranges from 900 to 3600 mg/day. Therapy can be started immediately with a dosage of 900 mg or increased gradually. The drug was well tolerated in doses up to 4800 mg/day. The maximum interval between doses when taking the drug three times should not exceed 12 hours to avoid resumption of seizures (in case of partial seizures).

In children aged 3-12 years, the initial dose of the drug varies from 10 to 15 mg/kg/day, which is prescribed in equal doses 3 times/day and increased to an effective dose over approximately 3 days. The effective dose of gabapentin in children aged 5 years and older is 25-35 mg/kg/day in equal doses in 3 divided doses. The effective dose of gabapentin in children aged 3 to 5 years is 40 mg/kg/day. The drug was well tolerated in doses up to 50 mg/kg/day with long-term use.

In severely ill patients, such as underweight, organ transplantation, etc., the dose should be increased more slowly, either using smaller doses or longer intervals before increasing the dose.

Because of age-related decline in renal function, elderly patients may require dose adjustment. In patients with renal failure, a dose reduction is recommended. For hemodialysis patients who have not previously taken gabapentin, it is recommended to prescribe this drug at a loading dose of 300-400 mg, and then use it at 200-300 mg after every four hours of hemodialysis. For patients with reduced renal function undergoing dialysis, the maintenance dose of Neurontin should be individualized. In addition to maintenance therapy, it is recommended to take 200-300 mg of gabapentin after every 4-hour dialysis session.

Neurontin Side Effects

Like most anticonvulsants, Neurontin has a fairly large number of moderate and severe side effects. They can be classified by organ system and frequency of occurrence.

Very often, among infectious and parasitic diseases, various viral infections are observed, often pneumonia, respiratory and urinary tract infections, and otitis media. From the blood and lymphatic system, patients often complain of emerging leukopenia; in some cases, thrombocytopenia may develop. From the immune system, allergic reactions may occur, including urticaria, as well as systemic reactions such as fever, rashes, hepatitis, lymphadenopathy, eosinophilia and others. The most common metabolic side effect is anorexia. At the same time, patients often note an increase in appetite. Despite the fact that Neurontin has an inhibitory effect on the nervous system, quite often patients react to it by developing hostility, confusion, depression, anxiety, impaired thinking, and emotional lability. In some cases, suicidal thoughts and hallucinations may occur. Side effects from the nervous system can be divided into those that appear very often (drowsiness, dizziness, ataxia), often (convulsions, dysarthria, amnesia, tremor, insomnia, headache, sensory disturbances, including loss of coordination, increased weakening or absence of reflexes) , rarely (hypokinesia, loss of consciousness).

On the part of the visual organs, visual impairments such as amblyopia and diplopia are often encountered.

Vertigo is common among hearing and labyrinthine disorders caused by Neurontin.

From the cardiovascular system, the most common side effects are symptoms of vasodilation, arterial hypertension; infrequently there is a feeling of palpitations.

From the respiratory system, chest and mediastinal organs, patients often experience shortness of breath, bronchitis, pharyngitis, cough, and rhinitis.

From the digestive system, common adverse reactions include constipation, diarrhea, dry mucous membrane of the mouth and pharynx, dyspepsia, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, gingivitis.

On the part of the skin and subcutaneous tissues, swelling of the face, purpura, skin rash, acne, itching often occurs. In some cases, there is a possibility of developing Stevens-Johnson syndrome, angioedema, anaphylaxis, erythema multiforme, alopecia, skin rash, as well as systemic reactions.

From the musculoskeletal system, patients taking gabapentin often complain of myalgia, arthralgia, back pain, and muscle twitching.

On the part of the genitals and mammary glands, the most common side effects include impotence; in some cases, an increase in the volume of the mammary glands, gynecomastia, sexual dysfunction (including changes in libido, impaired ejaculation and anorgasmia).

There are reports of the development of acute pancreatitis during gabapentin therapy. The causal relationship with gabapentin remains unclear.

There are reports of cases of myopathy with increased creatine kinase activity in patients with end-stage renal failure undergoing hemodialysis.

General disorders and disorders at the injection site include fatigue, fever, peripheral edema, gait disturbance, asthenia, pain of various localizations, general malaise, and influenza-like syndrome. With a sharp reduction in dosage or discontinuation of the drug, withdrawal syndrome may develop (the most commonly observed side effects are anxiety, insomnia, nausea, pain of various localizations and increased sweating), chest pain.

Neurontin Generics

Gabapentin is a fairly old medicine. This anticonvulsant drug was discovered in the 1970s. It received FDA approval in 1993, and generic versions of the drug have been available to patients since 2004. This means that today any pharmaceutical company based in any country in the world has every right to produce its own versions of this drug, despite the fact that the holder of the patent for the original drug Neurontin was the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

Today, absolute analogs of Neurontin under a variety of names are produced by more than two hundred pharmaceutical companies. They are mainly sold under the generic name of the active ingredient gabapentin. Variations of names are also possible, such as Horizant, Gralise and others.

In terms of their properties, such as indications, contraindications, side effects, drug interactions, Neurontin generics are no different from their branded prototype. They may differ only in certain excipients that don’t have any noticeable effect on the patient’s body. The appearance of medicines from different manufacturers may also differ, including the shape and color of capsules, their size, and packaging design. These are purely cosmetic differences that don’t affect the pharmaceutical properties of the drug.

Many patients prefer purchasing generics of Neurontin rather than the original medicine, because the cost of generics is significantly lower than the cost of the prototype medicine. Moreover, in most cases, the quality of generics is in no way inferior to the quality of the original drug. Some differences in the tolerability of the drug may be due to a slightly greater or lesser degree of purification of the active substance, but in general these fluctuations are extremely insignificant.

Buy Neurontin Online

Today, the popularity of purchasing medications online is increasing, and Neurontin, as well as its generics, are no exception. More and more patients prefer this method of purchasing medicines, because it allows them to choose the most appropriate medicine for the patient from a truly huge assortment, which includes medicines from a variety of manufacturers.

Large online pharmacies ship medications from abroad, including from generic drug producing countries such as India, which are popular among patients. If you’re wondering where can I buy Neurontin online because you don’t want to advertise at your local pharmacy that you need the medication because of a certain stigma associated with epilepsy, or you want to save money, the answer is quite simple. Look out for large online pharmacies that operate internationally or national pharmacies that ship medicines into the UK from overseas. It is much easier to buy Neurontin in the UK online than in a regular pharmacy. This is due to the fact that when purchasing online from Indian pharmacies, for example, the requirements for a prescription are more relaxed. So, it doesn’t have to be fresh. Considering that many patients understand this medicine for many months, and some for years, this can be a very important aspect. Finally, the most significant advantage of purchasing Neurontin online is the ability to buy cheap Neurontin of high quality. The entire range of large national and international online pharmacies undergoes mandatory certification, and you can be sure that you will not encounter a counterfeit or low-quality drug.

Buy Neurontin without Prescription

If a person is going to buy Neurontin without a doctor’s prescription, the first thing he should remember is that this drug is a serious drug, available by prescription, not just because it has happened historically, but because it can actually be dangerous. It may not be well tolerated by the individual patient, and in principle the prescription of anticonvulsant drugs requires specialist supervision, monitoring the patient’s individual response to gabapentin and, if necessary, dosage adjustment or discontinuation of the drug. You should not try to prescribe this drug for yourself; this is fraught with adverse consequences for the body. Moreover, they can arise not only from the physiological side, but also from the mental side.

owever, in some cases, a patient may need to purchase Neurontin without a doctor’s prescription. For example, this may happen when he has been taking this medicine for a long time, tolerates it well, but supplies are running low, and there is no time, money or even the opportunity to go to the doctor again. Then it is advisable to take advantage of a small loophole in the law. In some countries, primarily India, the seller is required to notify the buyer of the prescription status of the drug. However, this is on an informational basis, meaning that when placing an order, the buyer only confirms that he is aware of the prescription status of the drug, such as Neurontin (gabapentin). Just check the appropriate dialog box, and the management of the online pharmacy will not have any questions for you. It doesn’t matter where you live – in the USA, in the United Kingdom, Spain or any other country in the world – it is absolutely impossible to buy Neurontin in local pharmacies in these countries without a doctor’s prescription, and a properly executed prescription of a high responsibility pharmacist.

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