Reader dealt firsthand with serious side effects of gabapentin
Q: I was prescribed gabapentin for pain after back surgery. When I felt no relief, my doctor kept raising the dose.
I got more and more tired and had trouble with my balance and swelling in my ankles. The real problem was mounting depression, which I felt was caused by pain and disability.
Soon, I decided that suicide was the only answer and began carefully planning my exit. I made my will, set up my bank accounts and planned how to shoot myself outside so as to leave the least mess for my children. I was dead serious.
Meanwhile, my physician continued to up my dosage until I was practically flattened with fatigue. If I had not worked for a doctor who noticed my frame of mind and alerted me to the side effects of gabapentin, I would be dead by now. I want everyone taking this drug to be aware of these problems.
A: The Food and Drug Administration approved gabapentin (Neurontin) for treating seizures and for the pain that may linger after shingles. Many doctors prescribe it “off-label” for other types of pain.
Fatigue is a common side effect of gabapentin; swollen feet also are a possible reaction. The most serious, however, is the potential for suicidal thoughts and actions.
The FDA warns: “Patients, their caregivers, and families should be counseled that antiepilepsy drugs, including Neurontin, may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior and should be advised of the need to be alert for the emergence or worsening of symptoms of depression, any unusual changes in mood or behavior, or the emergence of suicidal thoughts, behavior, or thoughts about selfharm.”
Q: I am allergic to all the sunscreens I’ve ever tried. They make me itch on my chest, forearms, face and hands.
How can I solve this problem and better protect my skin from the sun? I am 61 and have had this problem for 12 years.
A: In addition to sunblocking compounds, preservatives and fragrances sometimes cause unpleasant skin reactions.
You might want to consider using a sunscreen with physical blocking agents, such as titanium and zinc. These may be less likely to cause a reaction than sunscreens with chemical blockers such as oxybenzone, an ingredient that has hormone-disrupting properties and also may trigger an allergic reaction.
Write to Joe and Teresa Graedon via their website: peoplespharmacy.com.