I just finished watching this Dateline NBC report about Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis/Pfizer Drug Company and their pushing of Neurontin for "off-label" uses other than for treatment of epileptics.
I'm not sure how it works on the west coast or for you guys with sattelite service, but it was an eye opening report about how their drug reps (with any degree that allows them to use the title Dr.) go and push these drugs to doctors. Doctors trust these guys and the reports, so I think you should watch for yourself and form your own conclusions.

jdog (also posted in Bi-polar and Spinal Disorders)

jdog,I read your post about Neurotin and I swear by this drug. I have taken it daily for 5 years and have no problems at all. This drug has kept me away from PM,and I take 2400mg. a day. It takes the edge off my nerve pain(I've had 6 back surgeries)and they take blood every 3 months to see if there is any liver or kidney problems. So far so good. I understand that this drug has been used for other ailments beside seizures,nerve pain etc. Also I have heard of people having a hard time on it,but we are all so different. Have a great weekend.

Patty -

I understand your point. In the story, they did show that even though the company was pushing N for Bi-polar disorder, 2 double blind tests showed that it did not help them.

THere are a lot of meds used for other conditions than for what they were originally created for. The most well known is using aspirin to help blood flow, and not just for headaches.

Please don't take it that I'm dissing Neurontin itself, I just have a problem with the way the drug company acted to push the meds for off-label purporses. I hope that you get to see the segment for yourself. The fact that doctors are sometimes misled by the company reps is inexcusable. One of the substories was about a woman with bi-polar that was moved from Depakote to Neurontin, which didn't do anything to control her condition, and it was a bad time in her life.

So, caveat emptor. We trust our docs, and I don't think they would ever do anything to deliberately harm us (YMMV), but when they are getting slanted information, it's just wrong.

jdog

I'm totally in agreement with patty55, I've been taking neurontin for five or more years (3800 mgs a day) and to me it is a wonder drug for leg nerve pain...I watched the Dateline story and it was scary as to how far drug companies will go to push their drugs. I really felt for the lady with Bi-Polar disorder.

jdog,Good Morning,You have got me wondering here I didn't get to see the program and now which I could.I take a low dose of nero.and am interested in what you are saying I know that any med we take is a chance even when it has FDA approved it always seems later they find out we are taking a drug that is killing us with something other then what we were taking it for.I am really interested in what you said about the bi-polar incidents,I was diagnosied yrs. ago as bi-polar and well I would just like to hear more about the incidents if you care to explain a little more I would really appreciate it.It seems I always miss the informative info .Well if you get a chance I'd like to hear a little more about the program.Thanks alot and hope you have a great week-end!!!!!
Linda

Hi all,
I have been taking 1800 mg of neurontin for a while now and it has worked great. My PM Doc was very straight forward with me regarding this medication stating that it is used for a multiple of things and they are not even sure how it works. I will admit there are times when I feel like an experimental lab rat but as long as I am not in pain I can justify the use. There are plenty of medications out there that are prescribed to people for use outside the prescribed medicinal use. Take Wellbutrin, it is used for depression where zyban (the same drug renamed) is used for quitting smoking. Just be sure to become an informed and educated user of medications. Before I took Neurontin I looked up everything I could on it. The last thing I want is a third arm.

------------------
18 years old no trauma but severe leg pain
traction for 2 weeks didn't work
Epidurals, steriods didn't work
1988 triple disk Lamenectomy L3-4,L4-5,L5-S1. good for about 6 months pain on and off for the next 12 years
EMG shows nerve damage right leg
2002 Triple Disk Lemanectomy L3-4,L4-5, L5-S1. WORSE. Neurosergeon says nothing can be done.
Seeing PM doc on Neurontin 1800 mg daily

jdog; I was only telling you my story. I learned something new because I didn't know that they used Neurotin for depression. This is the reason there are these types of forums because with different people we all have tales and info. to share. You have a great day.

Linda -

I'm not sure about anything else other than what was in the report. While our news media thinks they are the best in the world and their poop doesn't stink, they report on a story, but somehow never seem to go into the details.

From my small brain watching the report, I just stuck these facts in my head. Don't worry, Patty will correct me later.

1. Warner Lambert did a bad thing by trying to push a valid drug for off-label uses.
2. Neurontin is absolutely no help for treatment of Bi-Polar disorder.
3. NBC said that Neurontin is pushed for a lot of other off-label uses, but did not validate or invalidate effectiveness for those conditions (this is the big hole I'm talking about)
4. Doctors were misled by company reps with PhD.'s coming in calling themselves "doctors" and not correcting inpressions that they were experts in certain fields of medicine.

I think the thing to do now would be to check the NBC website for any further information. As often as they run these programs, this segment will be on MSNBC in the future.

If you are taking Neurontin, the best thing to do is to ask your doctor if s/he feels that it is what you need for your treatment. I feel that doctors may be having to assess the use of Neurontin based on upon the publicity of this problem with the drug company.

jdog

Hi everyone,

I usually post on the pain management board but happened by here this morning. I watched the show and also take 1800mg of neurontin a day and will continue to do so. I believe (don't quote me here) that neurontin has been approved for pain. The point of the show was that it was being pushed on doctors for use with bi-polar disease and it did not help with that. Doctors were giving it to those patients and potentially could have huge ramifications because they were essentially getting no medication. The greater issue here is that we put our lives in the hands of our doctor in the hopes that they know what they are giving us. Below is the address if you want to read the transcript of the show. Sorry, I don't know how to give this as a hyperlink, so you will have to type it in. I think it will calm the fears that some of you have.
http://msnbc.com/news/937302.asp

Hope this is helpful.

Susan

jdog,Once again thanks for the info I go back to Cleveland Clinic the 24th and believe me we will have a lot to talk about that day as thanks to all of you good people on this site I am a lot more informed now then ever before!!!So thanks and I will get what info I can from the Drs there and if I learn anything of value I will definitaly pass it a long.
EMC, Thank you and it came up as a hyper-link I have book marked it and will read it soon as I am getting ready to leave for the day.Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me!!Hope to see you here again soon!!
A Great Day To You All!!!!!
Linda

jdog and all hope everyone had a restful night and will have a productive day!!!Thanks for the link Susan I just went over and read it and found it to be very informative and ony confirmed what I have all ready said and deeply believe every med we take is a chance and because the reason for taking medications is for a better quaility of life rather it be to get over an infection or to control diabietes or deppression or chronic pain it all still boils down to quailty of life and because of that we all take a risk with every medication we take we no matter how much research we do and I do research my meds also we still only know what is told to us they only tell us what they want us to know,it's the soiciety we live in everything comes down to the bottom line for all major corparations and that is the $$$$$$$$$ I don't want to come across as sounding totaly pesamistic I'm stating facts as I surly see them.I want to also clear up one thing and not to be at all to be argumintive deppression and bi-polar ar two very different diaseses and treatment for the two are very different but in both cases as all the wrong treatment can be fatal.So as I see it we're only as informed as the pharmacutacal companies want us to be and FDA or not that is the way it is and will be!!
Sorry for spouting off but this has been a very sore spot for me for a very long time as I am sure it is for all that depends on chemical medications to have quality of life.
So hope everyone has a great day and that whatever meds we are taking for whatever reasons is working for us all!!!!
Linda