Neurontin also appears to have an effect on slow wave sleep, and patients with fibromyalgia tend not to enjoy enough of the deepest, beta brain level of sleep activity, which leads to sleep deprivation and a feeling of restlessness.

The generic name for Neurontin is Gabapentin. Since the drug works to block pain receptors and nerve ending in the brain and throughout the body, many physicians opt for Neurontin for their fibromyalgia patients. While your doctor may prescribe Neurontin for your fibromyalgia condition, be warned Neurontin has been known to cause suicidal tendency and psychotic mania in some people including those with fibromyalgia. If you are taking Neurontin for your fibromyalgia condition, you may experience a loss of appetite. Also, you may feel less sensation during sex while using Neurontin.

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Some of the other potential Neurontin side effects for people with fibromyalgia include headache, sleepiness, nausea and dizziness. Viral infections, convulsions, vomiting/diarrhea and memory loss add to the list of more serious Neurontin side effects that may be experienced by fibromyalgia patients.

Since Neurontin may inhibit excess neuronal activity, it is sometimes prescribed off label for conditions such as fibromyalgia as well as depression, sleep disorders, anxiety and migraine headaches.

How does Neurontin work? As a brand name that falls under the class of an anticonvulsants medication, Neurontin works by enhancing the actions of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a natural brain chemical. GABA, which inhibits the transmission of nerve signals and reduces nervous excitation, is a neurotransmitter, which means it transports messages between brain nerve cells.

The following is a list of some of the common side effects for fibromyalgia patients who use Neurontin: dizziness, swelling of arms and legs, nausea, drowsiness, diarrhea, fever, chills, sore throat, clumsiness, constipation, tiredness, runny nose and tremor.

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Some of the severe potential side effects for fibromyalgia patients who are using Neurontin are: abnormal thoughts, rash, hives and swelling of mouth, face, lips or tongue, unusual lumps, memory loss, convulsions, suicidal thoughts, aggression and anger. Other less deadly side effects of Neurontin for people with fibromyalgia include sore throat, ear infection, weight gain, back pain, increased appetite, nervousness, abrasions, rash, depression, twitching double vision, sleeplessness, dental problems, coughing, itching, vomiting, acne, disturbed speech, muscle aches rapid eye movements, impotence, confusion, blurred vision and involuntary eye movements.

If you are a person suffering with fibromyalgia, you may be curious about the controversy surrounding the alleged fraudulent marketing of the drug Neurontin.

Neurontin was approved for sale in the mid-1990s as an anti-seizure medication for epileptics. Pfizer in recent years pleaded guilty to U.S. criminal charges of misbranding Neurontin. The controversy started in 2000, when Pfizer acquired Warner-Lambert, was accused of defrauding the government's Medicare and Medicaid programs by urging doctors to prescribe Neurontin for off-label purposes.

Pfizer agreed to settle their Neurontin $400 million marketing suit and the civil charges regarding kickbacks to motivate physicians to prescribe Neurontin for a number of patients including those with fibromyalgia. The settlement came about as part of an investigation into the practice of government health programs being billed for the free samples given to physicians for promotional purposes.

Pfizer was again sued in 2004 over improper marketing of Neurontin after already being penalized $430 million in federal and state courts for selling Neurontin. Also in 2004, a petition came forward from Finkelstein & Partners, a personal-injury law firm in Newburgh, N.Y., asking the Food and Drug Administration to act on claims that Neurontin may be tied to suicidal behavior. The suits were filed against Pfizer on behalf of people who committed suicide or attempted it which should make many patients with fibromyalgia wary of Neurontin.

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