According to internal company memos unsealed in a whistle-blower case, top executives at Warner-Lambert, a drug company that has since been acquired by Pfizer, approved a detailed plan to market Neurontin, an epilepsy medicine, for unapproved uses. At issue in the case is tens of millions of dollars that taxpayers paid for Neurontin when doctors prescribe it for Medicaid patients for unapproved uses.
The memos, dated in 1995 and 1996, say that Warner-Lambert executives agreed that the company should not conduct the large clinical trials need to gain the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the use of Neurontin for migraines, social phobia and other conditions. Instead, the company planned to promote Neurontin for those unapproved uses by performing small studies and having the results published in medical journals, according to the memos.
The whistle-blower who filed the original suit, Dr. David P. Franklin, worked for Warner-Lambert in 1996.
(via New York Times)
{ 156 comments }
Hi-
This comment is for Dr. David P. Franklin- can you please email me your lawyer’s name and phone number? A similar thing happened to me that involves the circumstances of this case.
Thank you!
Jill M. Kleczko
I just discovered this – on Dateline of all places. My wife was improperly prescribed Neurontin for bipolar disorder and subsequently had a very destructive manic episode from which we are still recovering 3 years later. Is there a class-action lawsuit that could make some noise about this and maybe help us recover some of the enormous sums of money we went through trying to stabilize her illness?
I was put on massive doses of Neurontin in 1995 after a motor vehicle accident, I was hit by a drunk driver.
I had to have neck surgery and I have burning pain that is RSD.
The hospital doctor and my doctors put me on Neurotin and I suffered for years until 1998 when I almost died from Acute Pancreatitis (which is a side effect in the PDR with a small percentage of patients).
The amount of Neurontin that I was given was ridiculous but they kept upping it when the pain did not go away.
I lost my job and could not get disability do to too much red tape and the cost of fighting it.
I was a minister but had to leave all that and just sit home.
I have had breathing problems and loss of balance.
It has been a nightmare.
I just saw the Dateline last night and I am so angry.
It cost us 30,000. for the hospital for the Acute Pancreatitis after all the insurance from the accident paid. We are STILL paying that off.
Is there anything or any attorney that we can call to get in on litigation?
We have lost all our savings and we are being helped by family.
It has caused us such hardship and pain emotionally and me physicially.
It is terrible to have the accident but NOW to find out that the medication was not helping me and caused me to almost DIE.
I have NEVER been the same since the acute pancreatitis with my breathing.
I had 105 degree fever and they thought I would die at the hospital.
I was there for close to a month.
The litigation against Warner-Lambert regarding off-label prescriptions is just the tip of the iceberg. Neurontin is not the only drug that has been marketed agressively and unethically. Pfizer’s own Zoloft has been pushed on the public in the same manner, and I’m certain that there are many other drugs that have been marketed illegally.
Gimme a break! Just look at the price of Neurontin and/or Zoloft. These drugs are manufactured by machines, are plentiful, and there is NO REASON that these drugs need to carry such a high tag. Yet, they are being prescribed at an alarming rate for illnesses in which they have no proven efficacy! THIS HAS GOT TO STOP, and the only way to make it stop is to get angy and get involved. The cost of medical care in the US is way out of line, and the rate that the costs are going up is out of line with ‘normal’ inflation. It is YOUR responsibility to do something by speaking up. Write your congressmen. Write your senators. Opt in to the class action suits. DO SOMETHING TO MAKE THE PHARMACEUTICALS STOP THESE GREEDY PRACTICES, or your children and grandchildren will be left to wallow in the same situation that you’re in.
ANY DRUG THAT IS “NOT HABIT FORMING”, yet requires a tapering off schedule is a dead give-away: This is a dangerous, addictive drug! It is no wonder to me why these drugs come with such a high price tag. These pharmaceuticals are nothing more than white collar drug pushers. Do your best to make them go away!
I too was just made aware of this. My son was switched to Neurontin last year. I had been wondering why we have had to endure the year from hell until last night. Dateline said it all. My son has suffered severely, unneccessarily. To say nothing of the destruction this drug has done to our family, my marriage, our finances, and our life. Somebody start a class action, I will gladly be an initiating Plaintiff, because the whole neighborhood can document the change in my son! Keep it up Dateline!
I hadto retire after starting Neurontin for peripheral neuropathy. I never connected the retirement issues with Neurontin until I read the Dateline story. How do I join the class action lawsuit?
iused neurontin for trigemenal, started about1997 pain all the time even with pain center when o new dr. was taken off neurontin pain stop 4 days later only one pill more aday with tegertol.
I am 23 year old female who has been on neurontin for almost a year in combination with zoloft. The Neurontin was supposed to be treating slight mania, impulsive behavior, and sleep problems. After the dateline special I’ve completely stopped taking it and I am furious. Not only did I have a terrible year full of self doubt and guilt that I wasn’t improving, we’ve wasted tons of money on drugs and untrustworthy doctors. What can we do now?
My father was prescribed Neurontin for peripheral neuropathy pain. Since taking this drug, his physical health has taken a downslide. His doctor insisted he take NEURONTIN and that he increase the dosage. It created a landslide effect with his health.
It’s amazing to me that doctors would compromise their integrity and put their patients in harms way for a buck.
Please contact me regarding placing my father on the list for the class action suit. The Warner Lambert company needs to held accountable. Deb Borrego
debra_borrego@hyperion.com 408-220-8210
My sister was prescibed high doses of Neuronton for years, for anxiety attacks. She was a software engineer. Now she is totally permenately disabled. I am sruggling to find a way to care for her. Can someone please help me with a lawsuit?
I was treated for an ongoing bi-polar condition with the use of Neurontin for 8 months. During that time my condition worsened and I was unable to work. The doctor’s repeated solution waqs to increase the dosage. This medication only made me disorientated and did not address the bi polar in any way, in fact that condition progressively got more severe.Immediately after stopping the medication and being put on a proper pharmaceutical, I regained my life back again. I am still struggling to repay 3/4 of a years debt,but am now mentally and physically sound. I am outraged at the recent findings regarding the releases to the medical community that ficticious results for off label purposes were submitted in such a fashion that doctors actually prescribed this medication for a list of ailments.
I was prescribed Neurontin by my family doctor on 3/15/2002. I have a previous knee injury from playing sports 20+ years ago. First I was given Vioxx, which provided no relief within seven days, at that time I called my family doctor office and they prescribed Neurontin 300 MG, which I took for three weeks , from one cap 1st wk, 2 cap the second week, and 3 cap the third week. At the third week I experienced inflamed muscles and lost all my strength. I was tested for every disease known to man, MS, MD, Lupis, MRI with dye shot into my arm, I was sent to physical therapy, given a tens unit that provided electric current to relief pain and finally the specialist that I was sent to by my family doctor sent me to another specialists. He gave me steroids which did help me get on my feet. For five months after I took the Neurontin I was bed ridden, I had to roll off my bed to the floor and pull myself up to get out of bed. I live in a four level split and had to crawl up the eight stairs to my bedroom when I did go down to the kithen area. I could not pick up a gallon of milk, I was so weak.
I kept saying that this Neurontin did this to me but the doctors kept dismissing this information.
I am somewhat better now but know that things are not normal and would like to know if my body will gradually heal? When I saw the information on Dateline I almost cried to know that I was always right about this Neurontin. Please put my name on class action suit.
Sandy Colombini
I STOPPED IN MY TRACKS when I was clicking thru the channels and heard that Pfizer/Neurontin was under attack…
The next day, I BRIEFLY viewed the story about the woman who took Neurontin and had a problem with it/why Pfizer’s in trouble AND WAS APPALLED to read that A SCIENTIST (AT HARVARD???) said there is no proof that Neurontin is either good or bad…OH, MY, GOD….THIS SO-CALLED SCIENTIST SHOULDN’T CARRY THE TITLE
“SCIENTIST”….
I took Neurontin for Bi-Polar for OVER ONE YEAR and it was the GREATEST PILL I EVER TOOK for such a horrible/have trouble diagnosing/treating psychological “disease”.
…granted, I DID TRY TO KILL MYSELF one year later and ALL PSYCHOLOGICAL DRUGS CAN TURN ON YOU THAT WAY, but Neurontin, for me, was WONDERFUL….
The psychological community STILL HAS A VERY LONG WAY TO GO TO UNDERSTAND “THE BRAIN”…but this so-called Harvard Scientist IS AN IDIOT!!!
I am still being treated for bi-polar with a different psychological drug, and things are going well….
No one, especially a so-called Scientist has a right to say “Neurontin does or doesn’t have any affect on a psychological disorder.” Psychological disorders AND THE DRUGS PRESCRIBED affect each individual IN A DIFFERENT WAY!!
Brenda Annichiarico
(bjarico@aol.com)
As of approx. 1 mo.ago, I was prescribed Neurontin, now up to 900 mg per day for pain which it doesn’t seem to be helping.In that short time I have developed severe water retention, dry throat, dry mouth, dry cough, fatigue, shortness of breath & joint pain. Am I qualified as a client in a class action suit? Thanks
I am so angry!!!! My life was stolen from me. I am bi-polar. I was precribed neurontin many times over the pass 6 years. It was a drug that most of my doctors wanted to go back to when nothing would work. I lost my husband because of how violent I became during manic episodes. I finally told my doctor I knew the neurontin was the cause of my most recent manic episodes. I told him I wanted off it. I new that if I did not get off this drug I would end up killing someone. I may never get my life back! Please tell me how I can help make some noise and hold the drug company accountable for the lives that they have destoyed. Thank you- Loree Pollack
I would like to say that after be prescribed Neurontin, My life has changed for the better. For 20+ yrs I have suffered with severe headaches and I have a drug store of medicines @ my home from different doctors. Most of them say they were from stress( which is a crock). This past Spring I was having headaches so bad I could not work, sleep or drive. I went to see my doctor about them again and he prescribed Neurontin 1200 mg/day and let me say for 5 months now I have been HEADACHE FREE. This has been the best thing to go in medicine cabinet in years.
Thanks
Lisa D.
My son Joshua, age 12, has been taking Neurontin since March 2002 along with celexa for treatment of Anxiety. I am just appalled that some people in the Medical field, ie. doctors who prescibe these types of presciption drugs to adolescent kids like mine, knowing there is a chance these off-label uses will not work, it’s called experimentation and my son is no guinea pig. I will do whatever I can to fight for his right to live a normal life. I beleieve this medication has had adverse effect on his behaviors over the past year. He is just now comming off Neurontin. Thank God.
My mother-in-law was prescribed this for her legs and now she is having serious breathing problems. I am wondering what helped other people get their breathing returned to normal. I am also interested in finding out if she can get in the class action suit and who we need to contact. Please- if you know- let me know. Thanks.
I was prescribe Neurontin w/ another drug called Bacofen after a MVA that was responsible for a condtion I now have called trigeminal neuraligia. I was first placed on tegretol for this conditin and almost died. I have pics to prove it. I was taken off the medicatin immediately and put on the neurontin & baclofen. When my medication dose was increased I could not function as well on the higher dose so i was told that I needed to stay on the lower dose for a little while longer because my body was sensative to thos medication. It made me feel like I was floating and I talked like I had a thick tongue. Can someone email me about the dateline story, i missed it and from reading everyone else’s posts I am really scared now after the first med that almost killed me. I am interested in the story so I can speak with my doctor about it. Thanks in advance.
someone please email me about how to get in this class action lawsuit Ihave been on neurotin which has caused anumber of other health problems I was not able to see h info on Dateline which I am going to try and find my doctor just keeps upping my dose on it whch continues t make me sicker and sicker if anyone knows the problems it has caused people please email me because I have been in out o the hosptital 8 to 10 times a year and theygave it to me for my bioplar I am on 1600mg a day. someon pleas help I am alreadydisabled an now haveseveral health problems which neurotin is probablycaused or made wrose
My mother was put on Neurontin for sugar neuroapathy and has since been just about a vegetable. She has also bee diagnosed with Parkinsons and the combo of meds that they had her on made her NON HUMAN! She is 57 and has to be handled like a 3 year old. Please email me with info. on this suit as well (for I am her primary care giver)
Thank you! I keep holding on hoping the side effects will wear off, but they never do….
I am appauled! I take Neurontin for a seizure disorder when other drugs caused elevated liver functions. I’m here to attest that it DOES work, for SOME people. As with any drug, if you experience intolerable side affects you should look into trying something else. If you don’t agree with the way your doctor is treating you, ie upping the dosage and you don’t agree with that, get a second opinon. It’s the responsiblity of the patient to become informed, just because he has MD or DO behind his name doesn’t make him/her right all of the time. I must also point out that after starting Neurontin my restless leg syndrome disappeared completely so I know it works for RLS, at least for me. Many drugs are used for off lable use, not just N. I agree that they shouldn’t have been promoting it in the manner they did an punishment may be in order but to sue over every little side affect (when the person should have insisted the doctor take them off of it because of side affects or they should have gotten a second opinon) is ludicrist!
hi i have just been put on neuroniton and now taking 3,000mgs a day i did not see the dateline program ,but can any body send me a transcript or information of what was said .
thank you.
In the Spring of 2002 I was given neurotin as a mood stabilizer for my Bipolar disorder. I became very unstable which caused me many problems. I would like to get involved in a class action suit. Please let me know any information you have on this. Thank you.
Suzanne M. Hurlburt
Stillwater, Minnesota
I was placed on neurontin for bi-polar disorder in 1998 after adverse side effects from depakote. This medication didn’t do the job Pfizer or my doctor claimed would be an alternative drug to treat bi-polar disorder. I have weaned myself off the neurontin after the dateline expose. I’m disgusted by this whole ordeal. Not only did I sleep away 5 years of my life from being over medicated but the problem has not been addressed!
I would like to get involved in a class action suit. Please let me know any information you have on this.
Thank you
R. A. Sneddon
I would like any info about laywers,lawsuits,anything about that damned neurontin.I lost a year and a half of my life to that damned drug when I was prescribed it for venous stasis pain.My memory is almost blank about the last year and a half and my muscles are just getting strong enough to get me out of bed.My doctor dropped me without warning on the day of an appointment because I was getting upset about the pain and suffering I was in.I still can’t be up for than a few hours wiyhout getting sick having to go to bed for anywhere from a few hours to a day or more.And it did nothing for my pain.
I was on this drug and it caused all kinds of wierd things and made me bedridden. I would like to sue but not in a class action suit but as a single lawsuit.
I was put on neurontin for pain W/ neuropathy & since then I have been having very severe losses of balance, which I attributed to my neuropathy. Also, I have had severe memory losses & thoughts of suicide that I now have learned can be blamed on the medication I simply took for pain. If there is a class-action lawsuit, I would like to be a part of it.
I was placed on Neurontin in 2001-2002 for axiety. During that time on several occasions I attempted to jump from moving cars, and jump from my balcony on three occasions. If my husband wasn’t I would have been successful. During this period of time, all I ever thought of was suicide. I have been off this medication for 1 year and no longer try to kill myself. I didn’t see the program but I would be interested in joining a class action lawsuit. Please contact me.
I was placed on Neurontin for a short time, which has changed my life forever. I was placed on it for an Anxiety disorder and at a low dose but it really messed me up. I was having memory loss, increased anger tendencies, I jumped out of moving car and lucky my wife was with me and I survived the incident. After about 2 weeks of Neurontin use I was hospitalized with servere pancreatitis and now suffer from CHRONIC pancreatits, cannot work and have had to seek social security disability. As soon as I was hospitalized the first thing my docotor did was take me off this medication and when I confronted him at my first office visit after being discharged I flat out ask him and his works were NEUROTIN will not cause pancreatitis. Bull shit…I was a social drinker and that was there way out..I still suffer with memory loss, I do get occasionally violent with manic episodes and NEVER remember the incidents the next day. It is hard for me to distinguish between reality and non reality at times. Even though I no longer take this medication, my lack of memeory and anger do scare me that I might hurt myself or my family. I am on other medications that are trying to fix what problems neurotin caused. This is no life. I no longer do much of anything with my family because I am in constant pain with my pancreatitis which NEVER lets up. This has put a BIG strain on my marriage due to the fact I cannot do anything without have paranoid thoughts. the past 4 years of my life have been Hell for me , my wife and my daughters. Any help would be greatly appreactied. thanks
I WAS SHOKED AND STUNNED TO SEE ON A COMMERCIAL THAT IF ANYONE KNEW SOMEONE WHO HAD OR ATTEMPTED SUSICIDE DUE TO THE DRUG NEURONTIM SHOULD CALL A SPECIFIC NUMBER. I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE NUMBER BUT HAPPY TO FIND THIS ON THE INTERNET. I USED TO BE A BRIGHT AND SHARP PERSON BEFORE TAKING THIS DRUG! I HAD SURGURY ON MY LOWER BACK IN 2000 AND WHEN I CAME OUT OF SURGERY I WAS IN SEVERE NEVERE PAIN. THE DOCTORS TRIED EVERYTHING BUT WHEN I WAS GIVEN NEURONTIN I WENT TOTALLY CRAZY!! I WOULD PUT THE MILK IN THE OVEN, I COULD NOT COMPLETE A SENTENCE AND WAS UNABLE TO REMEMEBER ABOUT 6 TO 9 MONTHS OF MY LIFE. DURING THIS TIME I THOUGHT OF VARIOUS WAYS TO KILL MYSELF. I WOULD THINK OF A GUN, BUT THAT WOULD MESS THE RUG, I WOULD THINK OF HANGING BUT THAT POSSIBLY WOULD NOT DO THE TRICK, I WOULD THINK OF PILLS BUT I THOUGHT I MIGHT GET DISCOVERED AND WAKE UP. I TOO THOUGHT OF JUMPING OUT OF THE CAR. I AM A CATHOLIC, ALL MY LIFE AND FIGHTING WITH MY RELIGION AND THE ANGONY WAS ALMOST UNBEARABLE. I KNEW IT WAS TO DRUG BECAUSE THINGS GOT WORST WHEN I WAS TAKING UP TO 3 PILLS 3 TIMES A DAY. THE FINALLY WAS WHEN I DECIDED TO NOT TAKE MY INSULIN AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO GO INTO A DIEBETIC COMA. THAT’S WHEN “THE TROOPS” CAME IN AND STARTED LISTENING TO ME. AND SLOWLY I HAVE STARTED TO RECOVER FROM THIS “ALL PURPOSE DRUG”. I, TO THIS DAY HAVE SHORT TERM MEMEORY LOSS AND CAN NOT REMEMBER APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR OF MY LIFE. FOR INSTANCE, MY HUSBAND AND I WENT TO HOLLYWOOD VIDEO I PICKED OUT SEVERAL MOVIES AND MY HUSBAND STATED THAT WE ALREADY HAD SEEN THEM. THIS WAS EXTREAMELY UPSETTING, YES!!! I WANT TO SUE THE ASS OFF THIS COMPANY!!! MARY BARRON
THIS IS MARY’S HUSBAND….WHEN I READ MARY’S STATEMENT, IT IS HARD TO ACCEPT HER CONDITION. MARY USED TO HAVE UP TO NINE PEOPLE WORKING UNDER HER AS AN OFFICE MANAGER. SHE WAS THE TOP PRODUCER AS A LOAN UNDERWRITER MONTH AFTER MONTH. SADLY, SHE IS NO LONGER THE WOMAN I MARRIED 22 YEARS AGO. DR FRANKLIN, PLEASE SEND US YOUR LAWYERS NAME AND PHONE NUMBER. THANK YOU TIM BARRON
I was put on Neurotin for headaches I was having as a result of side effects from Alpha Interfuron Rebetrol treatment. I walked into walls, couldn’t hold my Grandson and forgot everything I had done of late. Yes I attempted suicide, I actually put the rope around my neck but couldn’t do it, it hurt. I have and still do have suicidal thoughts. I am on antidepressant now. The Doctor took me off because of what it made me do. I would like to be involved in the Class Action Lawsuit. Thank You
Our 13 year old daughter was prescribed neurontin for chronic pain/RSD following an automobile accident. While she experienced no pain relief her personality and demeanor changed significantly. She was no longer the daughter that we had always known. A straight “A” student who was always very popular with her classmates and teachers and coaches and who had always made good decisions became an angry, confrontational, confused young lady who could not control her actions and had no idea why. After doing research on the “unusual” side effects of neurontin, my wife and I contacted our doctor and told him that we wanted to discontinue the neurontin immediately. He agreed, and our daughter has shown some signs of recovery over the past few months. We don’t know, however, the extent of the damage or how long it will remain apparent. For us nerontin was a terrible experience that did nothing that it was supposed to do. any information on the class act lawsuit would be welcome.
My worst suspicions about the drug were confirmed today while tracking down the status of the forthcoming generic version (I care because my plan now has me paying $75 each quarter for Neurontin due to a change to a 15% copay). Needless to say, I’m not terribly concerned about finding a generic version anymore.
I was first given Neurontin to treat bi-polar symptoms several years ago after experiencing significant weight gain with Depakote (which otherwise seemed to work fine). For the first year, it seemed to be a wonder drug without any significant side effects and it appeared to tone down my manic swings. But three years later I have significant issues with memory loss, inability to focus, a chronic floating sensation along with occasional balance issues, a constant stream of suicidal thoughts that I’ve learned to mostly ignore, and an mood that can swing rapidly from angry and confrontational to distant and escapist but rarely feels “normal” anymore.
While I have come to expect a certain amount of experimentation when it comes to treating conditions like bi-polor, it is clear from Pfizer’s actions that profits were the only motive in pushing this off-label use. I would be much less upset with this detour had it occured with a generic drug that did not result in such rediculous out-of-pocket expenses–and that’s exactly what would have happened if Pfizer had not fraudulently blocked generic versions of gabapentin by claiming that Neuronton was protected by additional unrelated patents that don’t expire for decades. This sham was so transparent that summary judgement was found against Pfizer in several cases they filed against generic producers. Now a class action suit is proceeding against Pfizer: http://www.prescriptionaccesslitigation.org/neurontin.htm
Drug companies will find that it is hard for ordinary Americans to be sympathetic to the argument that equitable solutions for funding drug research require patent protection and cost recovery in the form of higher prices for new drugs when the system is abused like this. Unfortunately, the result damages everyone.
I just saw a commercial today saying ” If you, or anyone you know, commited or attemted suicide, while taking the prescription drug Neurontin, call:
1-800-XXXXXXX.
Well, I about fell off the sofa. I knew nothing about the “Dateline” episode, or any lawsuits, until just now, from searching the net. And, I certainly didn’t know I could actually get involved in a class action suit, myself.
I have truly mixed feelings on all of this, though.
Neurontin was the only medication that my shrink, and I, found that seemed to manage my Bi-polar disorder, with the least side effects.
Depekote was like having food poisoning. With Lithium I always felt like some kind of zombie, and ended up with 7 cavities in 6 months, from the drymouth. My doctor seemed sqeemish about me trying Neurontin, and I remember him saying not to get my hopes up – that it might not work- it hadn’t been used for manic-depression for very long, etc… AND NOW I KNOW WHY!!
But, I was so desperate to feel better, that I would have tried anything at that point.
It took longer than usual for my body to adjust to it. I was on the couch for almost a month, from being dizzy, walking into walls, or just plain being asleep. When I called my shrink, he told me to give it a little more adjustment time, because it was a really strong drug, but if the side affects hadn’t dwindled in a few more weeks, that I should call him. Well- after a while, I was functioning better, and eventually felt a lot more emotionally stable, with out being a zombie. Over time we found it did a terrific job controlling my Mania’s, BUT it could only control my Depressive swings to a minimum. So, I also ended up taking Prozac to “bring me up to a level where the Neurontin could even start to work from”.
I was taking Neurontin and Prozac for a few years (3-4yrs maybe?) on various dosages. Then, two years ago, I was put into the Psyciatric Ward of the hospital, for 3 weeks, for attemted suicide. I was transfered into a 1/2 day-out patient program at the local Mental Institution, for a month after that (all of it should have lasted longer, but my insurance ran out.) Some people were saying they think I developed a tolerance to the Prozac, and it just wasn’t working anymore- and the Neurontin wasn’t enough. Plus, at that time, I wasn’t under a Psyciatrist’s care, because I was in the middle of moving out of state,and then back in again. Would a Doctor have been able to prevent what happened, had I been seeing one? Or, IS it the Neurontin? Maybe WAS it a Prozac intollerance?
I see a completely different shrink, now. As soon as he found out I was on Neurontin, he wanted me to stop taking it. Being the ninny I am, I was too afraid to let go of it. He was only able to talk me down to a very small dosage, along with my other meds. I have a scheduled appointment with him, next week, so I’m going to tell him I’m ready to ween off the rest of it.
I’m going to ask him about this lawsuit business, too. Maybe he can give me some insite on Neurontin’s role in my attemted suicide.
I’m only 35yrs old and I’ve ended up on Disability since that nightmare, trying to get back up on my feet. Do I blame any of this on Neurontin? Now, I just don’t know, after what I’ve learned today. I need more information. How can I get a copy of that “Dateline” episode, or info on lawyers? I’d appriciate any guidance.
Best of luck to all those harmed by this drug, I hope things get better for you all…
Sincerely,
P. Peach
I do not know what to think….. My husband went into congestive heart failure after taking a drug that is now known to cause this problem. He ended up suffereing a stroke following heart surgery. Through lack of enough staff at the hospital, and mistakes made by the staff that had to cover far more patients that could humanly be taken care of, he also went into respiratory failure, and later when he managed to recover from that, was left unattended on a table and fell off head first into a cement floor. Because they could not control the non-stop screaming that began after the fall, he was put on Neurontin. He did seem to be a bit better after that, the screaming stopped, but he never regained a will to get better, and with in months began to talk of dying. He has been on the drug for nearly two years, and I have been watching him slipping away from us bit by bit. He only thinks of dying now, and has become more and more confused, distracted, and at times barely talks to us. He only wants to be left alone to die. I have watched him loose stength generally, and after just now finding out that there was a lawsuit being planned for this drug, began reading about what others went thru while taking this drug more because I wanted to be sure it was safe for him, but instead am realizing that it might be one of the causes of what has been happening to him.
Instead of helping him, it may have been bit by bit draining away everything that originally made him the person that was so beloved in our family. He was the rock that sustained all of us, even after his surgery, stroke and was recovering and now only thru constant care is he himself sustained. He no longer cares about living, or really about much of anything, and can not even manage to make it through even a half hour TV program without at some point just staring off into space. He is becoming more and more withdrawn daily, and if there is even a chance that all of this behavior can be related to taking this drug… I can not even begin to put to words how absolutely appalled I am. As soon as I can contact my family doctor I will have him taken off of this drug and if there is any sign that it did infact lead to his downward spiral, I want them held accountable!
i have been taking 2400 mgs. of neurotin
for about 3 months for neuropathic pain in my lower back and leg. i experienced
an episode of tunnel vision the very first day i took it and have had absolutely no side effects whatsoever since then.
All I know is that it is the only thing
that has helped my nerve pain. i have had 2 back surgeries since may 8. the
first one was a fusion and the second one was to decompress nerves. i am much better now and the dr. is going to
start weaning me off the neurotin.
i cannot even tell i am taking neurotin
except that it helps me. sounds like to me either alot of these people want to take part in a law suit for monetary
gains – we do live in a very litigous
society – or they have problems far more
severe than the neurotin has a solution.
i have known other people that have
taken neurotin also and had no other
problems. One man has been taking it
for over 5 years for nerve pain in his
neck and has had no problems with it
at all. if any medication is giving
any person problems, they should get off
it immediately but lets not slam the
drug completely because it is a miracle
drug for some. thank you
I have not been on the internet for some time. Truly amazed at the interest in neurontin. Briefly, 5 years ago I was put on neurontin by a neurologist for seizures attributed to a brain tumor. Over a short period of time, my dosae incresed to 3200mg per day. He also gave me Carbatrol. For most of the day I acted like a zombie, wanting to sleep most of the time. Gradually, my strength and energry disappeared. I have worked myself down to 2000mg per day. Recently I saw a doctor at Moffitt Cancer center in Tampa. Her comments were that she had never seen a person adddicted to Neurontin like I am. Testing confirmed that I suffer from short term memory loss, as well as long term. My balance is also affected. I am interested in any class action suit against the manufactuer. As a aide note, the brain tumor is dead.
Contact Leddey@AOL.com
BTW, for those that haven’t seen the Dateline story on the whilstleblower at Warner-Lambert (later acquired by Pfizer), it can be found at:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/937302.asp?cp1=1
I have also been a victim of the evil drug,neurontin. In 1997,I was given neurontin, 2400 mg a day for a pinch nerve in my leg. The neurologist assured me that it was a miracle drug and it would help me. Well, it didn’t help the leg at all. I even told her that it wasn’t helping but that I feel like it was frying all my other nerves. She said it was all in my head and that maybe I just needed to see a shrink or increase the dosage. My family insisted I stop taking the neurontin because I wasn’t the same person. I couldn’t do simple things like balance my checkbook, or go shopping.My mind raced all the time. The symptoms subsided a little. Although I’ve suffered from depression since. I can’t sleep more than a few hours at a time. I have extreme mood swings. I’ve had sucidal thoughts. I’ve lost my family because I shut them out. I have suffered in many ways since taking neurontin. Mostly I have severe battles in my head, which are the worst.
No amount of money could ever bring back the years or torment that I’ve been living since I took this horrible drug. It won’t bring my family back either, but maybe it will stop drug companies from damaging people just to make a profit. My life will never be the same, nothing can change that, but the drug company that pushed this product for off-label uses should pay dearly.
Could someone please tell me if there is any class action activity in Massachsuetts
I started taking Neurotin Feb 2002. 2 months later I was contemplating suicide. I didn’t go to the hospitol because I thought I could pray it away. To say the least the depression got worse and I finally surrcombed to a suicide attempt Aug.21 2002. I would be dead today but for the immediate response from paramedics, I was saved. I overdosed on seroquel. 5000 mgs. Even after my hospitol stays, my doctor continued my Neurotin therapy through Jan. 2003. I visited my doctor on a regular basis through my whole Neurotin journey. Finally, I’m a happier person with no more thoughts of suicide. It was hard on everybody especially me. It was the most horrible nightmare being trapped in the suicide pit all those months.
I was sitting on the couch talking to my mom when I seen the commercial on TV about neurontin. I was on it at first for depression/ anxiety, then I went to a local university, for my migrains, both the pysc. and the dr from the university, had me on this med. I called my pharmasist and looked up on the internet what the side effect were, because I ended up in the hospital for thoughts of suiside. When I asked my phyc. about it, she told me that wasn’t possible and that it was just my anxiety. I was outraged. I went threw neuro testing, MRI’s, I had problems with balance, change in attitude, suisidal thoughts all the time, and no dr. would help me, why should they? to them it was my depression, even though I insisted something was wrong. I had a really bad time on this med. I’d like to get the video of the story that was on tv and be included in the class action. Thank you
HI I have been on Nuerontin for 3 and half years, for nerve pain and sleep, I have had 4 close calls of dealth, heart attack, breathing problems which i stop breathing, and that happen twice so far, and my doctor only could tell me that its from the meds that i was taking which yes i was on alot but nothing like the nueorontin, but now I am in a wheel chair and i have short memory lost please do i have a case. After hearing the bad things about it I called my doctor and he is now weining me off of it . I have been dropping in dosage now for 3 weeks and i can really feel the difference in myself, I feel more energy now, breathing better, and thinking much clearer, but when I was in ICU and my wife gave the names of the meds that i was on at the time I start breathing they had question the neurontin and its all in my medical records. Do I have a case???
I had a slip and fall accident on Jan/2002, i have rsd on my right upper extremity and neck my pain management prescribed neurontin i was taking 3000 mg a day i took this pill for a year throughout the year i kept telling the doc to get me off it, He wouldn’t he said it was good for the rsd and burning pain i had. I had a bad year while taking this pill, the memory loss was horrible the inability to focus i had suicidal thoughts but didn’t let anyone know they would think i was selfish since i had three children and a husband. I had to deal with this depression by myself. my husband told my doctor at one of my visit “Does the medication have anything to do with her anger, she is so angry” At the time i didn’t think it had to do with the neurontin but the comment he made to the doctor made me angrier towards him. I had mood swings I was pretty difficult to live with. So half of the time i would spend it alone isolated from my family. a few months ago i started getting severe headaches they were mostly on my left side of my head it was so bad that i couldn’t even touch my head, it hurt to the touch the doctor finally took me off last month. I had a MRI done on my brain waiting for the results i don’t know the extent of what damage it may have caused. scare to death and I’m angry thinking that something was wrong with me when it was the neurontin all along.
I have been on Neurontin for at least 7 years. I was given 900 mg for 4 years for nerve pain. When I developed RSD 4 years ago I was on 3,600 (max dosage). I don’t know what medication is doing what, all I do know is that I have no life. I have no energy, all I want to do is sleep. I do not interact with family or friends. I can’t concentrate when reading. I used to read a few books a month. Now it takes me months to read and I couldn’t tell you what I read. Like I stated. Due to my many spinal problems and RSD I am on many meds so I don’t know what is doing what.
Jackie Cutler
908 901-9667
This comment is for Dr. David P. Franklin- can you please email me your lawyer’s name and phone number? A similar thing happened to me that involves the circumstances of this case.
Ihave been on the drug for over a year following spinal surgery, and have so many of the side effects mentioned in all the above letters…thaks, Janet Capone
My wife began taking neurontin apprx. 5 years ago. It has been a nightmare every since. The docters tell us that she is bipolar , manic deppressant,and suffers from migrains,and epilepsey. [But sometimes i wonder if they realy even know] I would like to tell you all of the dates and times of the maney ER. visits and docter appt. but i could never remember them all.Suicide attempts,Siesures,migrains,Depression and the list goes on.[Allmost a divorce] Somthing should be done if this medication is the cause of any of this………..
My sister asked me to get further information on the Neurontin side effects and lawsuit. She was taking Neurontin for about 1 year for severe migranes before she started getting suicidal thoughts. She had been in/out of mental facilities and we were in and out with her as well. It made our lives a living hell. She is now pregnact and she seems to be a little better. Because she is no longer taking this medication. She saw a documentary on Neurontin and it said that it could have caused depression and suicidal thoughts. Can this medication been the cause of her life going downhill!. Please give me more information on this subject. Thanks
I was watching TV a few weeks ago and saw the commercial for Neurontin and suicide. I was completely shocked. My husband took Neurontin for nerve pain in his arm and within a few months he committed suicide. He was only 3 weeks from his 38th birthday. I remember the doctor perscribing the drug, because I called at least 3 times to make sure there were no other drug interactions. I would like more information on the Dateline report and also names/phone numbers of lawyers for the class action lawsuit.
Thank you!!
Theresa Gonzalez
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