Olympia, WA – The Washington state Attorney General’s Office is leading a national investigation into whether Pfizer illegally marketed Neurontin, an epilepsy medication, for “off-label” uses — meaning for uses that the FDA has not approved. Assistant Attorney General David Waterbury is leading the investigation on behalf of 47 states and the District of Columbia.
Doctors can legally prescribe drugs for off-label purposes, but it’s illegal for drug companies to market them that way. Washington Medicaid spending on the epilepsy drug increased more than tenfold from 1996 to 2000.
(via The Associated Press)
{ 112 comments }
← Previous Comments
After reading all of these comments on neurontin I am left wondering. First of all I have many conditions for which the drug could be prescribed; nerve damage neurapathy,seizure disorder,panic disorder,depression,recently diagnosed diabetes,osteo-arthritis and other medical condtions; asthma,PTSD etc. I have experienced some of the mood swings mentioned but they where present before I began taking neurontin.I am well informed about all the medications I consume.In some of these mentioned cases there could have been medical conditions, or mental health disorders not ever diagnosed.I think the only way to be certain is to have competent professional help;intensive councelling,extensive physical testing and, 2nd or 3rd opinions before taking anything into the body.The unfortunate reality is that each individual body reacts differently to each drug,each councel,and past enviornmental factors. There is always the unchangeable genetic affect.I am still in pain.I had back surgury 9/3/03.Bone was growing on the inside of my vertbrae squeezing my spinal cord off.It took them 7 years to finally go inside to see what was going on.Meanwhile neurapathy took over my whole lower body.I was nearly paralysed by then.I have 4 screws in place there.I’m only 48 years old and I have gotten every negative gene I could.I am very sorry for those who have lost loved ones but I’m not convinced that only neurontin was at work in those cases.I am desperately seeking any other strong relief for my pain. If anyone knows of anything that could help please contact my E-mail at aciunci@AOL.com
I am looking for legal assistance because I took a medication that was given to me by my doctor at the pain management center. This drug is Gabitril(neurontin) made by Cephalon. I recently found out that it is only for epilepsy. I have never had epilepsy. I ended up in the hopital emergency room after suffering several seizures. I was unconsious for several hours, and was severely disoriented and could not talk or remember my own name. Cephalon is responsible for attending pain management conferences and promoting Gabitril as a pain management medication. I just hope no one else has to go through what I did. I now have haeadaches and ongoing tremors in my hands and sometimes my head. Please send me more information.
Posted by: Noemi on February 11, 2005
I have been taking Neutrotin for a few weeks from pain and muscle spasms as a result of shingles on my face and eye. I take the medicine before I go to bed and wake up all night long off and on. The medicine helps me a lot – but at what cost to my peace of mind? Will I end up with a permanent problem down the line?
I went on Neurontin about a year ago and it controls my anxiety .My Doc tried to take me off and I did but I started having anxiety again so I asked the doc to put me onit again.I tried Seroquel and I could not keep my food down .
I’m sorry that some people have had a problem with this drug but it has been a LIFESAVER to me. I can’t help but wonder how many people are being influenced by the possibility of maybe making a couple bucks, or who had depression or suicidal tendancies to begin with. At the very least, closely monitor your emotions, feelings, body etc while takign any medication. If you feel something coming on, a prolonged depressive state etc, contact your doctor immediatly and discuss with them.
I was sitting at a red light and was run into the side of my car by an SUV who ran a red light and lost control. I have severe permanent nerve damage on the right side of my neck c7-c2. I have had numerous medications, proceedures, etc. NOTHING has helped me regain the quality of my life back like neurontin. For those with nerve damage or pain who are suffering, who are reading all this and going, oh well, there is one more thing that might have helped me but since its an “off label” application I dare not take it, PLEASE, don’t buy into the hype. This drug isn’t for everyone but for those of us who have suffered, and actually considered suicide due to severe pain wiht out relief, this is like an all in one pain killer wiht few if any side effects. And despite some doctors trying to make me feel like I was a depressive complaining of pain, guess what? Now that there is no pain (or very little) I’m not depressed.
I have been on neurontin for almost a year. I was described neurontin for migraine headaces, since then I have suffered with memory loss, depression, and anxiety attacks. I asked my doctor’s was this medication safe for me to take after hearing the reports of neurontin, she said “the only side affects to neurontin are weight gain and drowsiness, so you have nothing to worry about”. I put my trust and health in the hands of my doctors, it seems like since I’ve been on this medication I have gotten worse. I wish that there was someone who could help me, for once I would like a doctor to do what is in my best interest not how they can benefit from prescribing the wrong drugs to me. Anyone have any ideas please help me.
I was put on neurotin for a year in 2002 and i started having bad mood swins and memory loss, stuttering and drooling and not able to speak correctly like my sentences were jumbled, i got concerned and talked to my doctor and she didnt know what my problem could be, so i started thinking that maybe it was the neurontin i was taking so i started slowly taking my self off of it and my systems slowly started to improve, i was put on it from pain i was having in my neck and shoulder from nerve damage i have. my doctor then put me on darvocet and i started feeling better, i still suffer from drooling and speech problems but not as sevier as it was while taking neurtoin, please if any one knows of a class action suit going on please contact me with info on it. and thanks so much for hearing my pain associated with neurontin. sherryshewey@yahoo.com
All that I can say is that Nuerontin works for me. There really aren’t many meds at all that I can take for my harsh anxiety.
Maybe it’s not for everyone (what is?) but I really like Nuerontin.
It’s unbelievable the things you read on this board. Doesn’t everyone realize that the makers of Neurontin are not being sued for wrongful death or any harmful effects of the drug? They’re being sued because they marketed the drug for illnesses it was not proven to treat. That’s right, not because it made someone brain dead, gave someone cancer, or made somebody’s aunt ruth ride her kid’s tricycle into the path of an oncoming trash truck. What it means is that people are taking Neurontin to treat bipolar disorder, when it does not help bipolar disorder patients. Yes, this practice is wrong and very illegal, and for good reason. But enough of everyone and their mother trying to cash in by reporting bogus side effects. I’ve taken this drug for over a year, up to 900 mgs in a single dose, and the side effects I’ve had have replicated those listed in the patient leaflet. I’m sleepy, sometimes nauseous, a little off-balance sometimes. You’ve got some guy posting on here about his legs swelling, OH MY GOD MY LEGS ARE SWELLING. Well no duh, edema is one of the top 3 side effects listed. Did you even read the patient info for the drug?
As for me, this drug has saved my life, and quite contrary to causing depression, this drug has lifted me out of the depression that was caused by my illness (chronic insomnia – an OFF-LABEL USE!!!). I thank God every day for the wonderful scientists at Pfizer that created this drug. It’s the marketing people that need to be fired.
i live in the netherlands and use neurontin now for 6 months 1600 mg every day. I had a depression and this drug helped a lot. I have had many other drugs the last twenty years and this one is the only one without mayor side affects. The problem is that it is difficult to quit taking them, lower the doses leads to severe moodswings. has anyone experience with this?
My wife has fibromyalgie and uses neurontin now for two years (3* 800 mg) and has no side affects.
My experience is that neurontin has worked properly, it is however difficult to quit because of the side affects. I have had efexor and xeroxat and experienced the same problems while quitting.
I can imagine that when you are not depressed and are subscriped neurontin one of the side effects of this drug is that you get depressed. However it is always difficult to assign certain problems to a drug, you need much more background information to come to a truthfull conclusion.
This is only our experience, no more then that.
i live in the netherlands and use neurontin now for 6 months 1600 mg every day. I had a depression and this drug helped a lot. I have had many other drugs the last twenty years and this one is the only one without mayor side affects. The problem is that it is difficult to quit taking them, lower the doses leads to severe moodswings. has anyone experience with this?
My wife has fibromyalgie and uses neurontin now for two years (3* 800 mg) and has no side affects.
My experience is that neurontin has worked properly, it is however difficult to quit because of the side affects. I have had efexor and xeroxat and experienced the same problems while quitting.
I can imagine that when you are not depressed and are subscriped neurontin one of the side effects of this drug is that you get depressed. However it is always difficult to assign certain problems to a drug, you need much more background information to come to a truthfull conclusion.
This is only our experience, no more then that.
FOR ALL THAT ARE ON NEUROTIN, I WAS ON IT FOR MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS WONDERFUL BUT I BEGAN ASKING AND ASKING WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? I COULND NOT SEE WELL, MY SPEECH WAS SO IMPAIRED I SOUNDED LIKE A STROKE VICTIM.I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT THE NEURONTIN. I NEARLY LOST MY LIFE AND ALL THE YEARS OF TERRIBLE SEIZURES AFTER GOING AROUND MY SPECIALIST I WENT TO MY INTERNAL DR. I KNEW I WOULD DIE IF SOME THING DID NOT CHANGE. HE TOOK ME OFF THE NEURONTIN . MY LAST DOSE WAS LAST YEAR. TODAY I HAVE LOST ALL THAT I WAS, ALL THAT I HAD BUT I AM NEURONTIN FREE. FOR THE PERSONS THAT TALK ABOUT, WELL IT WAS JUST ABOUT OFF LABELING TELL IT TO THE SURVIVORS OF ALL THAT HAVE BURIED A LOVED ONE.DID YOU KNOW THAT ONE ATTORNEY SENDS THE COPIES OF THE DEATH CERTIFICATES TO THE A.G. EACH TIME ONE OF HIS CLIENTS DIE. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HIM FOR AN ATTORNEY BUT I CAN NOT AFFORD HIM.OR LIKE ME I DO NOT REMEMBER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS AND NOW I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN. WILL PFEIZER GIVE ME BACK THOSE VITAL YEARS OF MY LIFE? I DID NOT EVEN NOW I WAS DEPRESSED OR HOW BAD I WAS UNTIL NOW. GOOD LUCK TO THOSE THAT IT WORKS FOR, BUT IF THING ARE NOT RIGHT AND IF YOUR FAMILY IS WORRIED OR IF YOU DO NOT TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF THE WAY YOU USED OR DO THE THINGS YOU USED TO THE LOOK FOR ANSWERS. I FOUND THIS WEB PAGE A YEAR AGO LOOKING FOR A CHEAPER WAY TO BY MY MEDICINE THE WEB PAGE HELP SAVE MY LIFE
← Previous Comments
Comments on this entry are closed.