Neurontin (Gabapentin) for chronic back pain will work for most people.

Neurontin is excreted primarily through the kidneys in the body. It is not excreted through the liver like most other things. It has been used in pediatric patients from the ages 3-12 for therapy treatment of partial seizures.

Neurontin was originally approved for sale in the mid 1990's as a treatment for epileptic seizures. The FDA has approved this to treat epilepsy when it is used with another drug for pain related shingles. Neurontin is usually taken in 3 equal doses each day.

The nice part about this medicine is it is easy to use as an add on, due to the fact that it does not interact with other seizure medicines. Gabapentin is indicated for the management of postherpetic neuralgia in adults. It has not been approved to treat severe RLS ( restless leg syndrome) where the legs inadvertently jerk.

Neurontin is expensive and one of the best selling drug in the world used for the treatment of chronic back pain. The average cost is $400/month for 3200mg/day. The effects are good even though it is an expensive drug to treat pain.

Neurontin is the first oral medication approved by the FDA and found in breast milk. It was prescribed for epilepsy. The medicine has also been approved for a few off label uses. One of the biggest selling points is that it has few side effects.

One thing is that neurontin is not metabolized by the body, that is it does not produce any active or inactive metabolites. It is given orally and you can take it with or without food. Neurontin is not a good medicine for pain management, but it is good for nerve damage that can happen with chronic back pain.

Pfizer is the manufacturer and this is its best selling drug. It is popular too. It is one of the 50 most prescribed medicines in the United States in 2003.

Neurontin is usually tried first because it is often better tolerated than other drugs. It has realatively mild side effects and passes through the body unmetabolized.

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