Gabapentin?

[IaCountryGirl]

Does anyone know what reasons why someone might be prescribed gabapentin? Pt has never had a seizure, no neuralgia. I have looked on the net and it seems it's sometimes prescribed for anxiety- pt has a history of depression.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

Often given in conjunction with a narcotic or long acting narcotic for chronic or neuropathic pain. Usually started out at a lower dosage that is increased over time..it has become very popular over the last couple of years . Can make you sleepy and fat

[birthrevolution]

Migraines? I swear, every time someone has a random neuro type drug with no (charted) relevant PMH it's for migraines!

Why don't you just ask the patient why he's taking it? I assume you're doing pre-clincial prep? In that case, if I can't figure it out I will do the drug prep about side effects, etc. list a couple of uses for it and then ask the patient.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

PMH includes chronic renal failure, CVA, DVT, PE, hypertension, depression with multiple suicide attempts. Just underwent a total knee replacement. Nothing was mentioned of shingles, but it did say he's never had a seizure.

I think I'm going to make a trip back down and look back through his files because nothings making sense to me.

When was the knee replacement? Sometimes Gabapentin is prescribed if a pt is experiencing numbness/tingling around a post-op site, especially an ortho surgery.

[IaCountryGirl]

When I ask pt about his medications, he just shrugs and says he's not supposed to be on most of them. He says he doesn't have this problem, or that problem. I have to pass his meds tomorrow and the gabapentin is the only one I'm having trouble with.

We're not at a hospital though- it's a LTC facility that has a wing that's for older people who need temporary care- they can't go home yet, but no longer need to stay at the hospital. His surgery was about 3 weeks ago.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

When I ask pt about his medications, he just shrugs and says he's not supposed to be on most of them. He says he doesn't have this problem, or that problem. I have to pass his meds tomorrow and the gabapentin is the only one I'm having trouble with.

We're not at a hospital though- it's a LTC facility that has a wing that's for older people who need temporary care- they can't go home yet, but no longer need to stay at the hospital. His surgery was about 3 weeks ago.

If his knee surgery was only 3 weeks ago I'd be curious as to if that is when the Gabapentin was prescribed. It would be interesting to see if he was on Gabapentin prior to knee surgery.

[MissJulie]

If he's in chronic renal failure, could there possibly be a history of neurogenic bladder?

[peachy11]

I have also seen it for neuropathic pain. Ex. recent amputation and throat/neck cancer.

[CanuckLPN73]

As you said the patient has suffered from depression in your first post I would still go with depression/anxiety as many in LTC facitlities are on Gabapentin for that reason....(mood stabilizer) as others have said.

http://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/12/1/40

http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.gabapentin.html

It's like say Topamax. For example if I said I were on that many may assume I suffered from migraines (which I do but rarely) as that is what Topamax is used for, however that is not why I am on it. Im on it as a mood stabilizer (depression) so don't go by just what the drug is supposed to be used for as many physicians prescibe medications used for one symptom to help another symptom. :)

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

Gabapentin is often started just prior to major ortho surgeries such as knee replacement. It is given to help with preemptive pain control.

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Elsevier

We also start most of our wounded military people on a combination of drugs to help prevent chronic pain syndrome with one of those drugs being gabapentin. It is started usually within the 1st couple of days after a major injury.