A new study has found that people who receive multiple prescriptions of the drug gabapentin for low back pain may face a higher risk of developing memory and thinking problems, including dementia.
The study was published in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.
Gabapentin is a drug often used to treat nerve pain. It is seen as a safer alternative to opioids because it is less addictive. As a result, it has become more popular for treating long-term pain, especially pain caused by nerve damage.
But some doctors and researchers are now worried that it could have harmful side effects, including potential damage to brain function.
To learn more, a team of researchers looked at real medical records from TriNetX, a large U.S. database that holds health data from 68 health care organizations. They studied the records of more than 52,000 adults who had long-term back pain. Half had been prescribed gabapentin, and the other half had not.
They focused on patients who had received gabapentin at least six times. These people were 29% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia within 10 years of their initial back pain diagnosis.
Even more concerning, they were 85% more likely to develop a condition called mild cognitive impairment, or MCI. This is an early stage of memory loss that can lead to dementia over time.
Younger people were also at risk. Adults between 18 and 64 years old who were prescribed gabapentin were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with dementia or MCI compared to others who didn’t receive the drug. Among people aged 35–49, the risk of dementia more than doubled and the risk of MCI more than tripled.
The risk increased even more for those who had more prescriptions. Patients who were given gabapentin 12 or more times were 40% more likely to develop dementia and 65% more likely to develop MCI than those who received between 3 and 11 prescriptions.
It’s important to note that this was an observational study. That means the researchers looked at past data without changing anything. Because of this, they can’t say for sure that gabapentin causes memory problems. They also didn’t have details about how strong the doses were or how long each person took the drug.
Still, the findings are serious. The researchers say their study shows a clear link between repeated gabapentin use and higher risk of memory issues over a 10-year period. They believe doctors should watch patients closely when prescribing this drug, especially if they will be taking it often.
In conclusion, while gabapentin may help with long-term back pain, it could come with hidden risks to brain health. People taking this medication should talk with their doctors about the benefits and risks and consider other treatment options if possible.
If you care about pain, please read studies about how to manage your back pain, and Krill oil could improve muscle health in older people.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how to live pain-free with arthritis, and results showing common native American plant may help reduce diarrhea and pain.
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