Dr. Baraki,
I believe I heard you on a couple occasions on the podcast mention your dislike of gabapentin. I was curious as to why? My wife has been on it for years now 100mg pills 3 pills 3 times a day (9 pills per day total). This was prescribed by her ENT to reduce swelling in her face for her many allergy issues but also helps with nerve damage pain in her legs apparently. Is there an alternative to gabapentin you think is better that we should ask her doctor about?
Brian Hughes
Gabapentin does have a role in clinical use, but it is often prescribed well beyond these uses for all sorts of other things.
I would not expect it to have any impact on allergy-related facial swelling at all. It is more often used for painful neuropathies, along with its “cousin” pregabalin.
I often see it causing a variety of other adverse effects in my patient population (who typically skew older, with more medical problems and on more simultaneous medications). I am unfortunately not able to comment on your wife’s particular case via the forum here, though.