Recent studies in the U.S. show that a drug that is routinely given to persons with nerve-related disorders and lower back pain may dramatically raise the risk of dementia.
In the early 1990s, the NHS gave gabapentin its stamp of approval. Since then, people have used the medicine, which is usually offered under the brand name Neurontin, to treat epilepsy and long-term discomfort.
But experts at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio found that using it for a long time can make some people’s brains poorer.
The study looked examined information from more than 26,000 Americans who were given gabapentin to help with long-term lower back pain between 2004 and 2024. It revealed a strong correlation between how many medicines people got and how likely they were to be diagnosed with dementia or moderate cognitive impairment (MCI) later on.
People who had used the medicine six times or more were 29% more likely to have a dementia diagnosis within ten years.
People who used twelve or more drugs had a 40% higher risk.
People who take six or more medicines had an 85% chance of having MCI, which can come before dementia. This is a much bigger risk.
It is vital to remember that people between the ages of 18 and 34 did not have an increased risk.
The chance of getting MCI more than tripled for persons ages 35 to 49, while the chance of getting dementia more than doubled.
These results show that gabapentin may have more of an influence on thinking as people get older or as their doses go up over time.
The researchers were careful to note that their study simply reveals a connection between the two items, not that one causes the other.
They wrote in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, “Our findings suggest a link between gabapentin prescription and dementia or cognitive impairment within 10 years.”
They underlined how vital it is to keep an eye on adults who are using gabapentin, especially if they are taking it for a long time.
A number of well-known dementia researchers have spoken out against the results and warned people not to make fast decisions.
Dr. Leah Mursaleen, who is in charge of clinical research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, noted that the study had some excellent points, such as its huge sample size, but it also had several big flaws.
“We don’t know if the medicine is the direct cause of the higher risk,” she said. “The study only found a link between gabapentin prescriptions and moderate cognitive impairment or dementia.”
She also added that the researchers didn’t know how long the medications were used or what the exact dosage levels were, which are two very important things to know about any long-term effects.
Experts are also worried about how things like diet and exercise can affect health.
Chronic pain is a known risk factor for dementia, and Professor Tara Spires-Jones, director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, believes that it makes people less active.
She noted, “One very important thing that this study didn’t look at was how much exercise people got.”
People who could have needed gabapentin for long-term pain were less active, which is an established risk factor for dementia.
Gabapentin acts by inhibiting gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that slows down nerve cells that are too active. Pfizer, a big medicine business that also created one of the COVID-19 vaccines, makes this medicament.
This soothing effect is good for treating seizures and nerve pain, but scientists are now wondering if a long-term alteration in brain chemistry could have adverse impacts that they didn’t see coming.
According to NHS data, about 800,000 people in England acquired prescriptions for gabapentin between 2023 and 2024. This is a modest dip from the peak of almost 926,000 the year prior.
The US writes about 8 million prescriptions for the medication every year.
At least five patients or their families in the UK have told the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) that taking gabapentin is connected to later diagnoses of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
But these stories could just be coincidences and don’t mean that they caused anything.
These results fit nicely with larger scientific efforts to uncover and minimize the risk factors for dementia.
A research that came out last year in The Lancet claims that dealing with 14 significant health and lifestyle problems, like high cholesterol and vision loss, might stop more than half of all Alzheimer’s cases.
Smoking, having a family history of the disease, and not getting enough exercise are also known risk factors.
Dementia is becoming the most common cause of death in the UK. It killed more than 74,000 people in 2022. More than 982,000 people now have Alzheimer’s disease.
So, it’s really important to learn about cognitive decline and how to stop it.
If you’re worried about taking gabapentin, experts suggest you should see your doctor instead of stressing out.
It’s quite dangerous to change or stop taking a medicine without first consulting to a doctor, especially if you are using it to control severe nerve pain or seizures.
We need to do further research to find out if gabapentin is what makes people more likely to get dementia or if the results are merely a sign of other health problems that people who take gabapentin have.
