Question: Neurontin for Migraine prevention?
Answer:
Full Question:
My daughter has had a diagnosis of migraine and
has used the triptans in the past. She recently had series of a basilar
migraine, which she has never had before. As you know triptans have been
contraindicated with basilar migraine. It was recommended that she go on
preventive therapy since they seem to cluster within periods of time. She was
prescribed Neurontin at bedtime for the prevention of migraine. Have you had any
experience with this drug to be used for migraine since although it has been
used for many other conditions, it's use with migraine is relatively new and
controversial. Debra
Answer:
Dear Debra;
All of the medications we use for headache and Migraine prevention are also used for other conditions, most of them prescribed off-label. Neurontin is quite effective for some patients. As with any other preventive, only trying it will tell if it will work for your daughter. The use of Neurontin for Migraine prevention is not new; it's been in use for many years. The controversy about Neurontin was not really about whether it's effective for Migraine prevention, but the behavior of some of the people employed by the company that used to own Neurontin. Please see:
Neurontin: Good Medicine or Bad News?
There's been some controversy lately about Neurontin (gabapentin), a
medication that is being prescribed off-label for prevention of cluster
headaches and Migraine attacks. It's important to recognize what the
controversy actually entails and be able to separate it from the positive
clinical information about Neurontin.
Good luck with your hunt for answers,
Teri Robert and John Claude Krusz
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Published January 16, 2006
