Neurontin was approved by the FDA in 1993 as an
anti-seizure medication for epileptics. In addition, it is approved
as a treatment for a condition related to shingles. Neurontin is
believed to be linked to suicidal behavior, including suicide
ideation and attempts.

    Neurontin is manufactured by Parke-Davis, a subsidiary of
Pfizer, and used to regulate the nerve activity in epileptics.  To
date, there are about 2 million people in the US with epilepsy.
However Neurontin was prescribed for additional uses, for which
it did not have FDA approval. Parke-Davis settled a criminal
lawsuit related to such unapproved prescriptions. Yet, it is
believed that approximately 80% of all Neurontin prescriptions
were filled for unapproved medical conditions, which makes
Neurontin side effects much harder to measure.
    The eleven illegally promoted, unapproved uses for Neurontin
include: bipolar disorder, peripheral and diabetic neuropathy,
monotherapy for epileptics, reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD),
periodic limb movement, attention deficit disorder (ADD), restless
leg syndrome (RLS), trigeminal neuralgia, post-hepatic neuralgia,
migraine, and drug and alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

    When a patient takes a prescription for an unapproved use, the
person runs the risk of having serious side effects because the
medication was not tested in clinical trials for that use. The side
effects could be minor to severe, but for certain, without a trial to
test for interactions or preexisting conditions, the potential danger
is huge.   

    Neurontin is believed to be linked to suicidal behavior and
suicidal ideation. Evidence of suicides supplied to the FDA by the
manufacturer are less than the number the FDA itself has
gathered. Although the connection has not been proven
decisively, no full clinical trials have been conducted for Neurontin
on the unapproved uses for which it has been prescribed.