The term Neurontin is one of the several brand names of a pharmaceutical drug known as gabapentin. Other brand names of the drug include gralise, gabarone, fanatrex and nupentin. Neurontin as its name suggests is supposed to be a neuro drug, and it was originally developed for the treatment of epilepsy. Recently, the drug has also been administered to relieve neuropathic pain. It is, therefore, essential to point out that the drug has various medical purposes.

It has been used for the cure of sicknesses like bipolar disorders, pain, migraines, hot flashes, seizures and neuropathic pain among others. The drug has been established to be highly effective in the cure of neuropathic pain produced by either cancer or HIV. It also helps to reduce narcotic drug usage after operation. However, more research needs to be carried out to establish the effectiveness of the drug in the treatment of migraines. Therefore, in case of migraines, the drug is not recommended, since its effectiveness has not yet been established.

As has been noted, the drug has been approved for the treatment of seizures. Research has established that it is effective in the treatment of mixed and partial seizures. However, it is still not clear whether the drug is effective in the treatment of generalized epilepsy. Therefore, for general epilepsy, it is often recommended that other treatment options be used, other than gabapentin.

It must be noted that, like any other pharmaceutical drug, gabapentin has also been known to have certain adverse effects. These effects largely depend on the person in questions and whether or not they have had any underlying medical issues.

Some of the known side effects of the drug among adults include drowsiness, weight gain, fatigue, peripheral edema and dizziness among others. For children between the ages of three and twelve, the drug was seen to have effects like mood swings, lack of concentration, hyperactivity and hostility among others.

Research has established that, for patients with renal impairment, the drug must be used with caution, since it presents risks of accumulation of toxins in the body. One of the main problems that have been associated with the drug is that it has been established to increase the risks of violent death and suicide.

The rate of suicide among patients was seen to go up, because of increase in depression. Research established that patients that took Neurontin had a higher risk of suicide, because they were often depressed and, thus, prone to suicidal tendencies. As a result, of the increased risk of suicide, the manufacturer of the drug has been taken to court several times. Many researchers have stated that the drug is as addictive as alcohol, and; thus, it is not recommended that it be withdrawn abruptly.

In other words, in case a patient has been on the drugs for a relatively long time, withdrawal should not be abrupt, since the patient will suffer withdraw problems. Some of the problems associated with abrupt withdrawal include headache, hypertension, palpitations, chest pain and diaphoresis among others. It has been recommended that the withdrawal should be gradual.