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Research News Gabapentin
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Use of Gabapentin in the treatment of hot flashes/vasomotor instability: feelings of warmth and redness, often accompanied by sweating and palpitations. Many women going through the menopause experience what are called hot flashes - a symptom complex that includes sudden feelings of warmth and redness in the chest, neck and face - something that is often accompanied by sweating and palpitations.The cause remains uncertain but it may involve a disturbance in the regulation of various temperature control mechanisms in a small part of the brain known as the hypothalamus. In the case of the menopause, this is partly due to falling levels of the hormone oestrogen at this time of life. People with ME/CFS also experience various types of disturbance in body temperature control. These can include inappropriate episodes of sweating (often at night leading to drenched bedclothes) and feeling either too hot or too cold. There is also a considerable amount of research evidence to indicate that hypothalamic dysfunction is an important part of the brain disturbance that occurs in ME/CFS. These 'hot flash' symptoms, also known by doctors as vasomotor symptoms/instability, are extremely difficult to treat. However, a report in the current issue of The Lancet reports on successful results obtained from using Gabapentin (at a dose of 900 mg/day) to treat hot flashes in women with breast cancer. Besides the original use of Gabapentin for epilepsy, this drug has now become a successful form of treatment for moderate to severe neuropathic pain (ie pain that has a burning, stabbing or neurological flavour to it). Gabapentin has also been reported to be useful for some types of severe vomiting. The new research suggests that vasomotor instability could be yet another use for Gabapentin. I would therefore be interested to know if anyone with ME/CFS who has used Gabapentin for pain has noticed any difference in any of their temperature control problems, especially excess sweating where this occurs. Reference: Pandya KJ, et al. Gabapentin for hot flashes in 420 women with breast cancer: a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Lancet, 336, 818-824 (September 3rd).
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