[Warning] The “Out of Control” Drug Sending Seniors to Emergency Rooms
When you’re struggling with constant pain, your doctor becomes one of the most important people in your life.
You count on him to recommend the right strategies – and medications – to bring you relief.
But right now, I have to admit… the medical profession is letting a lot of good people down.
A new report out of London shows that a common class of drug is harming seniors at an alarming rate.
It could even increase your chances of ending up in the hospital by a whopping 81%.
And the real problem here isn’t just the medications…
It’s an out-of-control medical system that keeps recommending these drugs… including for conditions they were never meant to treat.
I’ve been sounding the alarm for years about gabapentin, and it’s related drug pregabalin.
They’re part of a family of medications called gabapentinoids – and prescriptions for these drugs have spiraled out of control.
You see, these meds were originally approved to treat seizures.
Now, doctors are prescribing them “off label” for pain, insomnia, anxiety, addiction… you name it.
Prescriptions for gabapentin alone more than doubled from 2010-2024 – and up to 95% of those prescriptions were off label, for conditions the drug was never designed to treat.
Now, the damage is adding up…
A new study out of University College London found that taking a gabapentinoid increased your risk of hospitalization from drug poisoning by 81% — especially during the first four weeks.
When these meds are combined with other drugs – like opioids or benzodiazepines – the risk can increase by 2-4 times.
So why is this happening?
Well, lots of doctors were “scared straight” after all the dangers of opioid painkillers came to light – and they started looking for alternatives.
They somehow convinced themselves that prescribing gabapentinoids off label was a safer choice.
But, as you can see, it’s not safe at all.
Unfortunately, that message still hasn’t gotten through to a lot of docs. Prescriptions for gabapentinoids have gotten out of hand.
Now, if you’re taking gabapentin or pregabalin, never stop cold turkey. But share your concerns with your doctor and ask about alternatives with a better safety profile.
You just may end up keeping yourself out of the emergency room.
