It works really well for me with no side effects. If I am an hour late for a dose, the pain reminds me to take it. I have been taking it for eight years and nothing else works as well. Lyrica did not work for me.

I do think doctors prescribe gaba and lyrica off label for conditions in which it is useless against pain; my husband tried it for sciatica and back pain prior to surgery and it did not help at all. I do know that myself and 3 other friends of mine depend on it (gabapentin only) for our neuropathy, we all use different dosages and they have been on it for 10-20 yrs. I hope I can still say this 10 yrs. from now if the pharma industry doesn’t develop something better. That is not to say that I don’t experience side effects but they don’t outweigh the benefit.

@steeldove and others

I tried every medication remotely close to effective in treating neuropathy pain, including Gabapentin, with either little to no effect or had unacceptable side effects. My siblings swear by it, but I felt nothing.

I haven't researched the charges made in the NYT article, and I've never heard claims that it has no effect on neuropathy pain. I wonder what qualifies the reporter to make the judgment calls made in the article. Obviously (so it seems to me) they don't have nerve pain that is intractable, or they don't have pain that's been brought under control by on or off label medications.

The bone they're picking appears to me to be that most doctors prescribe it in ignorance or indiscriminately, as they have historically done with opioids. I've read and heard many people say that it is an effective medication, enough so that I don't swallow everything the naysayers say or print. I'd like to know what people who are credible witnesses and who can cite credible tests would have to say.

It's hard to dismiss the testimonies of the many people whom it helps. Even though it didn't work for me, (and I don't remember what the side effects were that kept me from continuing to take it) it's certainly helped a lot of people. Is it possible that we're going to see a big political gaba scare that will put prescriptions at risk as happened with opioids? It's criminal to target those of us who have a history of taking the opioids and Gabapentin/Neurontin responsibly that our doctors promised would treat our pain. I'm disturbed that my PCP who had readily prescribed an opioid, specifically for pain, is now trying to get me to believe that it isn't intended to treat pain. Do I really look that dumb or gullible. The whole mess has me taking what my doctors are telling me with a gallon of salt.

Jim