Painful Neuropathy (How Gabapentin Stops Nerve Pain)

Painful neuropathy affects millions of people around the world, and millions of people turn to gabapentin and pregabalin to seek relief from their pain. Gabapentin was formulated to mimic the neurotransmitter GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. To everyone’s surprise, gabapentin does not bind to GABA receptors in the central nervous system, nor does it alter the function of GABA. Experiments and investigations instead showed that the drug, along with its successor, pregabalin, work in a unique fashion that is yet to be fully elucidated. Results of studies point to a mechanism involving the calcium channels found at the synapses in the spinal cord and in the brain. By modulating the function of these channels, gabapentin modulates the transmission of pain impulses to the central nervous system, and, by so doing, it can decrease the discomfort caused by painful neuropathies, including diabetic neuropathy and postherpetic neuralgia. Once the mechanism of action gabapentin is fully understood, it will open the door to new and more effective treatments for painful neuropathies.