Post by @ladyspinedoc

Gabapentin and dementia: Should you be worried? When a medication used by millions of people makes headlines for a possible link to dementia, it’s understandable that patients have questions. But there’s an important difference between association and causation. A recent study found that patients with chronic low back pain who received six or more gabapentin prescriptions had a 29% higher relative incidence of dementia and an 85% higher relative incidence of mild cognitive impairment compared with matched patients. Those numbers deserve attention. But they do NOT prove that gabapentin causes dementia. Chronic pain, sleep disturbances, underlying medical conditions, and other medications can all complicate the picture. Gabapentin can be incredibly helpful for certain patients with neuropathic pain. But like any medication, it comes with risks, including sedation, dizziness, balance problems, and cognitive side effects. Good medicine isn’t about prescribing more medications or fewer medications. It’s about prescribing the RIGHT medications for the RIGHT reasons. 📚 Reference: Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine (2026), retrospective study examining gabapentin prescriptions and dementia risk. #Gabapentin #Neurosurgery #LadySpineDoc