For chronic back pain, Neurontin (Gabapentin) will work for most people.

Neurontin is excreted primarily through the kidneys in the body. It is not excreted through the liver like most other things. It has been used in pediatric patients from the ages 3-12 for therapy treatment of partial seizures.

In the 1990's, the sale of Neurontin was approved as treatment for epileptic seizures. The FDA has approved this to treat epilepsy only when used with another drug for shingles pain. The recommended dosage is 3 times a day.

Gabapentin is indicated for the management of postherpetic neuralgia in adults. This medicine does not interact with other seizure medicines, so it can be used as an add on. It has not been approved to treat severe RLS (restless leg syndrome).

Neurontin is expensive for the treatment of chronic pain. This is one of the best selling drugs. The average cost is approximately $400 a month for 3200mg a day. The effects are very good even though it is an expensive drug to treat pain.

Neurontin is the first oral medication approved by the FDA and found in breast milk. It was prescribed for epilepsy. The medicine has also been approved for a few off label uses. One of the biggest selling points is that it has few side effects.

One thing is that neurontin is not metabolized by the body, that is it does not produce any active or inactive metabolites. It is given orally and you can take it with or without food. Neurontin is not a good medicine for pain management, but it is good for nerve damage that can happen with chronic back pain.

Pfizer is the manufacturer and this is its best selling drug. It is popular too. It is one of the 50 most prescribed medicines in the United States in 2003.

Neurontin is well tolerated, has relatively mild side effects and also opasses through the body unmetabolized. Therefore, is often one of the first drugs prescribed.