Commonly prescribed nerve pain drug may accelerate dementia risk by up to 40%, researchers warn
By isabelle // 2025-07-11
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  • Gabapentin, widely prescribed for chronic pain, may increase dementia risk by up to 40%, according to a new U.S. study.
  • Younger adults (aged 35 to 49) face more than double the dementia risk when taking gabapentin in the long term.
  • The drug alters GABA, a key brain neurotransmitter, potentially leading to cognitive decline.
  • Critics dispute causation but admit concerning correlations.
  • Gabapentin prescriptions remain high despite study warnings, raising concerns about Big Pharma's safety standards.
A groundbreaking U.S. study reveals that gabapentin, a drug doled out to millions for chronic pain, may increase dementia risk by up to 40%, raising urgent questions about the safety of Big Pharma’s "solutions." Researchers from Case Western Reserve University analyzed the health records of more than 26,000 Americans who were treated for chronic lower back pain between 2004 and 2024. Their findings, published in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, expose a harrowing trend: patients prescribed gabapentin six or more times faced a 29% higher dementia risk, soaring to 40% for those with 12 or more prescriptions. Even younger adults (35 to 49 years old) saw their risk more than double in a disturbing revelation for a drug that is marketed as "safe."

How gabapentin attacks the brain

Gabapentin, sold as Neurontin by Pfizer, the same corporation behind dangerous Covid vaccines, works by altering gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a critical neurotransmitter that calms overactive nerve cells. But this "brake" on brain activity may come at a catastrophic cost. "Our findings indicate an association between gabapentin prescription and dementia or cognitive impairment within 10 years," the researchers warned. They urged "close monitoring of adult patients prescribed gabapentin to assess for potential cognitive decline." Yet, as always, the medical establishment hedged. While the study’s large sample size lends credence to its results, critics argue it only shows correlation, not causation. Dr. Leah Mursaleen of Alzheimer’s Research UK cautioned, "This study only shows an association between gabapentin prescriptions and mild cognitive impairment or dementia, so we do not know if the medication is directly causing the higher risk." But this isn’t the first time corporate medicine has dismissed red flags until the bodies pile up.

A generation poisoned by prescriptions

The most alarming data from the study related to patients under age 65. Among those aged 35 to 49, the dementia risk more than doubled, while mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to dementia, tripled. For a drug prescribed 8 million times annually in the U.S. and nearly 1 million times in England, the implications are dire. Independent experts scrambled to deflect blame. Professor Tara Spires-Jones suggested chronic pain patients might simply be "less physically active," which is a known dementia risk factor. But this gaslighting ignores the drug’s neuroactive properties and Big Pharma’s history of harming brains for profit.

A predictable playbook: Deny, deflect, profit

Pfizer’s gabapentin was approved in the 1990s for epilepsy and nerve pain, but its off-label use exploded. Now, as dementia cases skyrocket globally, the dots connect. Landmark research in The Lancet recently identified 14 modifiable risk factors for dementia, including high cholesterol and vision loss, but prescription drugs were conspicuously absent from the list. Why? Because admitting iatrogenic harm would expose modern medicine’s Faustian bargain. The NHS issued 799,155 gabapentin prescriptions in 2023/24, down slightly from 926,071 the prior year. But with Alzheimer’s now the UK’s leading cause of death, how many victims were sacrificed for corporate greed? This study is a wake-up call, not just about gabapentin, but about all synthetic drugs pushed as "safe" until proven lethal. As dementia cases are projected to hit 1.7 million in the UK within 20 years, the time for blind trust in corrupt institutions is over. Natural healing modalities, from anti-inflammatory diets to cannabinoids, offer safer alternatives that won't put your mental acuity at risk. Sources for this article include: DailyMail.co.uk Newsweek.com MedicalXpress.com
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