Neurontin - How safe is this drug for elderly people?

My grandmother is 94 years old. In february sh fell and broke her hip. She had gotten back on her feet and was doing very well. The doctor put her on Gabupentin However u spell it) about a month ago for the pain in her feet and restless leg. She immediately started sleeping all of the time and started going downhill fast. In the last week she had started drooling and having trouble talking and swallowing. It is terrible what it has doe to her. I've taken her off of it and she is very slowly getting better. We are very worried about her. I would be very careful about giving her any of these drugs (gabupentin is just a brand name for neurontin). If you give it to her watch her very closely. Any signs of side effects and I would stop giving it to her. Hope your luck with it is better than ours. Since this happened we have talked to several people that it has happened to their elderly relatives.

I have had degenerative disc disease for the past 20 years and I am only 48-so I feel like I have tried every possible medication there is and I do not tolerate oral pain meds very well(I also have fibromyalgia,celiac disease,and recently diagnosed with RA) The ONLY thing that gives me relief from nerve pain is neurontin I notice a difference if I miss a couple doses. I really think nerve pain is one of the worst kinds of pain there is. I take it 3 times a day and if my pain is undercontrol I sometimes use it only twice a day. I really feel it is a very worthwhile med and hope it can help your mother. My father had terrible nerve pain from diabetes(he lost both legs due to his diabetes) and phanthom limb pain and he tried neurontin and he did get relief. I hope this helps-kim

I have a friend about that age who used Neurontin for nerve pain (something like your mother) I think the important thing is to give the least effective dose to someone her age there is even a notice in the prescribing information that suggests that with people who are elderly that they take a dose that is less but is effective be sure you have an open talk with her doctor, is she on other medications besides this if so he needs to be talked to about every consideration of her health, I worry about these things my mother is 93, she is only on 3 medications mostly for blood pressure and aspirin but it is a concern she is bothered by arthritis her knees are bone on bone and they can't do surgery on her, she uses advil and rotates Tyleno extra strength and Tylenol #3 (with codeine) for the pain I wish you only the best