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Cancer Survivor Neuropathic Pain: Duloxetine and Exercise Signals

MHD featured image for cancer survivor neuropathic pain treatment evidence.

A 2026 scoping review screened 956 systematic reviews/guidelines and 604 original studies on cancer-survivor neuropathic pain, but only 11 pharmacological, 2 psychological, and 3 exercise studies were eligible.1 The practical signal is narrow: duloxetine and some exercise programs have the clearest support, while psychological and interdisciplinary evidence is still too thin for confident treatment ranking. …

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Gabapentin Plus Hegu Embedding: 92% Postherpetic Neuralgia Response

MHD featured image for gabapentin, Hegu catgut embedding, postherpetic neuralgia, and sleep quality.

A 210-person randomized assessor-blinded trial found that adding weekly Hegu-point catgut embedding to gabapentin improved 4-week postherpetic-neuralgia response from 80.00% to 92.38%; compared with gabapentin alone, the add-on arm also ended with lower sleep-problem scores and fewer adverse events.[1] This 2026 trial supports an add-on signal that still needs sham-controlled confirmation because follow-up lasted only …

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Pregabalin (Lyrica) vs. Gabapentin (Neurontin)

Lyrica (pregabalin) and Neurontin (gabapentin) are both classified as “gabapentinoids” (i.e. α2δ ligands).  As gabapentinoids, Lyrica (pregabalin) and Neurontin (gabapentin) are chemical analogues of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) that interact with α2δ subunit-containing voltage-dependent calcium channels. Development of gabapentin (Neurontin) was initiated in the 1970s by chemists at the pharmaceutical company Parke-Davis – …

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Gabapentin For Sleep & Insomnia: Does It Help?

Gabapentin, sold under the brand name “Neurontin,” is a drug that was first approved by the United States FDA in 1993 as an adjunct treatment for partial seizures in adults.  Thereafter, gabapentin’s indication as a treatment for partial seizures would be extended in 2000 to pediatrics, and subsequently, it would receive FDA approval for the …

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Gabapentin For Opiate Withdrawal

Gabapentin is rumored to have been synthesized by chemists in the 1970s in attempt to develop an antispasmodic agent.  After its synthesis, rights to gabapentin were acquired by Parke-Davis (a subsidiary of Pfizer) whereafter it underwent clinical trials that evaluated its safety and anticonvulsant efficacy in the treatment of seizures.  Clinical trial data indicated that …

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How Long Does Gabapentin Stay In Your System?

Gabapentin (brand name “Neurontin”) is a drug initially approved by the FDA in 1993 as an adjunct treatment for partial seizures, and 11 years later in 2004, received approval for the treatment of neuropathic pain.  It has since gained popularity as an off-label treatment for a variety of conditions including: anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, hot …

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