Nerve pain plagues nearly 30 million Americans.[1]
It can have many causes, including diabetes, injury, multiple sclerosis, and thyroid problems.
But in all cases, it can be excruciating. And it can make normal activities impossible.[2]
So people turn to pain-killing drugs for relief.
Until a few years ago, the first-line mainstream treatment was opioid medications. But since the opioid addiction epidemic, doctors are prescribing them less often.
Instead, they often give nerve pain patients medications known as gabapentinoid drugs.
These include pregabalin (Lyrica) and gabapentin (Gralise, Neuraptine). They are supposed to be less addictive than opioids like Vicodin or OxyContin.[3]
But new research shows that they have an even more dangerous side effect. They increase the risk of suicidal behavior.
The study comes from Britain’s University of Oxford. Researchers looked at data on 191,973 people who were prescribed gabapentin and pregabalin from 2006 to 2013. In that time range, 5.2% of the subjects committed suicide or were treated for suicidal behavior.[4]
The subjects’ risk of suicide or suicidal behavior was 26% higher while taking the drugs.
And that’s not all…gabapentinoid users had:
- 24% higher risk for accidental overdose.
- 22% higher risk for head or body injuries.
- 13% higher risk for car crashes and traffic offenses.
Researchers found these risks to be dose-dependent. The higher the dose, the more likely they were to commit suicide or suffer another problem related to the drugs.
Dr. Seena Fazel was a co-author of the paper. “We need to be more careful about how these medications are prescribed,” he said “I think at the very least we should review guidelines about their use.”
5 Natural Ways to Relieve Nerve Pain
Big Pharma created the opioid crisis, making billions in profits in the process. Now they’d like to make billions more by pretending that gabapentinoids are the solution to the addiction epidemic they caused.
If you have nerve pain, don’t fall for Big Pharma’s false promises.
Instead, try one or more of the natural solutions listed below. They have few, if any, side effects. And they work as well as prescription drugs for many people.[5]
- Capsaicin. Topical creams containing this hot pepper extract can be very effective against nerve pain. They decrease the intensity of pain signals sent from damaged nerves.
- Vitamins B and D. Deficiencies in these two vitamins can cause or worsen nerve pain. Make sure you’re getting enough of both.[6]
- Essential oils. Research shows that some essential oils provide effective relief. These include topical peppermint and ginger oils, and chamomile consumed in tea.
- Curcumin. Studies reveal curcumin has impressive abilities to fight nerve pain and inflammation. A typical dose ranges from 500 to 1,000 mg a day. Look for a supplement that is standardized to a high percentage of curcuminoids.
- Acupuncture. A study published in the European Journal of Neurology found that acupuncture improved nerve pain better than mainstream drug treatments.[7]
Editor’s Note: Big Pharma wants you to believe that drugs are the answer to everything. But they often do more harm than good. Get the details in our publication, The Top 10 Dangerous Pharmaceutical Drugs—And Their Natural Alternatives. It’s an important read for you and your family.
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[1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2964880/
[2]https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/neuropathic-pain#1
[3]https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/gabapentin-addiction/#gref
[4]https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-lyrica-side-effects/common-nerve-pain-drug-linked-to-suicidal-behavior-overdose-idUSKCN1TI2Q7
[5] https://www.healthline.com/health/peripheral-neuropathy-natural-treatments#treatment
[6]https://www.healthline.com/health/peripheral-neuropathy-natural-treatments#treatment
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17355547