Nobody has a Gabapentin Deficiency

In my last post, I mentioned how Omeprazole which is commonly prescribed for a host of gut ailments, has been linked to dementia (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5883984/) Today it was brought to my attention that another popular drug, Gabapentin, has also been linked to dementia. (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10266423/).

Dementia in the United States is set to double by the year 2060 (https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/risk-future-burden-dementia-united-states). While nothing can prevent every case, why are we still prescribing medication known to increase the risk? Well, surely doctors are only prescribing these drugs when absolutely necessary, right?

Yesterday, I met with a client, a relatively healthy 25 year old female who has some issues with anxiety. She has had insomnia for about the last month. I was shocked when she told me she was prescribed Gabapentin, “but at a really low dose” she said when my mouth fell open.

This is a client with known iron deficiency. She struggles to take a supplement due to side effects. Any deficiency can put us in fight or flight and can cause us to have difficulty sleeping. In my opinion this should have been explored by the provider rather than the prescription.

While this particular client’s issue may have been iron, there is another major deficiency that is affecting many others. In 2018, a study published in Open Heart indicated that 50% of people in the United States have a magnesium deficiency. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5786912/. In a 2024 study a significant correlation between Magnesium deficiency and sleep quality was shown. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38703902/

So, with all that, Magnesium is always a good, safe, place to start for sleep issues. You are simply giving your body the nutrients it needs to function.