I still haven't received a call back from my doctor. I want to talk to him about any other medication that could do the same thing. Or, perhaps, just stop taking it and living with the pain. I really don't want to have to roll the dice to wait three months to see if I can fly anymore. I am sure I could then stop taking it, but then I would have to do a bunch more paperwork and wait another long time to fly only after already waiting too long to get back into the air.

The AME said that a special medical could be issued to fly on Neurontin. That is another thing that worries me though, does he really know what he is talking about here? I could try to get a special and get denied, then where would I be?

Sounds like getting off the stuff is the best bet. Hope to talk to the doc soon...

An old thread but what did you end up doing? I’ve got severe nerve pain and am looking for options to neurontin or the possibility of getting a special issuance.

PF

Unlikely to get a special issuance for Gabapentin. The drug has a very high number and relatively high frequency of aero medically significant side effects. These include:

drowsiness
tiredness or weakness
dizziness
headache
uncontrollable shaking of a part of your body
double or blurred vision
unsteadiness
anxiety
memory problems
strange or unusual thoughts - sometimes including suicide ideation
unwanted eye movements
nausea
vomiting
heartburn
diarrhea
dry mouth
constipation
increased appetite
weight gain
swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
back or joint pain
fever
runny nose, sneezing, cough, sore throat, or flu-like symptoms
ear pain
red, itchy eyes (sometimes with swelling or discharge)
rash
itching
swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, or eyes
hoarseness
difficulty swallowing or breathing
seizures

From a 2010 Federal Air Surgeons Bulletin. I doubt they've changed their opinion:

Antiepileptics. We do not accept the use of antiepileptic (antiseizure) medications as treatment for any medical condi- tion. These medications have side-effects that are incompatible with flying. An example here might be the use of Neurontin (gabapentin) in the treatment of a neuropathy. We do not accept these medications because a seizure or epilepsy is obviously a condition that is not acceptable for flight. These medications also have side effects that are incompatible with flying.

https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/avia...1003_color.pdf

I had back surgery (herniated disc L4/L5) a while back and was placed on Celebrex for 2 months. Prior to the surgery I was on Mobic?. Both are NSAIDS and both worked pretty well for me considering the herniated disc was going straight into the nerve.

Renewing my Cl 2 soon but don't see any issues. I specifically told the surgeon (Military) I didn't want any non approved meds unless nothing else worked. Did the surgery primarily because it's easier fixing the problem than managing the problem with the FAA.