Metta Perspective Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine

01/17/2026

Friendly PSA: Gabapentin
(an important conversation instigated by a colleague. Thank you to my colleague for initiating the conversation and collecting the resources)

Information revealing how dangerous Gabapentin really is with reading materials to back it up.

Many people have been taking this for years while the prescribers downplay the many issues.

I see these side effects often. It’s time to have the conversation with your prescribing doctors and here’s why:

A recent investigation by The Wall Street Journal (December 2025/January 2026) has highlighted that gabapentin, once considered a safe alternative to opioids, carries several significant "hidden" risks. While the drug is widely prescribed "off-label" for everything from back pain and anxiety to insomnia, the report suggests it may be neither as safe nor as effective as previously believed.

According to the WSJ and related research, the primary hidden risks include:

1. Increased Risk of Dementia and Cognitive Impairment

A major study highlighted in the report found a strong correlation between long-term gabapentin use and cognitive decline.

• Dementia: Patients receiving six or more prescriptions for chronic back pain had a 29% higher risk of developing dementia.

• Cognitive Impairment: The risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was 85% higher among frequent users.

• Younger Patients: These risks were particularly pronounced in patients aged 35 to 64, a group not typically associated with high dementia rates.

1. Severe Respiratory Issues and Overdose

Though gabapentin is not an opioid, it can dangerously depress breathing, especially when combined with other substances.

• Breathing Problems: The report notes risks of dangerous respiratory depression, particularly in patients with existing lung issues or those taking CNS depressants (like alcohol or benzodiazepines).

• Fatal Overdoses: At least 5,000 deaths per year in the U.S. now involve gabapentin, often in combination with opioids.

• Surge in Adverse Events: In 2025 alone, there were approximately 5,300 reported adverse events involving the drug, a 21% jump in life-threatening complications compared to the previous year.

1. Masking Other Serious Conditions (The "Prescribing Cascade")

The WSJ report notes that gabapentin's side effects can mimic other diseases, leading to dangerous misdiagnoses:

• Edema (Swelling): Gabapentin can cause significant leg and foot swelling. Doctors often mistake this for heart failure and prescribe diuretics.

• Cascade Effect: These unnecessary heart medications can then cause kidney injury, dizziness, and falls, leading to a "prescribing cascade" where one drug's side effect is treated as a new illness with another drug.

1. Withdrawal and Dependence

Despite being marketed as non-habit forming, many patients reported "debilitating" withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop the medication. These symptoms can resemble those of benzodiazepine or alcohol withdrawal, suggesting a level of physical dependence that was previously downplayed.

1. Lack of Efficacy for Common Off-Label Uses

The investigation points out that for many of the conditions it is most commonly prescribed for—such as chronic low back pain or post-surgical recovery—recent studies suggest it is no more effective than a placebo. Specifically, a 2025 study found that giving gabapentin to surgery patients did not reduce complications or hospital stay duration; in some cases, patients actually reported higher pain levels months later.

Summary of Hidden Side Effects Mentioned:

• Suicidal behavior and mood changes.

• Dizziness and falls, especially dangerous for the elderly.

• Myoclonus (involuntary muscle jerks).

• Pediatric aggression when used in children.

LINKS BELOW

1. Nerve pain drug gabapentin linked to increased dementia, cognitive impairment risks
https://bmjgroup.com/nerve-pain-drug-gabapentin-linked-to-increased-dementia-cognitive-impairment-risks/?hl=en-US&fbclid=IwZnRzaAPXu59leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEerlf8TUimcYqoPjwo5o9mvz_ffWBImrtQwX6o6-HUt90tVOOthbyKihR18Bc_aem_0MEccUV6mt55HoruIp2iog #:~:text=Receiving%20six%20or%20more%20prescriptions,journal%20Regional%20Anesthesia%20%26%20Pain%20Medicine

2. Study Sheds New Light On Gabapentin Risks
https://www.namd.org/journal-of-medicine/3440-study-sheds-new-light-on-gabapentin-risks.html?hl=en-US&fbclid=IwZnRzaAPXu9ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe7HCwzEoeCNNA773YkBoHSCgUAFud3bSqsjTQ5w1vKWR24Afr0NyyfyGADgE_aem_tgv28R3VUZUSdZOiE8utXg #:~:text=Despite%20limited%20indications%2C%20gabapentin%20and,difficulty%20with%20coordination%20and%20concentration

3. Study Sheds New Light on Gabapentin Risks
https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/painmanagement/116456?hl=en-US&fbclid=IwZnRzaAPXu_tleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe6PopJHKwETBWIkXtM8nWnLPeJOnLW0s4Nb7Ij8N139Ljvp9tdhpPABhWfwY_aem_NALZFFRDTJBOTNQiILBKVA

4. A comprehensive review of the typical and atypical side effects of gabapentin
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38949515/?fbclid=IwRlRTSAPXvCNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEetzJBmE-TeCUriFE34iHVTVoboTuC_Yyd1KkvqWxff9FBspw1t3MBkPLeCCE_aem_7wTBLd_I9p8Wxs0v_75I2w

5. Gabapentin’s soaring use raises new safety questions
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/gabapentins-soaring-use-raises-new-safety-questions-122925.html?hl=en-US&fbclid=IwZnRzaAPXvDxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe5neeMeUBt0llmWc5mwaJykPC9XiTvnBPiLFleTEJvNSEcJ3Ehd1CetVyylc_aem_sOHfm2WYnAdrTZS81X8y1A

6. Your Pain Meds’ Side Effects May Be Masquerading as Heart Failure
https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/11/431126/your-pain-meds-side-effects-may-be-masquerading-heart-failure?hl=en-US&fbclid=IwZnRzaAPXvFdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe2TQ4KhL2j9-SLnpNW9hdxM2MwHsJLo5EEPdmI3t6l9cz0edptRVPW6GIUgI_aem_lwCJq4IFx9E1qDyMMLjJKQ #:~:text=In%20this%20case%2C%20gabapentinoids%20%E2%80%94%20which,%2C%20light%20headedness%2C%20and%20falls

7. YouTube FDA warning
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u1HsRHOZxLc&fbclid=IwRlRTSAPXvHhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeifCZuuQ2WtODqo1bol9RF9XBvYbTJBA8o2abgVTX7Fjx3T0vpxqLLK8Wagk_aem_-Pf0QYh6x0_Sts25qNsE4Q

Listen to an audio podcast of the December 19, 2019 FDA Drug Safety Communication warning that serious breathing difficulties may occur in patients using sei...

01/14/2026

Past 6 months pro bono and discount total at Metta Perspective 🙌🏽
$31,282!!!

01/12/2026

Electroacupuncture for the win… again!🙌🏽

Taiwanese researchers discovered acupuncture triggering stem cell release healing damaged organs naturally. Scientists at China Medical University found that electroacupuncture at specific meridian points stimulates bone marrow to release mesenchymal stem cells into circulation, which then migrate to injured organs and promote tissue repair. This mechanism explains acupuncture's therapeutic effects through measurable biological processes rather than placebo.

Traditional Chinese medicine has used acupuncture for thousands of years, but Western medicine dismissed it as placebo due to lack of biological mechanism. Taiwanese researchers using advanced imaging and cellular tracking discovered that needle stimulation at specific points triggers measurable stem cell mobilization—providing the first clear biological explanation for acupuncture's effects.

Electroacupuncture (needles with mild electrical current) at ST36 (Zusanli point) and GV20 (Baihui point) causes a 300% increase in circulating stem cells within 24 hours. These mobilized stem cells express homing signals drawing them to damaged tissues—injured liver, heart, kidneys, or brain—where they differentiate into organ-specific cells and release healing factors. It's like acupuncture triggers the body's internal repair dispatch system.

Stroke patients receiving electroacupuncture within 48 hours of stroke showed 40% better functional recovery than those receiving standard care alone. Liver cirrhosis patients showed reduced fibrosis markers. Heart attack survivors demonstrated improved cardiac function. The mechanism is entirely biological—traced stem cells from bone marrow to damaged organs. Skeptical Western physicians are reconsidering acupuncture given this mechanistic evidence. We're discovering that ancient healing practices work through sophisticated biological mechanisms science is only now capable of detecting.

Source: China Medical University, Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2025

12/31/2025

Our community room libraries are now ready to be shared! One nonfiction educational and one partially fiction for lighter reading. 🤓
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Some of these are carried over 3 decades for the purpose of creating and building self sustainability within our community.
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We use these resources everyday and want to include our patient community in self sustainable healing and health maintenance as well as building into a teaching wellness clinic for new and seasoned practitioners.
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*May we all grow, heal and thrive together as a community in this new year of the Fire Horse.* 💫

12/13/2025

This is a very important conversation.

“Skinny does not = health!”

Balance within the terrain of the body is #1 aspect of health! **Cellular health**

This is what we do. This is our specialization. How do we do this?
—> electrons! Proper digestion! Regain proper flow from head to toe!

The 4 leading powerhouses in women’s health break down urgent topics facing women today: irregular periods, PCOS, endometriosis, perimenopause, and the best ...

11/21/2025

🧠Taking a PT Dry Needling class part 2 this weekend.
🧠3 day course 7a-7p.
🧠This is review of my background in orthopedic acupuncture from a different lens.

11/14/2025

Dr. Dawn is a game changer! We love to hear about the new perspective that gives folks what they're been missing. Call to schedule your first appointment today! ☎️😀

11/13/2025

*Quick note*
If you’ve been feeling “off” yesterday, today and possibly 3 days before and after; there is a high likelihood that you are feeling effects of solar flare activity. ☀️
Take care and rest as needed. Try not to push yourself too hard when feeling zapped of your energy. Nourishing yourself with warm cooked foods and liquids and taking it slow and easy are great choices to settle our nervous system with such high energies.

11/08/2025

The Metta team is building community in as many ways as possible. With increasing food insecurities, we felt adding homemade meals was an important next step. Here is the organization that we are volunteering with if you too want to join in helping neighbors with a warm meal.

https://lasagnalove.org

Pictured: Dr. Dawns traditional Sicilian Lasagna delivered today to a family of 4.

10/15/2025

We're always happy to hear about the positive experiences folks have with Dr. Dawn! Read here for a patient's take. 🤔😍

10/06/2025

Come in to try a patient favorite, Hydrogen Therapy! 💦 This gentle treatment is a strong addition to your wellness routine. ✨

10/01/2025

Meet Dr. Kholood, Metta's Care Coordinator!👩‍⚕️ Kholood is an integral part of our team, and patients know her well for her kindness, expertise, and attention to detail. 🤗 Follow the link to learn more about her! https://loom.ly/VSqNOgU

By the time Dr. Dawn opened Metta, saying yes to the Care Coordinator position was a no brainer for Kholood. As the Care Coordinator, one of Kholood’s favorite parts of working at Metta is the range of cutting edge technology that Dr. Dawn integrates into the clinic to best support her patients.