Does Gabapentin increase blood pressure?
By
Dr Natalia Marceli Stephanes (PhD)
Author bio
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes PhD is a Pharmacist with expertise in Drugs Administration and Toxicity; Discovery of New Drugs; Cancer Treatment; Biochemical Analyzes and Hematological Analyzes. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes’ Highlights:
- Pharmacist at the Department of Health of Santa Catarina State, Brazil
- PhD with a focus on oncology treatment
- Years of experience in commercial pharmacy
- Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina
Professional Experience:
From her undergraduate studies to her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Pharmacy, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has participated in numerous scientific studies in the field of oncology and onco-hematology at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her research has focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical bases of malignant neoplasms and investigating safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has also served as an assistant professor of haematology for undergraduate students at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Additionally, she held the position of professor of Hospital Pharmacy at the Qualificar Technical School in Brazil, where she developed instructional materials for use in the Pharmacy Postgraduate Program at the Leonardo Da Vinci University Center.
In addition to her academic experiences, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes possesses a strong expertise in commercial pharmacy, with in-depth knowledge of medications, their routes of administration, desired effects, adverse effects, and toxicity.
Currently, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes works as a Pharmacist at the Health Department of Santa Catarina State, where her role entails providing pharmaceutical scientific consulting services to judges.
Education:
- 2016 Bachelor in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2018 Master in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2023 PhD in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
The main publications of Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes are:
Falchetti M ; Delgobo M, Zancanaro H, Almeida K, Das Neves RN, Dos Santos B, Stefanes NM, et al. Bishop Omics-based identification of an NRF2-related auranofin resistance signature in cancer: Insights into drug repurposing. Comput. Biol. Med [Internet]. 2023; 152:106347.
Feuser PM, Matos dos Santos PC, Cordeiro AP, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Maioral MF, Santos-Silva MC, et al. Antineoplastic activity of free 4-nitrochalcone and encapsulated in poly(thioether-ester) nanoparticles obtained by thiol-ene polymerization in two human leukemia cell lines (Jurkat and K562). J Drug Deliv Sci Technol [Internet]. 2022; 67:102924.
Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Perondi DM, Efe FL, Souza LFS, Sens L, et al. Synthesis of chalcones derived from 1-naphthylacetophenone and evaluation of their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in acute leukemia cell lines. Bioorg. Chem [Internet]. 2021; 116:105315.
Duarte BF, Vieira DSC, Lisboa ML, Stefanes NM, Grando LJ, Santos-Silva MC. Características clínico-epidemiológicas de pacientes portadores de carcinoma de células escamosas de boca. Arquivos Catarinenses de Medicina. 2021; 50(2): 232–245.
Machado V, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Santos-Silva MC, Biavatti MW. Anti-leukemic activity of semisynthetic derivatives of Lupeol. Nat. Prod. Res. 2021; 35(22):4494-4501.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Yunes RA, et al. A novel sulfonamide derivative as a strong and selective apoptotic agent against hematological malignancies. Chem. Pap. 2020; 74:2965–2976.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Cytotoxic mechanisms of primin, a natural quinone isolated from Eugenia hiemalis, on hematological cancer cell lines. Anticancer Drugs. 2020; 31(7):709-717.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Neufeldt PD, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Santos-Silva MC. Aldehyde biphenyl chalcones induce immunogenic apoptotic-like cell death and are promising new safe compounds against a wide range of hematologic cancers. Future Med. Chem. 2020; 12(8):673–688.
Perondi DM, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Maioral MF, Sens L, Pacheco LA, Cury NM, et al. A novel thiosemicarbazone as a promising effective and selective compound for acute leukemia. Anticancer Drugs. 2019; 30(8):p 828-837.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Argenta DF, Dotto MER, Santos-Silva MC, et al. PEO-chitosan nanofibers containing carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanoparticles loaded with pyrazoline for skin cancer treatment. Eur. Polym. J. 2019; 119:335-343.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Santos-Silva MC, Nunes RJ, Parize AL, et al. A new and efficient carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanocarrier for a pyrazoline with antileukemic activity. Mater. Sci. Eng. C [Internet]. 2019; 105:110051.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Miconidine acetate, a new selective and cytotoxic compound with synergic potential, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells. Invest. New Drugs. 2019; 37:912–922.
Srefanes NM, Toigo J, Maioral MF, Jacques AV, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Perondi DM, Ribeiro AAB, et al. Synthesis of novel pyrazoline derivatives and the evaluation of death mechanisms involved in their antileukemic activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2019; 27(2):375-382.
Maioral MF, Bodack CN, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Yunes RA, et al. Cytotoxic effect of a novel naphthylchalcone against multiple cancer cells focusing on hematologic malignancies. Biochim. 2017; 140:48-57.
You can view some of Dr Natália’s work below and links to her professional profile below.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalia-Stephanes
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliamarceli/
Does Gabapentin increase blood pressure?
Gabapentin may or may not increase your blood pressure. Hypertension was reported during clinical trials, but hypotension was more commonly reported with Gabapentin. Experts believe that people respond differently to Gabapentin and this may create variations in side effects.
Make sure you report your side effects to your doctor. Gabapentin is not an easy medication. In fact, it is considered one of the most dangerous medications in the world. This is why you should not neglect any Gabapentin-induced side effects.
What does research suggest?
There is no exact explanation as to why Gabapentin affects blood pressure and there is limited research on this topic. However, some experts believe Gabapentin and similar medications, like Pregabalin, may not increase blood pressure as much as they are known to decrease it (1).
Some studies indicate that Gabapentin can lower blood pressure and heart rate because of its inhibitory effects on your brain. Gabapentin is a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) analogue that mimics the activity of this inhibitor neurotransmitter.
However, some cases of hypertension are also reported. Researchers believe that the effects of Gabapentin on blood pressure and heart rate could be dose-dependent.
Lower doses are associated with hypertension and increased heart rate, whereas higher or more frequent doses are found to be more closely related to hypotension and decreased heart rate.
A lot of other factors can also affect you, like your age, your current dose, frequency of dose administration, and any underlying health condition that you may have.
People who already suffer from hypertension or other cardiac problems are more susceptible to Gabapentin-induced high blood pressure.
What to do if Gabapentin increases your blood pressure?
If Gabapentin is increasing your blood pressure, talk to your healthcare provider. Your doctor needs to know about this side effect to determine if you need any dose adjustment or not.
As I stated earlier, Gabapentin is not an easy medication; it just doesn’t work in some people. If your hypertension persists, your doctor may switch you to another medication.
However, it is important to ensure you don’t stop using Gabapentin without your doctor’s approval. Meanwhile, here are some tips that you can follow:
- Limit your salt intake. Excessive salt in your diet can enhance the blood pressure-increasing effects of Gabapentin.
- Try to manage your stress levels as stress can also affect your blood pressure.
- Cut back on cigarette smoking and alcohol.
- Eat healthy foods
- Exercise at least 3 to 4 times a week. Cardio workouts can help strengthen your cardiac muscles and prevent heart attacks.
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References
1.-
Chen HH, Li YD, Cheng PW, Fang YC, Lai CC, Tseng CJ, Pan JY, Yeh TC. Gabapentin Reduces Blood Pressure and Heart Rate through the Nucleus Tractus Solitarii. Acta Cardiol Sin. 2019 Nov;35(6):627-633. doi: 10.6515/ACS.201911_35(6).20190429B. PMID: 31879515; PMCID: PMC6859102. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31879515/
2.-
MedlinePlus. Gabapentin [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); [updated 2022 Apr 15; cited 2022 Oct 28]. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a694007.html
