Benign fasciculations responsive to gabapentin

• Published in: Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria Vol. 65; no. 4A; pp. 1015 - 1017
• Main Authors: Forcelini, Cassiano Mateus, Rotta, Francisco Tellechea, Posenato, Naiana, Rovani, Joana Stella, Crusius, Paulo Sérgio, Mallmann, Adroaldo Baseggio, Seibert, Cláudio Albano, Crusius, Marcelo Ughini, Carazzo, Charles, Crusius, Cassiano Ughini, Goellner, Eduardo, Ragnini, Jean, Wayhs, Sâmia Yasin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil 01.12.2007
• Subjects: Amines - therapeutic use; Anticonvulsants - therapeutic use; Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids - therapeutic use; Fasciculation - diagnosis; Fasciculation - drug therapy; Female; Gabapentin; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid - therapeutic use; Humans; Middle Aged
• ISSN: 0004-282X
• DOI: 10.1590/s0004-282x2007000600020

Fasciculations are symptoms present in a broad spectrum of conditions, ranging from normal manifestations to motor neuron diseases. They also represent the main picture of benign fasciculation syndrome. We report a case of such syndrome: a 48-years-old woman complaining about fasciculations for three decades who remained with the symptoms even after the compensation of a disclosed hyperthyroidism. The introduction of gabapentin rendered control of her fasciculations. The available data in the literature about the therapeutic approaches for fasciculations are revised, as long as the rare reports of evolution from patients with "benign" fasciculations to cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, underlining the importance of following the patients with fasciculations.