Hello Lindy - Sue and Rupert have pretty much said everything I might have suggested and so I can echo all they say. I don’t know anything about the painkiller your husband has been prescribed but my view on medications is treat them with respect, and always read the medical leaflet that comes with the medication as it has lots of useful information and I feel it ought to be mandatory to read this, though how that would be enforced I do not know.
All medicines have potential side effects and we as patients/users of these also react, or rather our bodies react differently. Just as an example, Rupert has stated above he completed a full script (90 tablets) of Gabapentin and a) they did nothing for him and b) he suffered no side effects, nor did he get addicted. But other patients have reported different experiences and of course you have read about this and are now concerned.
The best way to be sure, at least as I see it, is to let your body (your husband’s) tell you how it feels. When you take medication, monitor yourself/the patient carefully for changes, either positive (healing) or negative (damaging). Any concerns should immediately flagged with the prescriber or your local pharmacist. Your local pharmacist may be better placed to advise you and in fact these days you can go to them instead of seeing a GP for some conditions.
My final point is about combined medications e.g. when treating comorbidities. Some medicines interact with other medicines and these can also lead to problems and whilst the prescriber would normally check before they prescribe, they do sometimes make mistakes and so as patients we must always take responsibility. Let’s not forget also, some foods also affect medicines and so we also be wary of that.
I hope you will soon feel reassured and better guided on the best course of action for your husband.
After I posted the above, I read the below post from a new user John @JP141
[Mentions Gabapentin and other medicines]
(Dysaesthesia or paraesthesia, struggle with burning sensation in my left hand)