What is Gabapentin used for? Plus the side effects

Many of the prescription drugs that are commonly abused or abused are brands that most people have heard of. Painkillers, also known as opioids, are the most commonly abused drugs, according to data from the New York State Department of Health. These include morphine, codeine, oxycodone and hydrocodone with the brand names OxyContin, Vicodin and Lortab. Sedatives used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders include brands such as Valium and Xanax and are also commonly abused. The same goes for stimulants used to treat ADHD such as Ritalin, Dexedrine, and Adderall.

Dr. Holly Geyer, addiction medicine specialist and chief medical officer of the Mayo Clinic's Opioid Stewardship Program in Arizona, explains that in an effort to combat opioid-related drug abuse, many doctors have turned to a class of medications that are not classified as controlled substances : gabapentinoids. This has helped a drug called Gabapentin become the sixth most prescribed drug in the United States.

As a result, and somewhat ironically, “we are now seeing emerging patterns of gabapentin abuse across the country,” says Geyer, adding that such abuse occurs with gabapentin alone or in combination with other drugs of abuse such as: B. can occur as opioids.”

Here's who Gabapentin was originally approved for, what it's used for today, and why it's becoming a drug of increasing concern about misuse and misuse.

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What is Gabapentin?

Gabapentin is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1993 to treat epilepsy. It works by binding to a type of calcium channel in nerve cells, “which is thought to alter the function of the nerve,” explains Dr. Tom Lombardi, medical director of neurosciences at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City.

In this capacity, the drug can help control certain types of nerve pain and treat seizure disorders “as it acts on the nervous system and helps reduce nerve transmission,” says Geyer.

It is usually administered as an oral medication, usually taken orally two to three times daily, and is available in pill or liquid form, says Andrea Tedeschi, a neuroscientist at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and co-author of gabapentin-related research. It is available “both as a branded product and as a lower-cost generic,” he says. Brand names include Neurontin, Horizant and Gralise.

What are the side effects of Gabapentin?

While gabapentin may be helpful in a number of circumstances, common side effects associated with taking the drug as directed include drowsiness, dizziness, headache, dry mouth, weight gain, swelling of the hands, feet, or ankles, and back or joint pain and flu-like symptoms Symptoms include nausea, fever and body aches, according to Harvard Medical School.

Rare but serious side effects include rash, itching, yellowing of the skin, swelling of the face and neck, problems speaking, difficulty swallowing, and changes in memory, personality, or ability to concentrate.

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What is Gabapentin used for?

Gabapentin is known to have numerous uses and benefits when used as directed. It has been approved by the FDA to control and treat seizures and to relieve a certain type of nerve pain called postherpetic neuralgia, which often follows a diagnosis of shingles.

In addition to these FDA-approved uses, Tedeschi said gabapentin is also sometimes prescribed by off-label providers for a variety of other conditions. (Off-label use means there is evidence that a drug is helpful in treating conditions other than those for which it has been approved by the FDA.)

Known off-label uses for which doctors prescribe gabapentin include treating hot flashes, restless leg syndrome, mood disorders and anxiety, as well as relieving nerve pain associated with diabetes or neck and back pain associated with conditions such as Sciatica.

One of the reasons it's so popular is that “it's a generic, so it's relatively inexpensive,” says Lombardi. It also provides “excellent pain control for many conditions caused by damaged nerves,” says Geyer.

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What is the controversy with gabapentin?

Despite its FDA approval and proven benefits, gabapentin is widely abused. Although the drug is not considered addictive, “it can cause a high in some patients, increasing the potential for abuse,” Geyer notes.

It is also known to increase the psychological effects of opioids, says Tedeschi, and thereby may contribute to their continued abuse — even to the point of being linked to drug overdose deaths, notes Harvard Medical School. Because of these factors, “several states have taken the step of listing gabapentin as a Schedule V controlled substance,” Lombardi says.

What is Gabapentin used for? Plus the side effects

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