Medically Reviewed Gabapentin for Anxiety, Depression, and Bipolar Disorder. The prescription drug is being used off-label to treat common mental illnesses and even alcohol use disorder. Gabapentin is approved to prevent and control partial seizures, relieve postherpetic neuralgia after shingles and moderate-to-severe restless legs syndrome. Learn what side effects to watch for, drugs to avoid while taking gabapentin, how to take gabapentin and other important questions and answers. What Is Gabapentin and How Does It Work? Gabapentin is a prescription drug most commonly prescribed to relieve nerve pain following shingles in adults, treating the pain of post herpetic neuralgia. Gabapentin belongs to a class of drugs known as anti- seizure drugs. Neurontin is used in adults to treat neuropathic pain (nerve pain) caused by herpes virus or shingles (herpes zoster). Neurontin is also used to treat seizures in adults and children who are at least 3 years old. Use only the brand and form of gabapentin your doctor has prescribed. Gabapentin is used to control seizures, to treat nerve pain that can happen after having had shingles, and to treat a condition called restless legs syndrome. In addition to these FDA-approved uses, doctors sometimes prescribe gabapentin off-label. Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant with pain-relieving effects that may be used to treat partial-onset seizures or relieve nerve pain. These highlights do not include all the information needed to use NEURONTIN safely and effectively. See full prescribing information for NEURONTIN. NEURONTIN ® (gabapentin) capsules, for oral use NEURONTIN ® (gabapentin) tablets, for oral use NEURONTIN ® (gabapentin) oral solution Initial U.S. Approval: 1993 ----- Gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise, Horizant) is a medicine used to treat partial seizures, nerve pain from shingles and restless leg syndrome. It works on the chemical messengers in your brain and nerves. Gabapentin is a prescription drug used to treat seizure disorders and nerve damage from shingles. Off label uses (non-FDA approved) include fibromyalgia, headaches, and hot flashes. Common side effects are fatigue, nausea, hostility, dizziness, and tremors. Gabapentin is not an opioid narcotic, but it does have signs and symptoms associated with drug misuse, addiction, and withdrawal symptoms However, the rise in popularity of recreationally used gabapentin is occurring in the US, as well. Smith and colleagues (2015) describe a near 3000% increase in the use of gabapentin to get “high” from 2008 to 2014 among a cohort of 503 prescription drug users in the Central Appalachian region of the US . Gabapentin is a medication that treats nerve pain by calming overactive nerves in your body. It may also prevent and control seizures in people with epilepsy. You can take this medication by mouth with a glass of water. What is gabapentin used for? Gabapentin is commonly used to treat and prevent seizures in people with epilepsy or to treat nerve pain (postherpetic neuralgia) that can occur after a viral Abuse is the intentional, non-therapeutic use of a drug, even once, for its desirable psychological or physiological effects. Misuse is the intentional use, for therapeutic purposes, of a drug by an individual in a way other than prescribed by a health care provider or for whom it was not prescribed. Use this drug for a condition that is listed in this section only if it has been so prescribed by your health care professional.Gabapentin may also be used to treat other nerve pain conditions (such as diabetic neuropathy, peripheral neuropathy, trigeminal neuralgia) and restless legs syndrome. However, a recent report from Kentucky noted a nearly 3,000% increase in gabapentin misuse for the purpose of getting high between 2008 and 2014 (Smith, Lofwall, & Havens, 2015) and a qualitative study of gabapentin misuse found that gabapentin is used in combination with other drugs, including opioids and cocaine, to produce desired central Gabapentin has been reported to be used by patients in substance use disorder treatment programs, as it is not typically screened for during treatment. Even though gabapentin may be used as a treatment option for alcohol and substance abuse, it is important to monitor for all drug-seeking behaviors in patients. Gabapentin extended-release tablets (Horizant) are used to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS; a condition that causes discomfort in the legs and a strong urge to move the legs, especially at night and when sitting or lying down). Gabapentin is in a class of medications called anticonvulsants. Gabapentin is used to help control partial seizures (convulsions) in the treatment of epilepsy. This medicine cannot cure epilepsy and will only work to control seizures for as long as you continue to take it. Gabapentin is also used to manage a condition called postherpetic neuralgia, which is pain that occurs after shingles. When used as directed, gabapentin is known to have numerous uses and benefits. It has been FDA-approved to help control and treat seizures and to diminish a specific type of nerve pain Generic Name Gabapentin DrugBank Accession Number DB00996 Background. Gabapentin is a structural analogue of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid that was first approved for use in the United States in 1993. 16 It was originally developed as a novel anti-epileptic for the treatment of certain types of seizures 14,5 - today it is also widely used to treat neuropathic pain. 8
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