If you or someone you know is experiencing an overdose or toxic reaction to gabapentin, seek immediate medical attention. Don’t administer any medications or drinks unless instructed by qualified medical professionals. The purpose of this study is to document the clinical manifestations and outcomes of gabapentin exposures reported to poison centers. Methods: A multicenter prospective observational study of all gabapentin exposures reported to three poisoncenters was conducted between 4/1/98 and 4/1/2000. Cases involving gabapentin only were evaluated. Gabapentin toxicity should be considered one of the differential diagnoses of altered consciousness in patients with compromised renal function, even after a single dose. We report a 57-year-old woman with diabetes mellitus and uraemia on regular Common symptoms of gabapentin overdose are drowsiness, fast heartbeat, dizziness, low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, and impaired coordination. In severe cases, lethargy, coma, and death may occur. If someone takes too much gabapentin or takes gabapentin by accident, get guidance from Poison Control immediately. Gabapentin is an anticonvulsive medication that received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993 and has been available in generic form in the USA since 2004. Gabapentin was originally used as a muscle relaxant and an anti-spasmodic. However, it was later discovered that gabapentin has the potential of an anticonvulsive medication and can be used as an adjunct to more In cases in which gabapentin was determined to be a cause of death, the blood concentrations ranged from 1.1 to 134.0 mg/L. Persons who died of a gabapentin-related drug death were prescribed the drug legitimately 91.4% of the time, with 84.2% of those also having a known prior history of abuse or misuse of prescription medications. Key Takeaways. Gabapentin is used to treat seizures and neuropathic pain, with off-label uses for other conditions. Overdose can occur due to misuse, over-prescription, and accidental ingestion, with a growing trend of misuse among opioid users. During that period, there were 62,652 overdose deaths, of which 58,362 had documented toxicology results. Of these, gabapentin was found in 9.7%. Gabapentin was judged to contribute to overdose death in 52.3% of those deaths—or 5.0% of the total deaths from overdose. Signs and Symptoms of Gabapentin Overdose. A gabapentin overdose can be dangerous or even deadly. Some factors can increase the risk of a fatal overdose, such as taking several substances at once. Gabapentin overdose symptoms can include: Drowsiness; Movement difficulties; Dizziness; Nausea or vomiting; Rapid heartbeat; Low blood pressure In general, it seems that gabapentin has risks of being misused based on the increased level of prescriptions, related fatalities, recreational misuse and higher doses of self-administration. The main reasons for gabapentin misuse are as follows: getting high, alleviating opioid withdrawal symptoms and potentiating methadone effects. Thus, hydrocodone is observed to be present more frequently in cases with gabapentin toxicity than across the regular population of mixed drug fatalities, although these are not mutually exclusive groups so a chi-square test cannot be used to determine the significance of this observation. Gabapentin and Hydrocodone Concentrations Klein-Schwartz W, Shepherd JG, Gorman S et al. Characterization of gabapentin overdose using a poison center case series. Journal of Toxicology-Clinical Toxicology 2003; 41(1):11-15. Lofton AL, Klein-Schwartz W. Evaluation of lamotrigine toxicity reported to poison centers. Annals of Pharmaotherapy 2004; 38:1811-1815. Taking too much of a drug like gabapentin can result in a potentially fatal overdose. And, by the time a person realizes he or she is experiencing a gabapentin overdose, it may be too late to call for help and receive treatment in time. Individuals who overdose on a combination of gabapentin and another drug with depressant effects (e.g., alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids, etc.) are at serious risk of significant adverse effects, and these individuals may require immediate medical attention.Gabapentin may cause respiratory depression when used alone or with other substances. Objective: To raise awareness of serious toxicity, including respiratory depression and PRES (posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome) caused by gabapentin in the setting of overdose and abuse. Background Gabapentin, a structural analog of γ-aminobutyric acid, although developed for epilepsy, is often used for pain, insomnia and anxiety. Gabapentin use can result in a number of physical and psychological effects, including suicidal thoughts and behaviors. If you or a loved one is using gabapentin, be aware of warning signs of suicide, such as: 7. Talk: Talking about being a burden to others. Talking about having no reason to live. Talking about killing themselves. Behavior: So far, there have been only two peer-reviewed case reports of death[1][2]from gabapentin toxicity (related to gabapentin overdose). Despite this low statistic, gabapentin abuse as a suicide attempthas risen over the years. While this means gabapentin is a relatively safe drug, it still should not be ingested in large amounts. Postmortem toxicology tests detected gabapentin in almost 1 in 10 US overdose deaths between 2019 and 2020. In about half of the cases, a medical examiner or coroner ruled the drug was a cause of the death, according to a report from the CDC’s Division of Overdose Prevention. Gabapentinoids are commonly ingested in self-harm attempts and often misused for their sedative and euphoric properties. These medications can cause lethargy or agitation in overdose, increase risk of death combined with opioids, and manifest a withdrawal syndrome. While a gabapentin overdose is generally not considered life-threatening, it’s crucial to understand the signs and take prompt action to ensure your pet’s safety and well-being. Immediate veterinary consultation is always advised if you suspect your dog has consumed a higher-than-prescribed dose of gabapentin.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | |
![]() | |