PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Vania Modesto-Lowe
AU  - Gregory C. Barron
AU  - Benjamin Aronow
AU  - Margaret Chaplin
TI  - Gabapentin for alcohol use disorder: A good option, or cause for concern?
AID  - 10.3949/ccjm.86a.18128
DP  - 2019 Dec 01
TA  - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
PG  - 815--823
VI  - 86
IP  - 12
4099  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/86/12/815.short
4100  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/86/12/815.full
SO  - Cleve Clin J Med2019 Dec 01; 86
AB  - The anticonvulsant drug gabapentin is used off-label to treat alcohol-related withdrawal, cravings, anxiety, and insomnia. Although it is well tolerated and has demonstrated efficacy for mild alcohol withdrawal and early abstinence, there is concern about its potential for abuse. Gabapentin should be prescribed only as a second-line alternative to standard therapies, and only after screening for opioid or other prescription drug abuse to determine if heightened monitoring is warranted. Clinicians should be aware of gabapentin’s limitations for treating alcohol use disorder and be attentive to emerging data on risks and benefits.