RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Gabapentin for alcohol use disorder: A good option, or cause for concern?
JF Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
JO Cleve Clin J Med
FD Cleveland Clinic
SP 815
OP 823
DO 10.3949/ccjm.86a.18128
VO 86
IS 12
A1 Vania Modesto-Lowe
A1 Gregory C. Barron
A1 Benjamin Aronow
A1 Margaret Chaplin
YR 2019
UL http://www.ccjm.org/content/86/12/815.abstract
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.