Gabapentin Abuse, Dependence, and Withdrawal

Objective: To identify case reports and studies regarding patients who abused, became dependent on, or experienced withdrawal from gabapentin. Data Sources: A PubMed literature search (1993 to October 2015) was performed using the search terms gabapentin, withdrawal, dependence, and addiction. Additional references were identified from a review of literature citations. Study Selection: All English-language case reports and studies were evaluated. Data Synthesis: A total of 18 case reports or case series were identified regarding addiction to or withdrawal from gabapentin. All the cases of addiction were in patients who had a previous history of alcohol, cocaine, or opioid abuse. On average, the patients were taking more than 3000 mg/d (600-8000 mg/d). Two surveys reported that the misuse of gabapentin was 1.1% in the general population and 22% in drug abuse treatment centers. Withdrawal, when reported, occurred within 12 hours to 7 days of discontinuation of the medication. Conclusion: There have been num...