Possible Interaction: Ethanol and Gabapentin

“ Gabapentin was associated with significantly greater reductions than placebo on several measures of subjective craving for alcohol as well as for affectively evoked craving.”

“Although not all sources reported the specifics on other substances taken by these patients, it is clear that the abuse of illicit and prescription drugs, as well as alcohol , is a strong risk factor for the abuse of gabapentin as well.”

“Their concomitant use of alcohol or illicit substances along with inappropriate use of gabapentin was documented in many of the case reports cited and was reiterated in our review.”

“Benzodiazepines, clomethiazole, tiagabine, vigabatrin, pregabalin, gabapentin , acamprosate, naltrexone, GHB, topiramate, ondansetron and baclofen at low dose (≤1 mg/kg, the dose range used in randomized trials in humans: 30 and 60 mg/day) have all been shown to at best reduce motivation to consume alcohol in rats.”

“2 Given this effect, it is perhaps not surprising that several studies have shown that gabapentin decreases alcohol withdrawal symptoms and may decrease cravings for alcohol in alcohol-dependent individuals.”

“Collectively, these findings show that gabapentin reverses behavioral measures of ethanol dependence and, in turn, dependence reverses the effects of gabapentin on CeA neurons, and suggest that gabapentin represents a potential medication for treatment of alcoholism.”

“ Systemic gabapentin reduced ethanol intake in dependent, but not in nondependent, rats and reversed the anxiogenic-like effects of ethanol abstinence using an acute dependence model.”

“ Gabapentin administered both in a single dose and for 7 days markedly enhanced the effect of ethanol on EEG recordings in rabbits.”

“Repeated doses of gabapentin decrease the sensitivity of the hippocampus to the effect of ethanol.”

“The mechanism of gabapentin effect suggests that it may alleviate the rewarding effect of ethanol , which may be used in the treatment of addiction.”

“The results demonstrated that gabapentin has a selective action in decreasing both convulsive and anxiety-related aspects of withdrawal behaviour after chronic ethanol treatment.”

“There was a significant positive correlation between the use of gabapentinoids and multiple drugs and alcohol and drug addiction, various withdrawal symptoms, the number of going to the infirmary, and the number of referral to the hospital (p<0.05).”

“Pregabalin and gabapentin have additional benefits to decrease alcohol cravings or time to relapse after a period of abstinence from alcohol.”

“ Gabapentin (12.5-50 mg/kg) reduced the number and severity of gastric mucosal lesions induced by subcutaneous indomethacin (20 mg/kg) or intragastric 96% ethanol , but at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg it increased gastric acid secretion.”