Course Summary

Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant that has labeled uses for treating partial onset seizures, post-herpetic neuralgia, and restless legs syndrome. It is commonly used off-label for various other health conditions and is also used for chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and diabetic neuropathy. Important benefits of gabapentin have been reported in the treatment of sleep disturbance, fatigue, and depression. Gabapentin has been shown to have greater efficacy versus placebo in generalized anxiety disorder and has been shown to reduce symptoms of social anxiety. Gabapentin is a drug that may be misused. A basic pharmacological understanding of gabapentin includes recommendations related to drug overdose.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

1. Introduction
2. Pharmacological Profile
3. Partial Onset Seizures
   • Case Study: Sleep-bound Seizures Resistant to Treatment
4. Post-herpetic Neuralgia
   • Case Study: Sickle Cell Disease and Chronic Pain
5. Restless Legs Syndrome
   • Case Report: Restless Leg Syndrome
6. Gabapentin Forms, Labeled and Off-label Uses
7. Diabetic Neuropathy
   • Case Study: Failed Treatment for Diabetic Neuropathy
8. Fibromyalgia
   • Case Study: Pregabalin Side Effects and Cross-taper to Duloxetine
9. Social Anxiety Disorder and General Anxiety Disorder
   • Case Study: Gabapentin Treatment and New Onset Trypophobia
10. Dystonias in Children
    • Case Study: Adjunctive Gabapentin for Dystonia
11. Gabapentin Misuse and Overdose
    • Risk of Overdose
    • Overdose Treatment
    • Case Study: Gabapentin Overdose
12. Summary

Author

Richard Daniels, PharmD, BCPS

Richard “Cole” Daniels earned his Doctor of Pharmacy(PharmD) from the Skaggs School of Pharmacy at the University of Montana in 2018. Throughout pharmacy school he completed a 3-year internship at Community Medical Center in Missoula, Montana in which he gained valuable experience in an acute care setting. Cole currently serves as a psychiatric clinical staff pharmacist at the Montana State Hospital. He has over 11 years of pharmacy experience having worked in several settings including retail, acute care, and inpatient psychiatric care. Cole has a diverse set of interests. However, acute care medicine, infectious disease, pain management, and asthma/COPD are a primary focus of his at the Montana State Hospital. He obtained board certification as a certified pharmacotherapy specialist in the Spring of 2022.