Gabapentin

Course Summary

Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant medication used for specific medical conditions, such as partial onset or focal seizures, post-herpetic neuralgia, and restless legs syndrome. It is also used as an off-label treatment for other medical conditions. These include mood and anxiety disorders. Gabapentin has been recommended as a useful treatment to achieve pain relief in varied age groups and reported to improve both acute and chronic conditions that affect patient quality of life. As such, it has been used for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy and fibromyalgia. Gabapentin has side effects that frequently occur, and may cause breathing difficulties in patients with respiratory illnesses. It is also a drug that may be misused. It is not a controlled substance under U.S., federal law but some states have scheduled the drug because of misuse. Health professionals need to be aware of this misuse potential and monitor patients for misuse and dependence.