Many of the commonly abused or misused prescription drugs are brands that most people have heard of. According to data from the New York State Department of Health, painkillers, also known as opioids, are the most commonly abused drugs. These include morphine, codeine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone, and the brand names are OxyContin, Vicodin, and Lortab. Suppressants used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders include brands such as Valium and Xanax, and are often abused. The same goes for stimulants that treat ADHD, such as Ritalin, Dexedrine, and Adderall.
Dr. Holly Geyer, an addiction medicine expert and physician-in-chief of Mayo Clinic’s Opioid Management Program in Arizona, says many doctors turn to opioid-related drug abuse to combat opioid-related drug abuse. Explain that it is like this. Classified as a controlled substance: Gabapentinoids. This makes a drug called gabapentin the sixth most prescribed drug in the United States.
As a result, and somewhat ironically, “we are now seeing new patterns of abuse with gabapentin across the country,” Geyer said, noting that such abuse is occurring with gabapentin alone, “or in combination with other drugs of abuse.” It can happen,” he added. As an opioid. ”
Learn who first approved gabapentin, what it’s used for today, and why it’s a drug of increasing concern for abuse and misuse.
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What is gabapentin?
Gabapentin is a prescription drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1993 to treat epilepsy. It works by binding to a type of calcium channel in nerve cells, “and is thought to alter nerve function,” says Tom, medical director of neuroscience at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City. Dr. Lombardi explains.
In this capacity, the drug “acts on the nervous system to reduce nerve transmission, so it could be useful in controlling certain types of neuralgia and treating seizure disorders,” Geyer says.
It is typically administered as an oral medication, taken two or three times a day, and is available in tablet or liquid form, said Andrea Tedeschi, a neuroscientist at The Ohio State University School of Medicine and co-author of the gabapentin-related study. It is said that . He said it is available “both as a brand name product and as a low-cost generic product.” Brand names include Neurontin, Horizant, and Glalise.
What are the side effects of gabapentin?
Gabapentin is useful in a variety of situations, but common side effects when taking the drug as directed include drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, dry mouth, weight gain, swelling of the hands, feet, and ankles, and back and joint pain. pain etc. According to Harvard Medical School, there are also flu-like symptoms, including nausea, fever, and body aches.
Rare but serious side effects include rash, itching, yellowing of the skin, swelling of the face or throat, speech problems, difficulty swallowing, and changes in memory, personality, or concentration.
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What is Gabapentin used for?
Gabapentin is known to have many uses and benefits when used as directed. It is approved by the FDA to help control and treat seizures and relieve a specific type of nerve pain called postherpetic neuralgia that often follows a diagnosis of shingles.
In addition to these FDA-approved uses, gabapentin is also prescribed off-label by health care providers for a variety of other medical conditions, Tedeschi said. (Off-label use means there is evidence that the drug helps treat conditions other than those for which it was approved by the FDA.)
Known off-label uses for which doctors prescribe gabapentin include as a treatment for hot flashes, restless leg syndrome, mood disorders, and anxiety, to reduce neck and back pain associated with conditions such as diabetes-related nerve pain and sciatica. This includes:
One reason it’s so popular, Lombardi says, is that “it’s a generic drug, so it’s relatively inexpensive.” It also provides “excellent pain control for many medical conditions caused by damaged nerves,” Geyer says.
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What is the controversy regarding gabapentin?
Despite its FDA approval and proven benefits, gabapentin is often misused. Although it is not considered addictive, “the drug can cause a ‘high’ in some patients, increasing the potential for abuse,” Geyer said.
Opioids are also known to enhance the psychological effects of opioids, which can contribute to continued abuse of opioids and, in some cases, lead to death from drug overdose, Tedeschi said. According to Harvard Medical School, there is. Because of these factors, “several states have taken steps to list gabapentin as a Schedule V controlled substance,” Lombardi says.
Its abuse can occur by taking a prescribed version of the drug differently than directed, and like other illegal drugs, “it can also be purchased without a prescription on the dark web.” says Geyer.
She says that for most people, gabapentin is a safe drug to take, “but its potential for abuse is increasingly being recognized.” She said it’s impossible to predict who is likely to abuse the drug, but a history of dependence on other drugs may be a risk factor. “Patients should be counseled about this potential side effect when starting medication and should be encouraged to speak up if they have concerns,” she warns.
