What’s gabapentin?

Have you ever heard of gabapentin? No? Well, let me tell you all about it. If there was one word to describe this drug, it would be versatile. Gabapentin can be used to treat a wide variety of medical conditions, from epilepsy to anxiety and even alcoholism. So, grab your favorite snack and settle in – we’re about to dive into the world of gabapentin.

The Basics

Gabapentin is classified as an anticonvulsant medication, meaning it helps reduce seizures in people with epilepsy (or just people who like to shake things up). It works by binding to specific calcium channels in the brain which reduces the release of excitatory neurotransmitters. Basically, it calms down overactive brain activity.

A Brief History

Gabapentin was first approved by the FDA in 1993 for use in treating epilepsy but eventually gained other uses such as neuropathic pain relief or anxiety treatment (because why not?).

Catchy Nicknames

While doctors and pharmacists may refer to gabapentin as “gab” or “neurontin,” on the street it goes by some more colorful names such as Morontin (as cited by Urban Dictionary). Guess those are reserved for those ‘special’ folks 😏.

Conditions Treated By Gab-Pill

Today we’ll explore just how versatile gab-pilles truly are – featuring some cool gems along the way:

Epilepsy

As mentioned earlier,gab-pils were developed primarily for controlling epileptic seizures. With good results too! One study found that using mg/day over 12 weeks led to a significant decline in seizure frequency compared with placebo group.(www.epilepsysociety.org.uk)

Neuropathic Pain Relief

Neuropathic pain refers specifically damage caused within nerves themselves. Gab-pils have been a great option for neuropathic pain relief, with 65% of patients reporting an improvement in symptoms. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19228103/)

Anxiety Disorders

Gab-pills are also used to help treat anxiety disorders like GAD or Panic disorder rather effectively(Rosenheck). And speaking from experience with taking such pills, the dosage can make you care-free enough to even flirt… at least that’s what they say🤭.

Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

Yet another use is treating alcohol withdrawal syndromes by reducing nervousness and tremors(www.camh.ca) caused as our body experiences sudden decrease in ethanol ingestion after becoming dependant on it.

While gabapentin may seem harmless enough, there are some important things you should be aware of before deciding to take it (obviously because no drug comes without side-effects):

Addiction and Abuse Potential

Like any medication your doctor prescribes gabapentin does come along with some risks as well. For starters one must keep tabs on how much consumed as using/relying too heavily on this medication could lead addiction(given its calming effect).

Drowsiness and Dizziness

Another thing worth noting is that taking gabapentin might make you dizzy, drowsy or tired. Like this winter evening when I took a pill decided to catch up Friends “One where joey sees rachel naked” recap but woke up realizing Chandler still hadn’t proposed! #RIPRossAndRachel!

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