Gabapentin Treatment for Alcohol Dependence

Gabapentin treatment for alcohol dependence: a randomized clinical trial.

IMPORTANCE Approved medications for alcohol dependence are prescribed for less than 9% of US alcoholics. OBJECTIVE To determine if gabapentin, a widely prescribed generic calcium channel/γ-aminobutyric acid-modulating medication, increases rates of sustained abstinence and no heavy drinking and decreases alcohol-related insomnia, dysphoria, and craving, in a dose-dependent manner. DESIGN, P...

Gabapentin combined with naltrexone for the treatment of alcohol dependence.

OBJECTIVE Naltrexone, an efficacious medication for alcohol dependence, does not work for everyone. Symptoms such as insomnia and mood instability that are most evident during early abstinence might respond better to a different pharmacotherapy. Gabapentin may reduce these symptoms and help prevent early relapse. This clinical trial evaluated whether the combination of naltrexone and gabapentin...

Cellular and behavioral interactions of gabapentin with alcohol dependence.

Gabapentin is a structural analog of GABA that has anticonvulsant properties. Despite the therapeutic efficacy of gabapentin, its molecular and cellular mechanisms of action are unclear. The GABAergic system in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) plays an important role in regulating voluntary ethanol intake. Here, we investigated the effect of gabapentin on GABAergic transmission in CeA ...

Gabapentin versus chlordiazepoxide for outpatient alcohol detoxification treatment.

BACKGROUND Benzodiazepines are used to treat alcohol withdrawal (AW) but cause cognitive impairment, sedation, and ataxia, and interact with alcohol. Nonbenzodiazepine anticonvulsants are promising and possibly safer alternatives for the treatment of AW. OBJECTIVE To compare follow-up measures of Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS), ataxia rating, and Clinical In...

Medications for the treatment of alcohol dependence.