Despite these limited indications, gabapentin and pregabalin are widely prescribed off-label for various other pain syndromes. Such use is growing, possibly because clinicians are searching increasingly for alternatives to opioids. In today’s video, we explore the off-label uses of Gabapentin, also known as Neurontin. While Gabapentin is FDA-approved for partial seizures and postherpetic neuralgia, its off-label uses are more extensive, especially in psychiatry. Despite limited indications, gabapentin and its cousin, pregabalin (Lyrica), are widely prescribed off-label for various other pain syndromes. In this nationally representative sample, <1% of outpatient gabapentin use was for approved indications. High concomitant use of CNS-D drugs and off-label gabapentin for psychiatric diagnoses underlines the need for improved communication about safety. Gabapentin is widely prescribed off label in medical practice, including psychiatry. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned of risks associated with gabapentin combined with central nervous system depressant (CNS-D) drugs, which are commonly prescribed in psychiatric treatment. This study examined off-label outpatient gabapentin use for psychiatric indications and concomitant CNS-D Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant (antiseizure) medication approved by the FDA to treat several conditions. Doctors sometimes prescribe gabapentin "off-label" to treat other conditions as well. A 2022 report stated that gabapentin was among the 10 most commonly prescribed medications in the U.S. What is gabapentin and what is it used for? Gabapentin is used to control seizures, to treat nerve Second, PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase were used to identify other systematic reviews/meta-analyses and primary literature using search terms “gabapentin” or “Neurontin” along with respective off-label indications. Off-label indications without systematic reviews/meta-analyses were evaluated based on largest body of primary literature available. Gabapentin was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of seizures in 1993 and was subsequently approved for one pain indication, postherpetic neuralgia. For all off label uses of gabapentin and pregabalin, there is a consistent trend toward higher rates of discontinuations due to adverse events compared to placebo, with the most common adverse events of dizziness, somnolence, headache, and sedation. Gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica) are anticonvulsants and nerve pain medicines which have structural similarities to the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. Gabapentin was developed in 1993 and has indications for shingles (‘postherpetic neuralgia’) and partial-onset seizures. It has had a growing popularity in off-label uses for fibromyalgia, pain from a variety of causes Off-label gabapentin (Neurontin) got a bad rep when it missed the mark in bipolar disorder, but there may be something worth salvaging in this drug. Here, we weigh its pros and cons for anxiety, substance use disorders, sleep, pain, and hot flashes, and compare it to its underutilized cousin, pregabalin (Lyrica). Off-Label Usages of Gabapentin - Gabapentin - GabapentinGabapentin is frequently prescribed off-label for a variety of conditions outside its primary approvals for epilepsy and nerve pain. Gabapentin (Neurontin) is not a medication that would make the FDA proud. Less than 1% of its outpatient use is for an FDA indication, and a good portion of the off-label use takes place in psychiatry. These Use of gabapentin has increased since 2008; use of pregabalin has remained steady. Between 2017 and 2021, most patients using gabapentinoids reported having musculoskeletal pain and diabetes. In addition to being used to treat pain, gabapentin is used off label to treat anxiety, alcohol use disorder (AUD), alcohol withdrawal, depression, substance use disorders (SUDs), sleep problems, and more. However, the data to support these off-label uses of gabapentin are mixed, especially for long-term use. Gabapentin is widely used in the United States for a number of off-label indications, often as an alternative to opioid therapy. Increasing evidence has emerged suggesting that gabapentin may not be as benign as once thought and may be associated with substance abuse in concert with opioids. With co The anticonvulsant drug gabapentin is prescribed to treat numerous symptoms and conditions beyond those for which it's approved by the FDA. Here are some common off-label uses and how the evidence stacks up for each. rics are pain management, medica-tion reduction/deprescribing, and use of off-label medications. Best-practice use of gabapentinoids — gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica) — comfortably fits into all three categories. Examination of the evidence may help health care practitioners make better decisions when prescribing these medi-cations. This Special Communication summarizes the limited published evidence to support off-label gabapentinoid uses, describes clinical cases in which off-label use is problematic, and notes how review articles and guidelines tend to overstate gabapentinoid effectiveness. Various off-label (unapproved) uses have been reported, and the use of gabapentin for off-label purposes has reportedly exceeded use for FDA-approved indications. Pharmaceutical marketing practices and physician dissat-isfaction with currently available pharmacological treatment options may be key factors that contribute to this prescribing trend. Abstract Objective: The objective of the study was to explore the experiences of physicians prescribing gabapentin off label. Methods: We used a case study approach to explore the experiences of physicians prescribing gabapentin for off-label indications. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 physicians (psychiatry, pain and neurology specialists) in the Greater Toronto Area. Data
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