Review about gabapentin misuse, interactions, contraindications and side effects

Abstract

The current work is targeted to review the risks of gabapentin misuse, its potential interactions with other drugs, side effects and use contraindications. This review consists of a total of 99 biographical references (from the year 1983 to 2016). A publication search of PubMed was performed from January 1983 to December 2016. It included animal studies, clinical studies, case studies and reviews related to gabapentin misuse, potential interactions, side effects and use contraindications. The search terms were gabapentin, anticonvulsant and antiepileptic. In general, it seems that gabapentin has risks of being misused based on the increased level of prescriptions, related fatalities, recreational misuse and higher doses of self-administration. The main reasons for gabapentin misuse are as follows: getting high, alleviating opioid withdrawal symptoms and potentiating methadone effects. Some of the main substances that interact with gabapentin are morphine, caffeine, losartan, ethacrynic acid, phenytoin, mefloquine and magnesium oxide. Some of the side effects caused by gabapentin are teratogenicity, hypoventilation, respiratory failure and myopathy. Finally, reports in general contraindicate the use of gabapentin in conditions such as myasthenia gravis and myoclonus.

Keywords:

• gabapentin
• misuse
• interactions
• contraindications
• side effects

Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the SNI (Sistema Nacional de Investigación – National System of Investigation), contract 106-2015 (awarded to GCQ). The SNI is a department that belongs to the SENACYT (Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnologia e Innovación – National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation). SENACYT is physically located in the Republic of Panama.

Disclosure

The author reports no conflicts of interest in this work.