A recent case report presented a case of severe gabapentin withdrawal after a brief accidental pause of the medication. What treatment do the authors recommend for gabapentin dependence and withdrawal?
The authors of the cited reference recommend a patient-centered, slow taper in patients with severe gabapentin dependence and withdrawal. In this case, the patient requested to taper off the medication after identifying the dependence she had developed. Gabapentin was restarted at a dose slightly below her previous daily dose and the taper was completed over the next 18 months.
Deng H, Benhamou OM, Lembke A. Gabapentin dependence and withdrawal requiring an 18-month taper in a patient with alcohol use disorder: a case report. J Addict Dis. 2021 Mar 30:1-6. doi: 10.1080/10550887.2021.1907502. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33783336