Gabapentin Withdrawal Symptoms: Symptoms, Risks, and Detox

What you will learn

• Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant medication used for nerve pain and seizures.
• Prolonged use of gabapentin can lead to physical dependence and severe withdrawal symptoms.
• Gabapentin may be misused or abused, either on its own or with other drugs.
• Withdrawal symptoms from gabapentin can have serious health risks, including rebound seizure activity.
• Gabapentin should always be tapered to reduce the severity of symptoms and potential complications.

Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant medication that’s prescribed to treat conditions that have nerve pain or seizures, other conditions that involve the nerves, and alcohol withdrawal. However, there is a significant risk of misuse and abuse of gabapentin, which can lead to dependence and serious withdrawal symptoms when the drug is stopped.

Learn more about gabapentin withdrawal, its symptoms and risks, and treatment options for detox.

What Is Gabapentin?

Gabapentin is a prescription anticonvulsant medication that is marketed under the Neurontin, Horizant, and Gralise brands. It’s commonly prescribed to treat seizure disorders and certain types of nerve pain, including neuralgia and neuropathic pain. Doctors may prescribe gabapentin for some off-label uses that are not approved by the FDA, such as managing alcohol dependence and withdrawal symptoms like insomnia and anxiety.

Gabapentin is not generally considered a drug of abuse, but there have been cases of gabapentin misuse.[1] It’s typically combined with other drugs, such as opioids, alcohol, and benzodiazepines, to enhance the effects of each substance.

Gabapentin Withdrawal Symptoms

Gabapentin is not a controlled substance or seen as addictive, but physical dependence can occur with regular use. Dependence isn’t an addiction by itself but indicates that the body has become used to the presence of a drug to function normally. If you misuse or abuse gabapentin by taking it in higher doses, more frequent doses, or in other ways than prescribed, you’re more likely to become dependent.[2]

If physical dependence occurs, you may experience withdrawal if you stop or cut back on your gabapentin dose abruptly. The symptoms of gabapentin withdrawal may vary, but they are similar to alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal. This is due to gabapentin’s effect on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that calms excitation in the brain. Alcohol, benzos, and other depressants also act on GABA.

Gabapentin withdrawal symptoms may include:[3]

• Insomnia
• Agitation
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Dizziness
• Irritability
• Light sensitivity
• Sweating
• Restlessness
• Nausea
• Pain
• Irregular heart rhythms

Rebound symptoms are common with gabapentin withdrawal, which is when the symptoms of the condition a medication treats come back, often worse. With gabapentin, rebound symptoms may include worsening anxiety or persistent seizures.[4]

Gabapentin Withdrawal Timeline

There isn’t a well-established timeline for gabapentin withdrawal. The symptoms often begin about 12 hours to 7 days after the last dose and can last about days to weeks.[5]

Gabapentin has a short half-life, which is the time it takes for the body to reduce a drug’s concentration by half. Gabapentin’s half-life is 5 to 7 hours, but it may vary. It takes about 5 half-lives for a drug to leave the body completely, which means gabapentin can stay in the body for up to 35 hours, although individual metabolism can affect this duration.[6]

Several factors can affect the onset, duration, and severity of gabapentin withdrawal symptoms, including the time you’ve been using gabapentin, your dosage, your age and weight, and any existing mental conditions you have. Withdrawal can be more severe if you abuse gabapentin, especially with other drugs.

Tapering Gabapentin

Gabapentin has a potential for dependence with regular use and withdrawal that can have serious risks. If you’ve taken gabapentin for an extended period, you may need to taper your dose to reduce withdrawal symptoms. Tapering schedules gradually reduce the dose of gabapentin over several weeks to allow the body to readjust to lower doses.

Gabapentin tapers are usually done over weeks, but you may need a longer taper schedule to avoid dangerous withdrawal symptoms.[7] Don’t attempt to taper your gabapentin dose on your own, or worse, stop taking gabapentin suddenly. Talk to your doctor about how to safely stop taking gabapentin.

Detox for Gabapentin Withdrawal

Tapering a gabapentin dose can be enough to alleviate severe withdrawal symptoms, but not always. If you’ve been on gabapentin for a long time, misuse it, or combine gabapentin with other drugs, it may be best to enter a medical detox to ensure your health is carefully monitored during the withdrawal period. This is especially true if you have a history of risky withdrawal symptoms like seizures. Medical detox provides medical supervision and care to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms, monitor your health, and reduce the risk of complications.

If you misuse or abuse multiple drugs, withdrawal can be more complicated and dangerous. It’s crucial to have medical care and supervision when you’re detoxing from multiple drugs that have life-threatening withdrawal symptoms, such as gabapentin, benzos, and alcohol.

In some cases, medical detox may be enough to overcome gabapentin withdrawal with no further treatment. If you struggle with addiction or misuse, however, it’s best to continue with comprehensive addiction treatment to address the emotional, social, and psychological aspects of substance abuse. Individualized programs that consider your medical history, substance abuse history, goals, and challenges are important for success in recovery.

Addiction treatment may take place in an inpatient or outpatient setting. While the specific treatments may vary, these programs often include a combination of traditional counseling and support groups with evidence-based modalities like behavioral therapies.

Seek Help for Gabapentin Withdrawal

If you’ve been taking gabapentin over long periods of struggle with gabapentin misuse, you may experience withdrawal if you stop taking it suddenly. It’s important to start a taper or enter a medical detox if you want to stop taking gabapentin, as withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous without medical supervision. 

Amanda is a prolific medical content writer specializing in eating disorders and addiction treatment. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Purdue University with a B.S. in Social Work. Read more