Gabapentinoid use disorder. Update for clinicians
Gabapentinoids (gabapentin and pregabalin) are versatile drugs, indicated mainly for epilepsy and neuropathic pain, and have
long been viewed as agents with little potential for abuse. Burgeoning prescribing patterns and studies indicate that these drugs are
increasingly being abused, particularly by polydrug abusers who also abuse opioids. Gabapentinoid abuse is found in less 2% of the
general population but may be as high as 15% to 22% among opioid abusers. Other risk factors for gabapentinoid abuse are less
clear-cut but include mental health disorders. Gabapentinoids are relatively easy for drug abusers to obtain and many clinicians are
not fully aware of their abuse potential. It is thought that gabapentinoids may offer psychoactive effects or enhance the effects of other
drugs of abuse. Those who discontinue gabapentinoids abruptly may suffer withdrawal symptoms, but gabapentinoid overdose
fatality is rare. Since gabapentinoids are often prescribed off-label to treat psychiatric disorders, these drugs may be dispensed to a
particularly vulnerable population. Clinicians must be aware of the potential for Gabapentinoid Use Disorder: Update for Clinicians.