Gabapentin is the active ingredient in the popular prescription medication known as Neurontin. It’s an anticonvulsant-based medication that affects the GABA receptors in the brain. Recent studies indicate that gabapentin may be an effective tool in the arsenal for opioid-addicted individuals during the medical detox process.
For opioid addicts, gabapentin reduces the severity of withdrawal symptoms, including muscle cramps, anxiety, depression, restlessness, tremors, agitation, irritability, and insomnia. Medical experts aren’t sure exactly how it helps, but basically, gabapentin alters and calms the way the brain responds to pain.
Using Gabapentin for Opiate Withdrawal
Many people use gabapentin in the form of a Neurontin prescription because this drug is not a controlled substance like opioid-based medication in United States pharmacies. This means that it’s fairly easy to get a doctor to prescribe this drug for a variety of ailments, and many people end up using it off-label to assist in alleviating their opiate withdrawal symptoms.
Although it isn’t a magic bullet, gabapentin for recovering addicts may help some people stay in treatment longer and remain abstinent when used in conjunction with standard addiction treatment and other medications. However, taking gabapentin for opiate withdrawal isn’t entirely risk-free.
Help for Opioid Addiction With Gabapentin
While gabapentin isn’t an opioid, it does have some similarities to this class of drugs including the potential to cause respiratory depression and lead to the development of dependence. It can also be dangerous or deadly to combine gabapentin and opioids without medical supervision and guidance.
At New Jersey Addiction Interventions, we can help you find NJ opioid detox programs that are experienced in using gabapentin for opioid addiction and other well-researched methods that lower the discomfort of opiate withdrawal symptoms.
We Offer Neurontin and Opiate Withdrawal Medication
To begin getting help for an addiction to an opiate, the priority is to be medicated, so the withdrawals will not cause you to return to using an opiate. We provide same-day admission and medicate our patients upon arrival. The opiate detox unit provides medical supervision and allows each person to rest and sleep until they are physically better.
We rely on pharmacotherapy medicines such as Neurontin and other medications to help people relax and get through the emotional and physical detox symptoms associated with opiate withdrawals. It is a matter of life or death to get medications to help you end the addiction. Call now to be admitted directly.
Medically Reviewed: January 8, 2023
All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.