{"id":16151,"date":"2020-10-16T10:00:08","date_gmt":"2020-10-16T14:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=16151"},"modified":"2024-12-27T12:14:46","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T17:14:46","slug":"gabapentin-and-alcohol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/gabapentin-and-alcohol\/","title":{"rendered":"What happens if you mix gabapentin and alcohol?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gabapentin<\/span><\/a> (brand name <\/span>Neurontin<\/span><\/a>) is a popular prescription drug used to treat postherpetic neuralgia (nerve pain from shingles), seizures from epilepsy, or <\/span>restless legs syndrome<\/span><\/a>. So <\/span>popular<\/span><\/a>, in fact, that in 2004, gabapentin was prescribed more than 18 million times in the United States, and 2022, that number jumped to over 40 million times. It is sometimes prescribed <\/span>off-label<\/span><\/a> (for a non-FDA approved use) for <\/span>mental health disorders<\/span> like social anxiety disorder and severe panic disorder.<\/span><\/p>\n

Known as a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) analog, gabapentin is not currently classified as a <\/span>controlled substance<\/span><\/a>\u2014though some states include it in their <\/span>prescription monitoring programs<\/span>. However, this prescription medication is involved in many <\/span>substance use disorder<\/span> cases, alone or in combination with opioids. One popular question that many patients ask is if gabapentin and alcohol are compatible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you drink alcohol while taking gabapentin?<\/span><\/h2>\n

No. Gabapentin and alcohol do not mix. You should avoid the combination of alcohol and gabapentin at all times. <\/span>Pfizer<\/span>, the manufacturer of Neurontin (gabapentin), states, \u201cDo not drink alcohol or take other medicines that make you sleepy or dizzy while taking Neurontin without first talking with your healthcare provider. Taking Neurontin with alcohol or drugs that cause sleepiness or dizziness may make your sleepiness or dizziness worse.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Gabapentin<\/p>\n

What happens if you drink alcohol while on gabapentin?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Gabapentin and alcohol each individually cause central nervous system (CNS) depression and respiratory depression. Combining alcohol and gabapentin can worsen either or both effects.<\/span><\/p>\n

CNS depressants slow brain activity and cause drowsiness and dizziness. Combining alcohol and gabapentin, two CNS depressants, can worsen these effects, making you feel extra drowsy and dizzy, causing impairment and accidents. There is also an increased risk of seizures with excess alcohol use or with alcohol withdrawal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Respiratory depression occurs when you\u2019re not getting enough oxygen. Your breathing can become slowed and shallow or even stop. In 2019, <\/span>the FDA warned<\/span><\/a> that gabapentin could increase respiratory depression risk when combined with risk factors such as:<\/span><\/p>\n