Researchers Warn Gabapentin Use Continues To Increase Across the U.S.

Individuals dealing with substance abuse disorder should be carefully monitored after being prescribed gabapentin-based drugs like Lyrica and Neurontin.

Data from two new studies indicate illicit gabapentin use in the U.S. is on the rise, exacerbating drug addiction problems.

Gabapentin is a medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat neuropathic pain and seizures, which is commonly known under the brand names Neurontin and Lyrica.

The drugs have also been widely used off label to treat diabetic neuropathy, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, sciatica, restless leg syndrome, anxiety and alcohol use disorder in recent years. However, there are also widespread concerns about overuse and abuse of gabapentin, which may cause serious side effects.

According to the new research, non-prescription use of gabapentin has more than doubled compared to prescription use of the drug.

Gabapentin Side Effects

Additional data from a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report in October warned gabapentin prescriptions have skyrocketed by 200% over the past 15 years.  

The CDC also issued a previous warning in 2022, indicating gabapentin increases the potency of other drugs, including illegal narcotic painkillers, which heightens the risk of respiratory depression and death.

Another study published in September 2025 suggested gabapentin misuse and abuse may be increasing while also worsening addiction issues for other drugs, including opioids.

According to new findings published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence on February 1, illicit gabapentin use increased from 2013 to 2017. However, so did the number of prescriptions given, indicating a simultaneous increase in both illegal and prescribed gabapentin use, which means more people overall are using gabapentin.

For the study, researchers from the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research used data from the Symphony Health’s Metys prescription drug dispensing database and the National Poison Data Systems between 2013 and 2023.

Led by Dr. Sara Karami, the team found that the number of gabapentin tablets prescribed increased significantly from 2 billion to nearly 8 billion during that time.

Additionally, the number of side effects reported from taking gabapentin reached nearly 200,000 over the same period. Prescriptions for pregabalin also increased, while tablets dispensed for diazepam and the narcotic painkiller Oxycodone decreased.

Illegal Gabapentin Use

A second study, also published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence on February 1, shows gabapentin use was strongly tied to opioid use disorder, meaning people taking drugs like Lyrica and Neurontin have a higher risk of using opioids or being treated in opioid treatment centers.

For that study, researchers from Washington University in St. Louis used Millennium Health records to examine the data of more than 200,000 urine drug tests from over 2,000 substance use clinics across all 50 U.S. states between 2016 and 2023.

That team, led by Dr. Matthew Ellis, found that rates of illicit gabapentin use increased by 22.3%, nearly double the rate of prescribed gabapentin use.

Many people with opioid addiction use illicit gabapentin to increase the effects of buprenorphine and methadone, two medications used to help treat opioid addiction. They also used it to manage withdrawal symptoms and self-treat mental health conditions.

Similarly, people prescribed gabapentin legally were more likely to use the drug along with sedatives, alcohol and stimulants.

Researchers said patients with substance abuse disorders should be carefully monitored to avoid simultaneous use with other substances that can cause serious and fatal side effects.

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