Management of gabapentin misuse in a patient with previous history of opioid use disorder: Case report

We present a 37-year-old male who misuses 12 g of gabapentin per day associated with dependence and withdrawal. He had a previous history of opioid use disorder (OUD) which has been in remission. An outpatient gradual dose reduction regimen was tried and failed and the patient decided to discontinue gabapentin abruptly. Symptomatic medication to relieve gabapentin withdrawal was also unsuccessful and resulted in the reinstatement of OUD. Finally, the patient was stabilized using buprenorphine maintenance treatment and discontinued opioids and gabapentin misuse. The clinical implications and significance of taking regulatory actions to control gabapentin misuse have been discussed.