Treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome with gabapentin.

Four in-patients with moderate alcohol-withdrawal syndromes benefited from treatment with gabapentin administered in an add-on fashion to clomethiazole. In comparison with the amount of clomethiazole required as estimated using a specially developed score during previous detoxifications of these patients at our hospital, gabapentin (400 mg q.i.d.) clearly reduced the amount of clomethiazole needed now Gabapentin, an anticonvulsant with favorable pharmacokinetic properties and tolerability, and with no known risk of dependence, may therefore be a useful new drug in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal. We believe that the potential value of gabapentin in alcohol withdrawal deserves further controlled studies.