--- title: "Psych News Alert: Study Finds Gabapentin May Be Effective in Treating Alcohol Dependence" description: Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute report data suggesting that the anticonvulsant drug gabapentin may be effective in the treatme... image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/alcohol%2c%202%20glasses%20of_79511350-Jun-24-2025-04-13-11-5798-PM.jpg --- 11/21/13 12:00 AM # Study Finds Gabapentin May Be Effective in Treating Alcohol Dependence ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/11/study-finds-gabapentin-may-be-effective.html) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/11/study-finds-gabapentin-may-be-effective.html) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/11/study-finds-gabapentin-may-be-effective.html) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/11/study-finds-gabapentin-may-be-effective.html) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/11/study-finds-gabapentin-may-be-effective.html) | [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/alcohol%2c%202%20glasses%20of_79511350-Jun-24-2025-04-13-10-6461-PM.jpg?height=200&name=alcohol%2c%202%20glasses%20of_79511350-Jun-24-2025-04-13-10-6461-PM.jpg)](https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/alcohol%2c%202%20glasses%20of_79511350-Jun-24-2025-04-13-10-6461-PM.jpg) | | | --- | --- | Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute report data suggesting that the anticonvulsant drug gabapentin may be effective in the treatment of some patients with alcohol dependence and the relapse-related symptoms of insomnia, dysphoria, and craving, with a favorable safety profile. The study was headed by Barbara Jason, Ph.D., and the findings, published in*[JAMA Internal Medicine](http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1764009)*, are based on data from a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 150 subjects with alcohol dependence. "This is an impressive and revealing study," Marc Galanter, M.D., a professor of psychiatry and director of the Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse at New York University, told *Psychiatric News. *"The authors, however, point out that approved medications are prescribed for only 9% of American alcoholics. Why is this? One reason is that for addiction, a chronic disease, clinicians are most likely to use medications with a demonstrated long-term impact, like buprenorphine for opioid dependence. The impact of gabapentin on alcoholism (like that of naltrexone) is a meaningful, but still limited step toward this goal." On the other hand, as the researchers point out in their report, "Unlike other approved treatments for alcohol dependence that are prescribed by a small number of specialists, gabapentin may be more readily utilized by primary care physicians." Information about how the outcome of alcoholism treatment may be determined by a person's genetics can be found in the *Psychiatric News *article ["Genes May Determine Drugs' Alcohol-Treatment Success."](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=1744449) Extensive information about alcohol dependence and medications to treat it can be found in the new American Psychiatric Publishing book, [*Clinical Manual of Addiction Psychopharmacology, Second Edition.*](http://www.appi.org/SearchCenter/Pages/SearchDetail.aspx?ItemId=62440) Also see the report ["Gabapentin Combined With Naltrexone forthe Treatment of Alcohol Dependence"](http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=115980) in the *American Journal of Psychiatry*. (Image: Alexey Lysenko/Shutterstock.com) [alcohol dependence](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/alcohol-dependence), [medications for alcohol dependence](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/medications-for-alcohol-dependence), [gabapentin](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/gabapentin) ## Related posts [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/acamprosate_180597392-4.jpg?height=200&name=acamprosate_180597392-4.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/11/potential-biomarker-for-alcohol.html) [biomarker](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/biomarker), [alcoholism](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/alcoholism), [alcohol dependence](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/alcohol-dependence), [medications for alcohol dependence](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/medications-for-alcohol-dependence), [acamprosate](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/acamprosate) ## [Potential Biomarker for Alcohol-Dependence Drug Identified](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/11/potential-biomarker-for-alcohol.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 11/13/14 12:00 AM Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have identified a potential biomarker to identify which people would... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/11/potential-biomarker-for-alcohol.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/drinking%20teens_41711074-Jun-24-2025-07-20-33-2176-PM.jpg?height=200&name=drinking%20teens_41711074-Jun-24-2025-07-20-33-2176-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/11/women-who-drink-before-age-21-more.html) [suicide](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/suicide), [alcohol use](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/alcohol-use), [homicide](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/homicide) ## [Women Who Drink Before Age 21 More Suicidal, Homicidal](https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/11/women-who-drink-before-age-21-more.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 11/18/11 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/11/women-who-drink-before-age-21-more.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Maltreatment_71181367-Jun-24-2025-06-16-23-6802-PM.jpg?height=200&name=Maltreatment_71181367-Jun-24-2025-06-16-23-6802-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/08/childhood-maltreatment-worsens-adult.html) [depression](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/depression), [alcohol abuse](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/alcohol-abuse), [mental illness](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/mental-illness), [epidemiology](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/epidemiology), [child maltreatment](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/child-maltreatment) ## [Childhood Maltreatment Worsens Adult Depression](https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/08/childhood-maltreatment-worsens-adult.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 8/17/11 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/08/childhood-maltreatment-worsens-adult.html) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert" }, "dateModified" : "2025-06-24T16:18:34.910Z", "datePublished" : "2013-11-21T05:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Psych News Alert: Study Finds Gabapentin May Be Effective in Treating Alcohol Dependence", "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/alcohol%2c%202%20glasses%20of_79511350-Jun-24-2025-04-13-11-5798-PM.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/2013/11/study-finds-gabapentin-may-be-effective.html", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg" } } } ```