Does Gabapentin Get You High?

When patients first begin taking gabapentin, they might feel sleepy, lightheaded, or clumsy and may experience slower thinking. These are frequent effects of gabapentin, but as the body becomes used to the medication, these symptoms should improve. Because of this, people who are on a gabapentin prescription are encouraged to temporarily quit driving or operating heavy machinery if they feel any effect of gabapentin use.

The method of administration can drastically change a drug’s effects on the body, and snorting gabapentin is no exception. Snorting the substance allows it to enter the bloodstream much faster than if swallowed, bypassing the digestive system. So, if you’re asking, can gabapentin make you high? Yes,  this rapid absorption intensifies the effects of the drug, potentially resulting in a euphoric high from gabapentin.

When gabapentin is snorted, it can lead to more rapid onset of unsavory effects such as dizziness, confusion, and sometimes hallucinations. Furthermore, it can irritate the nasal passages, throat, and respiratory tract, potentially resulting in chronic nasal problems, sinusitis, or even lung infections in the long term.

Perhaps most concerning, however, is the potential for increased dependency and addiction when snorting gabapentin. By enhancing the high and creating a more immediate reward sensation, snorting gabapentin may increase the likelihood of dependency and reinforce the cycle of addiction. This makes getting high from gabapentin via snorting more dangerous and can lead to more severe withdrawal symptoms when trying to quit.

Additionally, when snorted, the risk of overdose becomes significantly higher. Overdose symptoms of gabapentin can include severe dizziness, double vision, slurred speech, drowsiness, lethargy, and diarrhea. Snorting this drug can also result in respiratory failure, coma, or even death in extreme cases.

Gabapentin has a half-life of about five to seven hours. However, studies have shown that it usually takes about five half-lives for gabapentin to be eliminated from the body. This means that gabapentin will remain in the system for about thirty-five to forty hours after ingestion.

Nonetheless, its elimination from the body depends on various factors, such as kidney function and dosage form (e.g., sustained-release gabapentin tablets), so it can sometimes be detected in urine days after ingestion.

Yes, it is possible to get high on gabapentin; however, it typically takes a significant amount of gabapentin to produce a high. As a result, getting high on gabapentin commonly involves combining it with other more powerful addictive drugs like opioids and cannabis. Combining this medication with other drugs does not require a large dose to experience the desired effects compared to taking it alone.

Yes. In fact, of all gabapentin abuse risks, overdose is one of the most prominent. As mentioned earlier, the “high” of gabapentin is commonly obtained when combined with different substances, which significantly increases the risks of overdose. While gabapentin risks of overdose may be milder when combined with less potent drugs, if combined with drugs like heroin and fentanyl, death is a real possibility because the potency will be too high. A study measuring the prevalence of gabapentin in postmortem blood samples found that 47.1% of deaths were directly related to gabapentin.

Yes, it may – but not without potentially life-threatening results. As tolerance builds, individuals may escalate their consumption, leading to a risk of overdose. Symptoms can range from double vision and drowsiness to severe outcomes such as coma or death.

Yes, for some individuals, gabapentin can be challenging to discontinue due to withdrawal symptoms and psychological dependence. Gradual tapering under medical supervision can ease this process.

Gabapentin is not classified as a controlled substance in most places, but its potential for abuse and dependence has led to tighter prescribing guidelines. While not universally addictive, it can lead to dependency in some users.

Taking gabapentin daily, as prescribed, can effectively manage conditions like nerve pain, seizures, and anxiety. However, long-term use may lead to tolerance, requiring higher doses for the same effect, and potential dependence.

The most commonly reported side effect of gabapentin is dizziness, followed closely by drowsiness. These effects can impact daily activities and diminish as the body adjusts to the medication.