Beyond Benzos: Gabapentin's Role In Redefining Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome

Authors

  • Michelle Wu, DO Lakeland Regional Health
  • Tiffany Joseph, MD Department of Psychiatry, Lakeland Regional Health, FL
  • Melody Stevens, PharmD, BCPS Department of Pharmacy, Harrell Family Center for Behavioral Wellness, Lakeland Regional Health, FL
  • Walter Wills, PhD, RN Department of Research and Sponsored Studies, Lakeland Regional Health, FL
  • Britney Galantino, MD Department of Psychiatry, Lakeland Regional Health, FL

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5038/usfdj.1.7

Keywords:

Gabapentin, Benzodiazepines, Psychiatry, Alcohol use disorder, CIWA

Abstract

This study evaluates whether patients receiving gabapentin across various dosages within the first 2-3 days of treatment for alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) experience reduced withdrawal severity, and a shorter length of stay (LOS) compared to those treated with benzodiazepines alone. A retrospective cohort study was conducted with gabapentin as the moderator variable. The independent variable was cumulative benzodiazepines administration, measured as the sum of diazepam equivalents. There was a significant main effect of cumulative benzodiazepine administration on CIWA-Ar score reduction (p < .001) and gabapentin (p < 0.01) after day 2 to 3 of treatment. However, gabapentin did not moderate the relationship between benzodiazepine use and CIWA-Ar reduction (p = 0.07). LOS was significantly affected by interaction between benzodiazepine and gabapentin administration on LOS (p = 0.03). This study provides evidence supporting the use of gabapentin as an adjunct to benzodiazepines for managing AWS.

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Published

2026-07-15

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025): The Impact of Substance Misuse and Addiction on Families and Community Health

Section

Articles

License

Authors retain copyright to all published work in the Duvall Journal of Family and Community Health. Articles are published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This license allows others to share, copy, distribute, adapt, and build upon the work—even for commercial purposes—provided that appropriate credit is given to the original authors and source.