Gabapentin is a medication that was originally approved for
seizures and a specific type of nerve pain from shingles.
Today, it is prescribed for a wide range of complaints, including pain, anxiety, sleep problems, restlessness,
migraines, hot flashes, and more. It’s important to note that
gabapentin was never formally tested for many of these
uses.¹
GABA is the brain’s primary calming neurotransmitter – a chemical that helps relax the brain and nerves. Gabapentin does not increase the body’s supply of GABA. Instead, it suppresses nerve signaling across the brain and spinal cord. So rather than supporting calm from within, it drives down the system artificially. This may reduce symptoms for some, but it comes at a cost.
As Gabapentin use has expanded, concerns continue to grow:
- Many patients report difficulty stopping the drug, even when taken as prescribed.
- Withdrawal symptoms can include shaking, burning sensations, muscle spasms, racing pulse, and severe insomnia.
- Some patients develop problems with heart rate, sleep, temperature regulation, digestion, and stress tolerance after long-term use.
- Federal data links gabapentin to thousands of deaths each year².
Supporting GABA Naturally
Many of the symptoms for which Gabapentin is prescribed
relate to a nervous system that has difficulty slowing itself
down. There are natural approaches that support the body’s own calming chemistry, rather than force the system
pharmacologically:
- Provide nutritional building blocks for GABA: magnesium, manganese, lipoic acid, and several B vitamins.
- Use botanicals: Valerian and Passionflower, which enhance calming signals, or Scutellaria, which makes GABA receptors more responsive.
- Manage stimulants: reducing caffeine, energy drinks, or other stimulatory substances that over-activate the nervous system.
- Promote relaxation through lifestyle: regular movement, gentle exercise, yoga, deep breathing, meditation, or adequate sunlight exposure to help regulate circadian rhythms and nervous system tone.
- Optimize sleep hygiene: maintain a consistent sleep schedule, create a dark and quiet environment, and minimize screen time before bed to help the nervous system downshift.
Medication has its place, but it should be used sparingly.
Addressing the underlying causes of pain and supporting the
body’s natural healing processes is far more likely to produce
sustained relief.
Sources:
¹ FDA Prescribing Information; Harvard Health Publishing, Gabapentin: Uses, Side Effects, and What You Should Know
² CDC, Drug Overdose Deaths Involving Gabapentin — United States, 2019–2023; Evoy KE et al., Gabapentin Misuse, Abuse, and Diversion: A Systematic Review, Pain Medicine 2021; Wall Street Journal, Gabapentin’s Rise and Risks, 2025