Rates of alcohol dependence exceed those of all illicit drug dependence disorders combined2 and there is a great unmet need for medications to treat alcohol dependence, per se. Thus, co-occurring illicit substance dependence disorders were excluded from the present study. Future studies are warranted to assess gabapentin efficacy in substance use disorders, alone and in combination, that have protracted abstinence symptoms involving craving, mood and sleep. Indeed, a recent randomized controlled trial of gabapentin in cannabis dependence, the most prevalent illicit drug dependence disorder,2 found significant reductions in marijuana use, craving, mood and sleep disturbance with gabapentin relative to placebo.45 Of note, gabapentin is not appreciably metabolized in the liver, an advantage for patients with alcohol-related liver dysfunction, and is not known to interfere with the metabolism of commonly used illicit or prescribed drugs.42 To facilitate replication in future studies, our counseling materials can be accessed online (www.alcoholfree.info).
