Gabapentin

Category: Stimulant

Also know as:

Neurontin

Summary

Gabapentin is used to treat epilepsy and neuropathic pain like nerve trauma. It’s only available with a prescription, so if you see it for sale illegally it will most likely have been diverted from a hospital, pharmacy or someone with a prescription. It comes in either white, yellow or orange capsules.

How it is taken

Gabapentin capsules and tablets are normally swallowed, but the the powder from the capsules can also be snorted.

Effects

Gabapentin can produce feelings of relaxation, calmness and euphoria. Some users have reported that the ‘high’ from snorted gabapentin can be similar to taking a stimulant. Gabapentin may also enhance the euphoric effects of other drugs, like opiates, and is likely to increase the risks when taken in this way.

Risks

Short term:

Gabapentin commonly causes: diarrhoea, constipation, vomiting and feelings of wanting to vomit, tremors, flatulence, increases in blood pressure, trouble sleeping, weight gain, and feelings of depression, hostility and anxiety. Gabapentin has been associated, rarely, with hallucinations, suicidal thoughts and jaundice (where the skin goes a yellow colour due to liver disease).

It can cause dizziness, forgetfulness, drowsiness and confusion, all of which can put you at risk of hurting yourself, especially in certain environments.

It can cause dizziness, forgetfulness, drowsiness and confusion, all of which can put you at risk of hurting yourself, especially in certain environments.

Long term:

It is recommended that prescribed gabapentin use is not stopped abruptly as it may cause anxiety, insomnia, nausea, pain and sweating.

Withdrawal symptoms, reported when gabapentin use was stopped abruptly include anxiety, disturbed sleep, nausea, pain and sweating.

Legal status

It’s likely that most of the gabapentin available on the black market has been either stolen from a hospital or pharmacy or stolen (possibly bought) from people who have been prescribed it. Alternatively, it may have been imported from abroad.

You cannot normally be sure of the purity unless you are certain that the drug you have is a genuine pharmacy medicine. It’s  prescription-only, so can only be procured through a consultation with a doctor.

As a Class C drug, Gabapentin is illegal to possess, give away or sell. Possession can get you up to 2 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both. Supplying someone else, even a friend, can get you up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

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