A-Z Indexes

Food

Health Guides

Health News

Gabapentin Enacarbil

Pronounced

"GAB-a-PEN-tin EN-a-KAR-bil"

Uses

This medication is used to treat moderate to severe restless legs syndrome. It is also used to relieve nerve pain following shingles (a painful rash due to herpes zoster infection). This condition is called postherpetic neuralgia. Gabapentin enacarbil is changed by your body to gabapentin. Gabapentin belongs to a class of drugs known as anti-seizure or anticonvulsant drugs.

Other Uses

This section contains uses of this drug that are not listed in the approved professional labeling for the drug but that may be prescribed by your health care professional. Use this drug for a condition that is listed in this section only if it has been so prescribed by your health care professional.

This drug may also be used for seizures and other painful nerve conditions (neuropathic pain).

How to Use This Medication

Read the Medication Guide provided by your pharmacist before you start taking gabapentin enacarbil and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment.

For Restless Legs Syndrome: Take this medication by mouth as directed by your doctor, usually once daily with food at about 5 PM. This dosing schedule is for people who are awake during the day and asleep during the night. If you need to sleep during the daytime and stay awake at night, talk with your doctor about your schedule before using this medication.

For Postherpetic Nerve Pain: Take this medication by mouth as directed by your doctor, usually once daily with food for several days, then increase to twice a day with food thereafter.

Swallow the tablets whole. Do not crush or chew the tablets. Doing so can release all of the drug at once, increasing the risk of side effects.

Take this medication regularly to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, take it at the same time(s) each day.

Do not increase your dose or use this drug more often or for longer than prescribed. Your condition will not improve any faster, and your risk of side effects will increase.

Do not stop taking this medication without consulting your doctor. Some conditions may become worse when this drug is suddenly stopped. Your dose may need to be gradually decreased.

Different forms of gabapentin (such as immediate-release, sustained-release, enacarbil sustained-release) are absorbed in the body differently. Do not switch from one form to the other without consulting your doctor.

Tell your doctor if your condition does not improve or if it worsens.