Gabapentin for Alcohol Use Disorder

Current Guideline Recommendations for Alcohol Use Disorder

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases recommends benzodiazepines as the gold standard for treating alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) 1, 3, 4
The American College of Gastroenterology recommends acamprosate for maintaining abstinence after withdrawal, as it reduces withdrawal effects and craving, effective at maintaining abstinence 3, 5
The American Society of Addiction Medicine recommends naltrexone for maintaining abstinence, as it decreases dopamine concentration, dampens reward pathway activation, decreases excessive drinking and recurrence rates 3, 5
The European Association for the Study of the Liver recommends baclofen, a GABAB receptor agonist, for maintaining abstinence, particularly in patients with liver cirrhosis 3, 6

The American Medical Association recommends benzodiazepines as the first-line treatment for acute alcohol withdrawal 1, 3, 4
The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends lorazepam (1-4 mg every 4-8 hours) for patients with severe AWS, liver failure, or other serious comorbidities 4, 7
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends acamprosate (1,998 mg/day for ≥60 kg patients) for 3-6 months for maintaining abstinence 3
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recommends naltrexone (50 mg daily after initial titration) for 3-6 months for maintaining abstinence (contraindicated in ALD) 3
The American College of Physicians recommends baclofen (up to 80 mg/day) particularly for patients with liver disease 3, 6
The American Psychological Association recommends individual psychotherapy, psychoeducation, group therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy to accompany pharmacological treatment 5, 8

The National Institutes of Health recommends thiamine supplementation (100-300 mg/day for 4-12 weeks) to prevent Wernicke encephalopathy in patients with alcohol use disorder 3, 4
The American Psychiatric Association recommends psychiatric consultation for evaluation, treatment, and long-term planning of alcohol abstinence 3