Is Gabapentin Considered a Painkiller?
Gabapentin is commonly used to treat some types of nerve pain but is classified as an anticonvulsant medicine, not as an opioid or painkiller. Gabapentin is used with other medications to prevent and control seizures. It is also used to relieve nerve pain following shingles (a painful rash due to herpes zoster infection) in adults. Gabapentin is known as an anticonvulsant or antiepileptic drug. Gabapentin was first approved in 1993 and is used to treat: postherpetic neuralgia, a nerve pain caused by the shingles virus (herpes zoster), restless legs syndrome (RLS), a painful movement disorder in the legs partial seizures in adults and children at least 3 years old who have epilepsy Gabapentin works by affecting chemicals and nerves in the body that are involved in the cause of seizures…