Its considered a "Potentate" meaning it makes the high you get from other drugs or alcohol more intense. It also allows getting higher faster with less of the main substance. There are problems with it in Ohio as well, although they've not issued any State Law changes. You can get a 300mg tablet for .75 cents on the street.

As usual Dr.'s overprescribing are causing problems for people who really need the meds. There were 64 million prescriptions, for Gaba in 2016 in the U.S., that's an insane number, especially RX'd for pain, as most people say it doesn't work. If you're taking it for Seizures, what it's actually made for that's one thing.

Kentucky is up in arms because Gaba showed up in about one-third of all drug deaths in 2016. But at this point its just one State changing its rating.

The FDA has no plans to change how Gabapentin is treated or classified at this time. I'd imagine though that Dr.'s will quit prescribing it so easily for off-label reasons.

As long as addicts keep finding ways to use cheap everyday meds to get their highs, all meds are going to be in danger of becoming a target. Hell kids get high on Nutmeg...freaking Nutmeg!

Schedule 5 drugs can be called in. They can also have up to 5 refills on each prescription. Unlike Schedule 2 that cannot be called in. Schedule 2 also cannot have refills.

I just find if crazy because I was on this drug for a few months and felt nothing. It didn't potentiate any narcotic I was taking. I didn't even get a side-effect from it. Maybe I got some bunk Gabapentin. It's pretty obvious that a lot of doctors will prescribe the Gabapentin instead of the pain meds. They figure it is the lesser of the two evils.

This drug is dangerous even in its prescribed use. Thoughts of suicide became unbearable for me. Works for some but advise caution to anyone taking it. There are other drugs in this class that are dangerous.

Many Psych drugs, i.e. anti-seizure, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, mood stabilizers, anti-psychotics have suicidal thoughts as a side effect for 1 or more age groups.

Its one of the main reasons these drugs shouldn't be used unless RX'd by a Neurologist or Psychiatrist, and monitored.

Beginning January 1, 2019, Medicare Part D is going to closely watch when a beneficary is prescribed an opioid and a drug that will potentate an opioid.

Also, if you have Medicare. The pharmacist will have to contact your doctor before filling an opioid if it exceeds 90 mg Morphine/90 mg Morphine Equivalent Daily Dose. This also goes into effect Jan 1, 2019 for Medicare Part D.

I am prescribed this and it’s hit or miss at times for pain control. In combination with a muscle relaxant and they will make you drowsy ie no driving, operating machinery, etc. Tough choice to make at times but safety behind the wheel takes the lead over anything else. My own doctors at the V.A. keep a close track on refills but I don’t abuse or use with anything to speed the uptake or effects. I do wish there was a one size fits all approach to chronic pain, unfortunately it can take some experimenting for your physician to find what’s right for your particular pain sequence.

Years ago the VA started me on Gaba instead of Narcotics. It worked somewhat until a civilian Doc took it away said it was now considered dangerous that was about 10 years ago. My old doc just retired and this new doc a pain pill police neophyte has put me back on it and on plan to take away a pain pill. Now Gaba is considered OK so she says. They all jump this way and that with little concern for patient input. I personally believe the so called Opioid epidemic is just another Drug Wars program. The whole thing is out of hand and turned into something it was not supposed to be.

I think the pain pill crack down is an extension of the war on drugs myself. I have had teeth pulled and they only gave me 3 days worth of Vicodin. They keep saying that dentists prescribe 2 weeks worth of pain meds for a pulled tooth and that patients become addicts after spending 7 days in the hospital. You go into the hospital with severe kidney stones for a few days and get IV pain meds and then you become a Heroin addict lol. Maybe this is true for some patients, but that is just crazy.

The first thing I would do if I woke up and my leg pain was gone would be to dump all my pain meds into the trash and be done with them. The chronic muscle aches and pains I have can be handled with OTC meds. That is the difference between true pain patient. A true pain patient will stop their meds once their pain is gone. They don't get pleasure from taking them.

I completely agree @blizzard2014 if I woke up and my pain is gone I would never take anything. I hate taking it and wait until it's unbearable, which is usually not super smart.

I had a very bad reaction to Gabapentin. Immediately after taking it I became very dizzy and had blurry vision and nausea. I never took it again and they put it as an allergy for me.