Gabapentin is a prescription drug. It comes as an oral capsule, an immediate-release oral tablet, an extended-release oral tablet, and an oral solution.

Gabapentin oral capsule is available as the brand-name drug Neurontin. It’s also available as a generic drug. Generic drugs usually cost less than the brand-name version. In some cases, the brand-name drug and the generic version may be available in different forms and strengths.

Why Gabapentin is Used

Gabapentin oral capsule is used to treat the following conditions:

• • Seizures: Gabapentin is used to treat partial (focal) seizures. It’s taken together with other seizure medications in adults and in children 3 years of age and older who have epilepsy.
  • Postherpetic neuralgia: This is pain from nerve damage caused by shingles, a painful rash that affects adults. Shingles appears after infection with the varicella zoster virus. This virus occurs in people who have had chicken pox.

Gabapentin may be used as part of a combination therapy. This means you may need to take it with other drugs.

Gabapentin Dosage for Adults

For adults, the gabapentin dosage can vary widely depending on the condition being treated. Upon starting treatment with gabapentin, the starting dose may be 100 to 300 mg per day and steadily increase until an effective dose is reached. The maximum dosage will depend on the condition being treated.

• • Standard gabapentin dosage for adults: 300-600 mg taken three times per day.
  • Maximum gabapentin dosage for adults: 1200 mg taken three times per day for a maximum daily dose of 3600 mg.

Gabapentin Dosage Chart for Adult

Indication	Age	Standard dosage	Maximum dosage
Partial seizures
	12 years and older	300-600 mg three times per day	3600 mg per day
	5-11 years	25-35 mg/kg (11.4-15.9 mg/lb) per day divided into three daily doses	50 mg/kg (22.7 mg/lb) per day
	3-4 years	40 mg/kg (18.2 mg/lb) per day divided into three daily doses	50 mg/kg (22.7 mg/lb) per day
Postherpetic neuralgia	18 years and older	300 mg on day 1, 300 mg twice daily on day 2, then 300 mg three times daily on day 3; dosage may be further increased after day 3 to 600 mg three times per day	1800 mg per day
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy	18 years and older	300-1200 mg three times per day (off-label)	3600 mg per day
Fibromyalgia	18 years and older	600 mg twice daily and 1200 mg at bedtime (off-label)	2400 mg per day
Alcohol dependence	18 years and older	300-600 mg three times per day (off-label)	1800 mg per day