Why Trust Recovery Guide Gabapentin is a prescription anticonvulsant and neuropathic pain medication with a half-life of five to seven hours. After use, it can stay in the urine for an estimated two to three days. Gabapentin may stay in a person’s urine for a longer time than average if they have impaired renal (kidney) function: up to 30 days.
The amount of time that gabapentin stays in a person’s system can vary based on factors related to their drug use, overall health, and the drug dosage.
Can A Drug Test Detect Gabapentin?
Standard five-panel drug tests will not detect gabapentin use. This will require a specialized drug screening.
How Long Does Gabapentin Stay In Urine?
Gabapentin can stay in the urine for about two to three days after last use. People who have impaired kidney function may have traces of gabapentin detectable in urine for up to 30 days.
This is because, unlike most other drugs, gabapentin is largely metabolized by the kidneys.
Read more about detecting gabapentin in urine
How Long Does Gabapentin Stay In Blood?
Gabapentin will be detectable in the blood within five hours after taking a dose, and may remain detectable in the blood for up to two days.
Read more about detecting gabapentin in blood
How Long Does Gabapentin Stay In Your Saliva?
Gabapentin is unlikely to be detected in saliva. For this reason, a saliva test is unlikely to be used to detect the use of gabapentin or its brand name products.
How Long Does Gabapentin Stay In Your Hair?
Hair drug tests can detect the use of most drugs for up to 90 days after last use. Although hair tests are uncommon for gabapentin use, it will likely show up in a hair test for the same amount of time for the average person.
Read more about detecting gabapentin in hair
What Factors Can Affect How Long Gabapentin Stays In Your System?
Bodies can metabolize drugs like gabapentin at different rates depending on a variety of factors. This can affect how long it will be detectable in a specialized drug test.
Factors that can affect gabapentin detection times include:
- kidney function
- age
- dosage
- formulation (e.g. liquid, tablet)
- route of administration (e.g. swallowing, snorting, injection)
- body composition
- metabolic rate
- polydrug use
People who have a slow metabolism or impaired renal (kidney) function will likely have a longer detection window than average. This may also be true for elderly people who take gabapentin, due to the fact that most people experience a slowed metabolism with older age.
Getting Gabapentin Out Of Your System
Getting gabapentin out of your system takes time. The only way for it to leave the body is by allowing it to leave the body naturally. If you’re dependent on gabapentin, this may take longer. People can become physically dependent on gabapentin with chronic use.
Do not try to stop taking gabapentin all at once without talking to a doctor. This may cause withdrawal symptoms, such as difficulty sleeping, anxiety, nausea, pain, and sweating.
Why Gabapentin Drug Testing May Be Ordered
Doctors and treatment programs may order gabapentin drug tests for several important reasons. Although gabapentin is a legal prescription medication, it has increasingly been misused and abused, especially by people with opioid use disorder who use it to enhance the effects of opioids or manage withdrawal symptoms.
Healthcare providers may test for gabapentin to ensure people are taking their medication as prescribed or to monitor for misuse in pain management and substance abuse treatment programs.
Getting Help For Gabapentin Abuse And Addiction
Gabapentin is not known to be addictive. However, there have been reports of it becoming a drug of abuse among people with a previous history of opioid abuse or drug addiction. Taking gabapentin for non-prescribed uses, or taking it with other drugs can be dangerous. If you or someone you know is abusing gabapentin, substance abuse treatment may be recommended.
To find out more about addiction treatment for gabapentin abuse, reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) or browse our directory today.
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- JAMA Network—Gabapentinoid Use in the United States 2002 Through 2015
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2666788 - U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—Neurontin Label
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2010/020235s043lbl.pdf - U.S. National Library of Medicine: Medline—Gabapentin
https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a694007.html