withdrawals

doea gabapentin helps with methadone withdrawals if so how long does it helps and is there any pill  out there to help get through withdrawals seriously people lives are depending on this  help

[J T Junig, MD PhD]

Clonidine is the classic medication for opioid withdrawal;  it reduces the misery by a small amount, especially late at night when people feel like jumping out of their skin.  I'm not sure about gabapentin;  I have prescribed it for people during withdrawal and heard mixed reports from them. At best, it reduces the agitation and maybe the sweating by a small amount.  It doesn't do anything for the severe depression that most people have-- which is the worst part of withdrawal in my opinion.