I just started 100mg of gabapentin 3x a day last week for my bipolar disorder. I am turning 21 next week and will be going out and obviously drinking. Patients wishing to drink alcohol while on gabapentin treatment should first consult their healthcare provider. It is quite difficult to predict the possible effects of combining alcohol and gabapentin. Gabapentin and Alcohol Addiction. In terms of alcohol dependence, gabapentin can be used to help you reduce your drinking or abstain from it completely. Over the past few years, a growing number of people have successfully used gabapentin for alcohol withdrawal. Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant medication that is available only by prescription. Drinking alcohol while taking the prescription gabapentin can cause dizziness, drowsiness and difficulty concentrating. Patients are advised to avoid alcohol or limit the use of alcohol while taking this medication due to the likelihood of these side effects. Gabapentin actually can cause alcohol intolerance which i found out the hard way. skip the wine and opt for a fruit juice spritzer. I normally can hold my own with my drinking buddies but, after being perscribed this medication for my fibro/cfs alcohol does nasty things to me even after one cocktail. trust me its no fun being at a wedding/party. Wondering what happens when Gabapentin and alcohol are combined? The answer is not completely black or white. Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant agent that is primarily used to treat seizures and occasionally prescribed to treat nerve pain caused by shingles. Alcohol can increase the nervous system side effects of gabapentin such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience impairment in thinking and judgment. Alcohol withdrawal is notoriously deadly, and someone who is physically dependent on alcohol will experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop drinking or substantially reduce their intake. These symptoms will appear anywhere from six to 24 hours after the last drink and last for up to five days. The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal include: A double-blind evaluation of gabapentin on alcohol effects and drinking in a clinical laboratory paradigm. Abstract INTRODUCTION There has been increasing interest in the use of anticonvulsant agents in the treatment of alcoholism.