title: Suicide by gabapentin overdose.
abstract: Gabapentin is an antiepileptic drug that is prescribed for both FDA-approved and multiple off-label conditions, and has a relatively safe side-effect profile. Rare cases of overdose-related adverse effects have been reported in the literature. Described herein are the circumstances and autopsy findings of a 62-year-old woman with a history of depression, whose death was caused by intentional ingestion of excess gabapentin. The postmortem peripheral blood gabapentin concentration as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectroscopy was 88 μg/mL. Previously reported cases of individuals surviving gabapentin overdoses are discussed and compared with this case. Based on a review of the available literature, this appears to be the first published report of a death due solely to gabapentin toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office, 530 Chicago Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415, USA. owen.middleton@co.hennepin.mn.us
authors.forename: Owen
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Middleton
mesh_terms: D000588:Amines / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D062787:Drug Overdose; D005260:Female; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D000077206:Gabapentin; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013405:Suicide; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin