Gabapentin: Taste Profile Improvement

On a melonish-orange background, a white pill bottle enters the composition top right, spilling a variety of colorful pills in a random yet controlled array.

Gabapentin (commercially sold as Neurontin among other names) is predominantly sold as a seizure medication and nerve pain treatment [1,2]. It does have other uses though; for example, it is also used to treat anxiety in both pets and humans [3,4]. When used for pets, it is often prescribed as an anticonvulsant and a pain reliever for both cats and dogs [5].

Gabapentin is available in both liquid and powder forms, and can be easily flavored or compounded to make it easier for consumption. When flavoring any medical compound, a bitter blocker or taste modulating product should be used to help prevent any bitter or off flavors from being detected. A bitter blocker for medicines including gabapentin can also help improve the overall effectiveness of the product’s flavor profile. 

References

  1. “DailyMed – Neurontin- Gabapentin Capsule Neurontin- Gabapentin Tablet, Film Coated Neurontin- Gabapentin Solution.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ee9ad9ed-6d9f-4ee1-9d7f-cfad438df388. 
  2. “Recommendations: Neuropathic Pain in Adults: Pharmacological Management in Non-Specialist Settings: Guidance.” NICE, https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg173/chapter/Recommendations.
  3. Greenblatt, H. Karl, and David J. Greenblatt. “Gabapentin and Pregabalin for the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders.” Clinical Pharmacology in Drug Development, vol. 7, no. 3, 2018, pp. 228–232., https://doi.org/10.1002/cpdd.446.
  4. Van Haaften, Karen A., et al. “Effects of a Single Preappointment Dose of Gabapentin on Signs of Stress in Cats during Transportation and Veterinary Examination.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, vol. 251, no. 10, 2017, pp. 1175–1181., https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.251.10.1175. 
  5. Vettorato, Enzo, and Federico Corletto. “Gabapentin as Part of Multi-Modal Analgesia in Two Cats Suffering Multiple Injuries.” Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia, vol. 38, no. 5, 2011, pp. 518–520., https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2995.2011.00638.x.

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