Listen: Inexpensive Nerve Drug Often Abused As Opioid Epidemic Grows

Kaiser Health News reporter Carmen Heredia Rodriguez joins the host of “On Point,” Anthony Brooks, to discuss public health officials’ concerns about the increasing use of the drug gabapentin by people addicted to opioids. Gabapentin is not an opioid, and it is approved to treat patients with nerve pain or epilepsy. However, some people are illicitly buying the drug and abusing it to enhance their opioid highs or stave off withdrawal from other drugs.

Heredia Rodriguez wrote about the problem in an earlier story on KHN.

The “On Point” discussion about the drug (cue it up at 39:22) follows a discussion on the show about proposals for a single-payer health system.

“On Point” is produced by WBUR in Boston and distributed by NPR.

This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

<h1>Listen: Inexpensive Nerve Drug Often Abused As Opioid Epidemic Grows</h1>
<div>		<time class="posted-on" datetime="2018-08-02T13:03:08-07:00">
			August 2, 2018		</time>
		</div>
<p>Kaiser Health News reporter <a href="http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2018/08/02/health-care-sanders-medicare-for-all">Carmen Heredia Rodriguez joins the host of “On Point</a>,” Anthony Brooks, to discuss public health officials’ concerns about the increasing use of the drug gabapentin by people addicted to opioids. Gabapentin is not an opioid, and it is approved to treat patients with nerve pain or epilepsy. However, some people are illicitly buying the drug and abusing it to enhance their opioid highs or stave off withdrawal from other drugs.</p><p>Heredia Rodriguez wrote about the problem in an <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/new-on-the-streets-drug-for-nerve-pain-boosts-high-for-opioid-abusers/">earlier story</a> on KHN.</p><p>The “On Point” discussion about the drug (cue it up at 39:22) follows a discussion on the show about proposals for a single-payer health system.</p><p>“On Point” is produced by WBUR in Boston and distributed by NPR.</p>		<p><em>		This story was produced by <a href="http://kffhealthnews.org/">Kaiser Health News</a>, an editorially independent program of the <a href="https://www.kff.org/">Kaiser Family Foundation</a>.		</em></p>		<em><a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us">KFF Health News</a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about <a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a>.</em><p><a href="https://californiahealthline.org/morning-briefing/">Subscribe</a> to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing.</p>

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