Besides controlling seizures, gabapentin is also helpful for some kinds of pain. It has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat pain that follows the "shingles" (called postherpetic neuralgia).

It is legal (and common) to prescribe medicines for so-called off-label uses even though the FDA has not formally approved such use. So gabapentin is often used "off-label" for many types of pain as well as for some mood disorders, such as anxiety. In fact, more people have taken gabapentin to treat pain than to control seizures.