If you’re considering gabapentin to treat nerve pain caused by shingles or for partial onset seizures, you may be wondering about this medication and cost.

Gabapentin is a generic prescription drug that’s used to treat nerve pain caused by shingles in adults. The medical term for this condition is postherpetic neuralgia. It’s called this because the nerve pain persists after other symptoms of shingles go away.

Gabapentin is also prescribed to help treat partial onset seizures due to epilepsy in adults as well as children ages 3 years and older. For this purpose, gabapentin is used with at least one other antiepileptic drug.

Brand-name versions of gabapentin include Gralise and Neurontin.

Gabapentin belongs to a drug class called antiepileptics, also referred to as anticonvulsants. (A drug class is a group of medications that work in a similar way.)

This article gives information on gabapentin and cost, as well as how you might save money on your prescriptions.

Note: For more details on gabapentin, see this in-depth article.

The price you pay for gabapentin can vary. Your cost may depend on your treatment plan, your insurance coverage, and the pharmacy you use.

To find out how much you’ll pay for gabapentin, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about gabapentin and cost.

Does gabapentin’s cost depend on the form or strength I use?

Gabapentin’s cost may depend on the strength or form you use.

Gabapentin comes as capsules that you swallow. It’s available in the following strengths:

  • 100 milligrams (mg)
  • 300 mg
  • 400 mg

Gabapentin also comes as tablets that you swallow. It’s available in the following strengths:

  • 600 mg
  • 800 mg

Instead of capsules or tablets, your doctor may prescribe gabapentin oral solution, which is a liquid that you swallow. It’s available in one strength: 250 mg per 5 milliliters (mL).

Drug manufacturers don’t make gabapentin in a cream form, but your doctor can still prescribe gabapentin cream. This form of gabapentin can be made by a special type of pharmacy called a compounding pharmacy.

Like that of other drugs, the cost of gabapentin depends on several factors. Your insurance coverage, your treatment plan, and the pharmacy you use can all affect the price you pay for gabapentin. If you’re prescribed a gabapentin cream, additional factors may affect cost, such as the cream’s ingredients and the amount you need.

If you have questions about gabapentin’s price, talk with your pharmacist or insurance company.

Does Medicare cover gabapentin?

Depending on your Medicare plan and the condition you’re using gabapentin to treat, Medicare may cover gabapentin.

Medicare Part A and Part B don’t cover prescription drugs such as gabapentin. A Medicare Part D prescription drug plan (also called a stand-alone prescription drug plan) may cover the drug. So may a Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescription drug coverage.

If you’d like to learn more about Medicare Part D plans and possible drug costs, Medicare.gov offers a tool for this. You can use this tool to see which medications each Part D plan will cover. The tool can also help you find the Part D plan that gives you the best prices for your prescriptions.

If you have additional questions about whether Medicare covers gabapentin, try asking your pharmacist. They can help check prices under your current Medicare plan. They may also be able to help you find a plan that provides coverage for your prescriptions.

You can also reach out to your insurance provider for more information on medication costs, including pricing for gabapentin.

If you need help covering the cost of gabapentin or understanding your insurance, check out these websites:

On these sites, you can find insurance information, details on drug assistance programs, and links to savings cards and other services. Gabapentin might cost more without insurance. These programs may help if you don’t have insurance or your insurance doesn’t cover gabapentin.

If you have questions about how to pay for gabapentin, you may also want to talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Gabapentin is a generic drug that comes in two brand-name versions: Neurontin and Gralise. A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. The generic is considered to be just as safe and effective as the original drug. And generics tend to cost less than brand-name drugs.

Gralise comes as a tablet taken by mouth, and it’s used to treat nerve pain caused by shingles. Neurontin comes in several forms, all of which are taken by mouth: tablets, capsules, and oral solution. In addition to treating nerve pain caused by shingles, Neurontin is used to treat partial onset seizures.

To find out how the costs of Neurontin, Gralise, and gabapentin compare, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

If your doctor has prescribed gabapentin and you’re interested in using Neurontin or Gralise instead, talk with your doctor. They may prefer one version over the others. In addition, you’ll need to check with your insurance provider. This is because it may only cover one of these drugs.

If you take gabapentin long term, you may be able to lower your costs in the following ways:

  • Look into getting a 90-day supply of your medication. This could help lower the cost of gabapentin as well as reduce your number of trips to the pharmacy. If you’re interested in getting a 90-day supply of this drug, talk with your doctor or insurance provider.
  • Use a mail-order pharmacy to get your medication. Getting your medication by mail order could help lower the cost of your gabapentin. This also means that you could get your medication without leaving home. Some Medicare plans may help cover the cost of mail-order drugs. You might also be able to get a 90-day supply of the drug through mail order. If you don’t have health insurance, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may have suggestions for online pharmacy options that could work for you.

If you still have questions about cost and gabapentin, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to give you a better idea of what you’ll pay for this drug. But if you have health insurance, you’ll need to talk with your insurance provider to learn the actual price you’d pay for gabapentin.

Examples of questions you may want to ask your doctor or insurance provider include:

  • Are there other drugs that could treat my condition that cost less than gabapentin?
  • Will the cost of gabapentin change depending on what it’s used to treat?
  • How does the cost of gabapentin compare with that of other drugs that could treat my condition?
  • Do the costs of gabapentin go up over time?

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or other healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.