Anyway, my question to all of you is Gabapentin and it's side effects. I have been on it now for 6 months. My doctor raised me from 100mg. to now I am on 400mg. three times a day. The problem is my tiredness! I happen to be in a friends office yesterday and she was taking some medicine. She said she was taking Gabapentin. Side effects for me on Gabapentin did not include any weight gain. Mine were more typical such as drowsiness, unsteadiness on feet when first getting up and foggy thinking. These dissipated as my body became more used to the 2100mg/day dose - split into 3 times a day. For me the side effects were worth the relief given. I am a regular on the Mayo Board! I don't know what I would do without it! Our doctors don't want to discuss openly the things about illnesses and side effets of drugs and other things. Anyway, my question to all of you is Gabapentin and it's side effects. I have been on it now for 6 months. Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant. This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription. This product is available in the following dosage forms: In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. Anyway, my question to all of you is Gabapentin and it's side effects. I have been on it now for 6 months. My doctor raised me from 100mg. to now I am on 400mg. three times a day. The problem is my tiredness! I happen to be in a friends office yesterday and she was taking some medicine. She said she was taking Gabapentin. The Neuropathic Pain Special Interest Group of the International Association for the Study of Pain recently sponsored the development of evidence-based guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of neuropathic pain. Tricyclic antidepressants, dual reuptake inhibitors of serotonin and norepinephrine, calcium channel α2-δ ligands (ie, gabapentin and pregabalin), and topical lidocaine were Research supports the use of the anticonvulsants gabapentin (Gralise, Neurontin, Horizant) and pregabalin (Lyrica) to help relieve pain caused by damaged nerves. Both gabapentin and pregabalin are particularly effective in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia, diabetic neuropathy and pain caused by a spinal cord injury. Most RLS patients require 1200 to 1800 mg of gabapentin daily, but doses up to 3600 mg daily can be used. Because of nonlinear kinetics and substantial interindividual variability, the gabapentin dose often does not always reflect serum level, especially at single doses above 600 mg. Hello @john567, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, a welcoming online community where patients share their experiences, find support and exchange information with others. Thanks for sharing your experience with gabapentin. Gabapentin dose range is huge, like 100-3600 mg a day, depending on how it’s tolerated. It’s always best to start out low and see how you respond. It can be gradually increased as needed and sometimes the side effects of drowsiness get better with time. I've wondered what some of the side effects would/could be from such a high dosage of Gabapentin, but I'm currently taking 9 different prescription drugs for depression, pain, gout prevention, leg swelling, and blood pressure. So determining what the side effects are out the window at the moment. My Dr. recommended the maximum dosage of 2600mg beginning with 800mg daily and adding 100mg each week (currently at 1300mg daily). Is it helping?perhaps but still have tingling, numbness sensations and now getting routine severe cramps aka "sledge hammer" on calves at night. Gabapentin is used to control seizures, to treat nerve pain that can happen after having had shingles, and to treat a condition called restless legs syndrome. In addition to these FDA-approved uses, doctors sometimes prescribe gabapentin off-label. I am currently on 1800 mg/day of gabapentin, but am still having a fair amount of pain. On a scale of 1 to 10, the background level is about a 2 with occasional flares to a level of 5 or 6. It was intense and when it got to 8 or more times a day, I added that 300mg back. It took almost 2 weeks after that before those mining explosions stopped. For me, I have to stay on gabapentin at this high dose and accept side effects. If you can do without gabapentin and you don't like side effects, do that. Gabapentin enacarbil is also used to manage a condition called postherpetic neuralgia, which is pain that occurs after shingles. This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription. This product is available in the following dosage forms: Some gabapentin side effects, such as feeling drowsy, are more likely to occur when you start taking the medicine. These side effects may go away as your body adjusts. Avoid driving, operating machinery or other activities that could be dangerous if you're dizzy, drowsy or not steady. Gabapentin is approved to prevent and control partial seizures, relieve postherpetic neuralgia after shingles and moderate-to-severe restless legs syndrome. Learn what side effects to watch for, drugs to avoid while taking gabapentin, how to take gabapentin and other important questions and answers. It doesn't take my anxiety away, but it does take the edge off. I take a total of 1300mg a day, spread out three times a day. I tried a very small dose last year and was impressed. It made me feel very nice with a heightened sense of well being. Quite calm and happy. I was surprised it made such a difference. What type of pain do you have that you were prescribed gabapentin for? I am currently on 600 mg three times a day. I used to take 100 or 200 mg three times a day. Unfortunately, my chronic pain recently increased to a level where I had to have the dosage increased to the point where I am today. It hits the pain just a little. Nothing substantial.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |