Gabapentin side effects?

Posted by Sundance(RB) @sundance6, Apr 13, 2019

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. 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. I asked why and she said she had, had shingles back when and it still helped with the pain. I know the drug is percribed for many things that is why I take it for my issues.
I told her I had been taking it for about 6 months. She asked if I had been tired all the time, just out of the Blue. OF COURSE I SAID YES! She said it took her a year before she got out of the tiredness.
Let me know if any of you have experienced the same thing. Also let me know at what dosage you may be on? I know this is all confidential!
Again Thanks to The Mayo Clinic and Everyone who is kind enough to be open with their lives!
Sundance!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Chronic Pain Support Group.

I was on 600mg in the morning and at 2pm and then 1200mg at night. I was in the hospital then Rehab to learn how to walk again.
My difficulty was they had no clue I had sensory ganglionopathy. So I had no clue it was making the neuropathy worse.

I took it for a year. Actually looked up the side effects. Lo and behold five of them I had. They tapered it off for me. The withdrawals were nasty.

I will never take it on a low dose ever. They put me on Savella it helps. But with my disease all sensory. And having dead nerves it all goes into my hands and feet. It will never stop throbbing.

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I have been taking Gabapentin 600mgx3/day for Neuropathy for about 2 years, and yes I am sleepy most of the day, no energy. I am also taking vitamins, B12, D for more energy. Nothing has helped with drowsiness and lack of energy. I take long naps every day and it is difficult to function and do normal household chores-cooking, cleaning , running errands. Doctors have not been able to determine a specific cause of my neuropathy.

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It's fairly easy to get a legit script for modafinil. Think of it as a minor amphetamine. If you don't take it every day it should help you with the fatigue. Some people call it a nootropic like the drug Bradley Cooper used in the film "Limitless". It's not. But it does keep you awake and doesn't raise your blood pressure. Generic versions exist and don't cost that much.
I use it often, but back in the 1960s I wore very brightly colored tie dyed clothing, marched against the War in Vietnam, and ingested many funny things. Now I'm 70 and still not afraid to self-medicate.
And depending on how the Presidential election goes I might revisit some of my old haunts, singing Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

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I am on 175 mg twice daily and it doesn’t do a thing for me. The side effects I have from it is making me feel dizzy like I’m gonna fall down but doesn’t do anything for the pain. It does make me tired but I have insomnia too.

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@orion7578

I am also in chronic pain. Located in the thoracic region of my back. Pain management doc calls it Chronic Pain Syndrome. Constant muscle spasms. My PCP prescribed Gabapentin however after taking it for a week my hair started falling out! So I d/c’d it and started on Tizanidine. That helps but makes me sleep. I’ve tried P.T., massage, acupuncture and a chiropractor. They all helped for about a half day but the spasms come back. Chronic pain leaves me tied to either an ice pack or a heating pad. I’m so discouraged..

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Gabapentin is NOT effective for neuropathic pain, and it was never approved for this use. This is an off-label use and it's mostly of no benefit. This over-hyped drug shows no benefit against a placebo in clinical trials for this type of pain. True "Chronic Pain Syndrome" or Pain Amplification Syndrome is pretty rare. Pain doctors love placing us in that category when they can't diagnose a cause and CDC & the DEA is cutting back on pain management options. I hope you get relief. 😥 Hugs. Lin

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@ctpaul

It's fairly easy to get a legit script for modafinil. Think of it as a minor amphetamine. If you don't take it every day it should help you with the fatigue. Some people call it a nootropic like the drug Bradley Cooper used in the film "Limitless". It's not. But it does keep you awake and doesn't raise your blood pressure. Generic versions exist and don't cost that much.
I use it often, but back in the 1960s I wore very brightly colored tie dyed clothing, marched against the War in Vietnam, and ingested many funny things. Now I'm 70 and still not afraid to self-medicate.
And depending on how the Presidential election goes I might revisit some of my old haunts, singing Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

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@ctpaul, in general, modafinil is used to treat excessive daytime sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, sleep work shift disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea. As with any medication, contraindications can exist, so anyone who is going to start medications would need to consult with their provider to make sure it is safe.

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I'm new on here and do not know where to post so am trying this.
I am on 100mg, 4 a day - 1 in morning, 1 in afternoon and 2 at bedtime. I know this is not much but I am highly sensitive to all meds so Dr is starting me slowly.
I am on it because all other pain meds cause horrible side effects. I take Tylenol, and an anti inflammatory. I also take low dose xanax.
Dr prescribed it for nerve pain from a mastectomy with lat flap. I have very bad pain from the long vertical scar on my back. I also have arthritis everywhere.
My question is does anyone have low back pain from taking gabapentin? I mentioned it to my Dr and he said it is not from the gabapentin. I did not have this pain until I went on the 4th pill. It is 2:30 AM and I am in the recliner on a heating pad because the pain is so bad I could not lay down . It seems like gas pain and is better if I can pass gas but never have had low back pain with gas.
Anyone else have this side effect w/ gabapentin?

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@md05

I'm new on here and do not know where to post so am trying this.
I am on 100mg, 4 a day - 1 in morning, 1 in afternoon and 2 at bedtime. I know this is not much but I am highly sensitive to all meds so Dr is starting me slowly.
I am on it because all other pain meds cause horrible side effects. I take Tylenol, and an anti inflammatory. I also take low dose xanax.
Dr prescribed it for nerve pain from a mastectomy with lat flap. I have very bad pain from the long vertical scar on my back. I also have arthritis everywhere.
My question is does anyone have low back pain from taking gabapentin? I mentioned it to my Dr and he said it is not from the gabapentin. I did not have this pain until I went on the 4th pill. It is 2:30 AM and I am in the recliner on a heating pad because the pain is so bad I could not lay down . It seems like gas pain and is better if I can pass gas but never have had low back pain with gas.
Anyone else have this side effect w/ gabapentin?

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I’d report significant side effects to your doctor. I suffered blurred vision and eye pain when I took it, necessitating an ophthalmology visit. I wasn’t able to take it, but recovered from the side effects. It’s my understanding there is an alternative med. I just don’t think I need it right now.

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I struggle with Narcolepsy and Charcot Marie Tooth disease (CMT). The CMT causes peripheral nerve damage which causes pain mostly in my feet and legs. I have been taking 300mg of Gabapentin 3 times a day for many years to treat my leg pain. It is very effective. I am always so tired from the Narcolepsy I cannot tell if the Gabapentin contributes further to my tiredness.

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Yes, I too was tired at first. I can not remember how long it took to get over being tired.
I got a real wake up when I forgot to get my prescription renewed once and I got head aches and I mean head aches. I am real careful to keep my prescription up to date.

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