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!

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web28 | @web28 | Sep 24 8:22pm

I developed chronic central pain syndrome following cervical surgery. It’s affecting my peripheral and central nervous system. I take 600mg gabapentin/3x/day, 30mg baclofen/3x/day and just started on 30mg duloxetine/1x/day. Both the gabapentin and the baclofen were started at low doses and gradually increased at 2-3 week intervals(especially the baclofen. With each additional medication and/or increase in dosage there is a period of side effects while my body adjusts but they haven’t been too bad and it’s somewhat hard to know what is a medication side effect or a new symptom.

Chris Trout, Volunteer Mentor | @artscaping | Sep 24 9:52pm

In reply to @web28 "I developed chronic central pain syndrome following cervical surgery. It’s affecting my peripheral and central nervous..." + (show)

Thank you for your reply. What side affects have you had from duloxetine, if any?

web28 | @web28 | Sep 25 5:32am

In reply to @artscaping "Thank you for your reply. What side affects have you had from duloxetine, if any?" + (show)

For the first two days I had nausea which, luckily, hasn’t continued. It also seemed to help with sleeping longer at night(but that ended last night). That was about it after the first week. And it might be starting to work as my pain symptoms have been manageable this week.

hayes1202 | @hayes1202 | Sep 26 6:55am

I just started taking it for back pain and joint pain. I take 100 mg three times a day. I have noticed that I do get tired after a dose but it quickly clears. I try to ignore it. Maybe I should just take a nap.

micebyliz | @micebyliz | Sep 27 11:00am

You'll have to forgive me for not going back and reading all the comments and just busting in here 🙂 I have long history with gabapentin. The first time i took it was for migraine relief. I was having a rash of migraines for several weeks that i could not understand. I forgot the dosage but the doctor indicated that it was a "magic" dose for the problem i was having. He was right. I had relief and I stayed on for a few months. At the time, i thought perhaps it was the end of migraines for me forever (like a swan song hahaha) but i was wrong. Going off gabapentin needs to be slow as molasses project. I mean slow slow slow. Even then you may have some side effects of brain zapping, but it is not the nightmare that you may find in people's stories online where they have not followed instructions.
I took gabapentin again after surgery, and again for body pain, but eventually decided it was not doing enough for me. This last time i was on a major dose and it took almost 5 months to get off of it completely. I made a chart to count off the days because i knew it would seem like forever and it did. But it was worth it. I did have slight brain zapping anyway which was annoying. The drug itself is a lifesaver though if you need it.
After your body gets used to it the fatigue is not so bad. It's an adjustment. It could be like moi 🙂 your body is working so hard on the pain? that you don't realize how fatigued you really are until some of it is eased. Pain is a constant struggle and wears us out physically and emotionally. I even get crabby! 🙂

bajjerfan | @bajjerfan | Sep 30 5:15pm

In reply to @micebyliz "You'll have to forgive me for not going back and reading all the comments and just..." + (show)

I got off of GabaPentin 900 mg per day cold turkey after I switched to PreGabalin. No issues.

bajjerfan | @bajjerfan | Sep 30 5:21pm

In reply to @web28 "I developed chronic central pain syndrome following cervical surgery. It’s affecting my peripheral and central nervous..." + (show)

GabaPentin and Baclofen and Lyrica/PreGabalin are all related to the simple amino acid GABA. My pain doc prescribed Baclofen while I was taking PreGabalin and Tramadol. Big NO NO, made me really tired. Took the Baclofen for 2 days so $135 down the tubes since the Rx was for a 3 month supply.

kforrest | @kforrest | Oct 6 4:57pm

I take 300 mg once a day at night. my insurance agent said anything over 300mg and people were walking around like zombies, I a going to ask for 100 mg instead.

celia16 | @celia16 | Oct 7 7:18am

In reply to @kforrest "I take 300 mg once a day at night. my insurance agent said anything over 300mg..." + (show)

I only took it for 2 weeks. Wish I could have stayed on it. I only took 100 mg once per day and I felt great. It gave me a very nice feeling. I can’t imagine taking any more than that. But, my pain was minimal and intermittent. The 100 mg addressed my need.

I got blurred vision about the same time as I started the med, so assumed that was the cause. I suppose it could have been coincidental, but no way to tell without trying it again, which makes me nervous. As long as my my pain is minimal and intermittent, I’m just not taking anything for it. Just exercise, vitamins and good diet.

rae8731 | @rae8731 | 6 days ago

My partner, 81 yrs old, in otherwise good health 'til now has recently finished chemo & radiation. Both protocols went very well...until a few days post radiation treatment. Each day more discomfort in overall acheness, then neuropathy...burning in hands & feet. She has widespread pain throughout her body. Her primary is gradually upping Gabapentin to around the 1100mg daily amount. Opoids are taken to elevate pain but she is hopeful the Gabapentin will kick in soon. She's been on 600mg for the past 3 days. Anyone have any idea how long it takes for the Gaba' to take effect. All her labs have been constitently very good.
With all medications, there is a risk-to-benefit that has to be watched closely. Thank you for any help & advise.