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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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daisy17 | @daisy17 | Nov 10 11:58am
In reply to @rae8731 "My partner, 81 yrs old, in otherwise good health 'til now has recently finished chemo &..." + (show)
@rae8731

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.

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You could call your pharmacist.

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1 reply
rae8731 | @rae8731 | Nov 10 12:06pm
In reply to @daisy17 "You could call your pharmacist." + (show)
@daisy17

You could call your pharmacist.

Jump to this post

Thank you. Both doctor & pharmacist have given much needed & appreciated advice, however, I was looking for someone who was going through much of the same symptoms. Again, thank you for taking the time to respond.

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1 reply
daisy17 | @daisy17 | Nov 10 1:20pm
In reply to @rae8731 "Thank you. Both doctor & pharmacist have given much needed & appreciated advice, however, I was..." + (show)
@rae8731

Thank you. Both doctor & pharmacist have given much needed & appreciated advice, however, I was looking for someone who was going through much of the same symptoms. Again, thank you for taking the time to respond.

Jump to this post

Understand. Facebook has a support group called "Gabapentin Awareness: It's Use and Abuse" that might be helpful too. Good luck.

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bajjerfan | @bajjerfan | Nov 10 3:48pm
In reply to @rae8731 "My partner, 81 yrs old, in otherwise good health 'til now has recently finished chemo &..." + (show)
@rae8731

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.

Jump to this post

It should start to show some effect in a few days. Any side effects apparent? It sounds like it may not work for her.

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2 replies
rae8731 | @rae8731 | Nov 10 7:09pm
In reply to @bajjerfan "It should start to show some effect in a few days. Any side effects apparent? It..." + (show)
@bajjerfan

It should start to show some effect in a few days. Any side effects apparent? It sounds like it may not work for her.

Jump to this post

Thank you for your input. Today is the 3rd day on 300mg three times daily & she is starting to see some relief. Thanks again & best of luck to you, as well.

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rae8731 | @rae8731 | Nov 10 7:10pm
In reply to @bajjerfan "It should start to show some effect in a few days. Any side effects apparent? It..." + (show)
@bajjerfan

It should start to show some effect in a few days. Any side effects apparent? It sounds like it may not work for her.

Jump to this post

Yes, today is the 3rd day of 300mg three times daily. She is starting to get some relief.
Thank you for taking the time to respond. Best of health to you.

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heisenberg34 | @heisenberg34 | Nov 11 5:58pm

The only side effect of Gabapentin for me was some dizziness for a couple of days. I have been on and off it for seven YEARS. I had been on 100-200 mg three times until 2022. Then it was raised to 300 mg three times a day. It was raised to 600 mg three times a day. It gives me some relief, but not significant.

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1 reply
Lukewilliams | @karenservice | Nov 26 11:59am

Iv'e been on Gabapentin for many years, My pain management doctor prescribes it for my foot neuropathy, Yes, I do have fatigue, by 3pm I'm ready to go to bed, I fight this, because who wants to go to bed at 4-5 PM, I may discuss this with my doc, this definitely affects my quality of life. I had a doctor prescribe Progesic for the sleepiness, it seemed to help, I dont recall why I stopped taking it. I currently am taking 300mg AM@600PM

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Lukewilliams | @karenservice | Nov 26 12:01pm
In reply to @heisenberg34 "The only side effect of Gabapentin for me was some dizziness for a couple of days...." + (show)
@heisenberg34

The only side effect of Gabapentin for me was some dizziness for a couple of days. I have been on and off it for seven YEARS. I had been on 100-200 mg three times until 2022. Then it was raised to 300 mg three times a day. It was raised to 600 mg three times a day. It gives me some relief, but not significant.

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Relief from what?

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sup7401 | @sup7401 | Nov 27 6:33am

I took gaba for herniated disc for quite awhile prior to a laminectomy...It certainly helped me get a better nites sleep, however I developed an odd side effect...
after 6 months on the drug...I started to " trip" ...as if I was about to fall...happened maybe once or twice a day out of the blue... on a walk, on a perfectly flat surface, etc.
I started to use a cart to hold onto when shopping!
as an RN, I was concerned it was a brain thing and mentioned it to my doctor....who immediately decreased the gaba before ordering an MRI of the brain...It got better, no MRI needed... I discontinued the drug and this weird phenomenon never happened again.

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