Can gabapentin cause muscle pain and cramps in arms & legs?

I just started gabapentin about 5 days ago and have started having cramps in feet, ankles, calves even shoulder. Does gabardine cause this?

Hello @regalrottweilers, Welcome to Connect. I think one of the side effects of gabapentin is the swelling of the legs and feet but I'm not sure about cramps. Here's some information on the side effects of gabapentin and some information on muscle cramps that might be helpful.

Gabapentin: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a694007.html
Muscle spasms (muscle cramps): https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15466-muscle-spasms

Have you tried drinking more fluids or water to see if that will help with the cramps?

I also had muscle cramps when trying gabapentin, my doctor stopped it immediately and said that a lot of people don't tolerate it well, and I shouldn't use it again.
Sue

Thank you for taking time to reply. I will talk to my doctor as well but I stopped it yesterday. The muscle spasms were really intense. And in different locations. But my ankles were the worst. They were so bad that it literally turned my ankle inward into an impossible position that it just doesn’t go. I literally thought my ankle was going to break it was so bad.

You may want to talk to your doctor ASAP about tapering off Gabapentin gradually. Not sure if you’ve only been on it a short time but it can cause bad side effects if you stop cold turkey. I also did not tolerate Gabapentin well so slowly weaned off of it.

I was only on it for less than a week. No need to taper down.

I had terrible muscle spasms that caused muscle tears in one calf.

Simplistic solution - I started tracking my water intake and made sure I got at least 8-8 oz glasses, start early and force yourself to drink it.

Believe it or not, I have had very few cramps since I started doing this. Write it down! It’s not easy to get that much in just taking a sip or 2 now and again. I also make sure I start as soon as I get up so I’m not drinking a lot before bed.

So my son was put on gabapentin for he was experiencing pain in both thighs radiating from around his lower spine area, he has recently found out he has mestastic mixed choriocarcinoma(predominate) and embryonal carcinoma . I know my son was on this for a month before he got really bad and in icu for this cancer but why have him on this if it has not helped him understanding he has tumors that are squeezing on his nerves so why they want to have him on this

I was very sucidal in the first few weeks of starting gabapentin, my GP held back my prescription until the feelings has subsided. I've been taking gaba now for two yrs frozen shoulder & now I've been told I have osteoporosis in the same shoulder. I have numbness in my feet & hands along with pins & needles, a burning sensation in the soles of my feet & occasionally sharp stabbing pains in my feet & hands. On occasions I've had water retention in my feet and thighs, I'm now taking water retention tablets herbal & they've helped I'm also wearing diabetic socks as the elastic on my others were worsening the water retention. I've asked my doctor about these symptoms & he/she simply scratches their heads & says carry on with the gabapentin.

Oh good, glad you weren’t on it very long. It’s been three weeks since I stopped taking Gabapentin completely after about a month long taper from 900 mg daily. I am still having headaches. Started the day I quit. Of course not sure it’s from stopping that drug or something else.

Some people tolerate this drug and it helps them with neuropathic pain. I will keep trying other things to deal with my pain.