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Gabapentin side effects?
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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Hi, I had to take Gabapentin for back pain and sciatic pain. I found that I could not see clearly, was in a fog all the time, & could not remember things. Had read about weight gain thus and drank lots of water. But what I decided to do was ween myself off from 600 mg 3 times a day (asked my Dr if I could) then down to 300 mg (3x a day) and in April got off of them. Yes, I have pain all the time - hard to sleep, but I have my head clear and can see. Best thing I have done! Been off of everything now for 1.5 months.
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1 ReactionI hope all that stuff is helping you, and the side effects aren’t too bad.
Gabapentin has only been shown to help with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and nerve pain for Shingles. This is only related to its purported benefit for multiple types of nerve pain. Obviously it is used successfully for seizure disorders. You can verify this information through abstracts from the NIH website and other, reputable sources.
Gabapentin is over prescribed IMO. Thankfully, I'm allergic to it and its big sister, pregabalin/Lyrica.
Gaba makes me feel weird, tingly is the best way to describe it. I don't use it because of that.
For back and pain caused by sciatica - you might see if an epidural is available. Do you know what is causing it? Unless it's a ruptured disc, it is treatable, or solves on its own. Stenosis and scoliosis could also be problems. Exercises to strengthen the core muscles should help. My lumbar spine is absolutely shot but I have a very strong core.
How did you wean down from 300mg 3x a day? I was just prescribed 100mg 3x a day for fibromyalgia. I don't know if that dose is high enough to make a difference in my pain. But I wondered how to wean off this dose if I decide to. thanks.
@ripley
if you're not getting much relief on your current dose, it probably isn't enough, although it may just be that it's not going to work for you. researchers have found that it's not effective because doctors aren't prescribing high enough doses. However, I did take the maximum daily dose of 3600 mg and it still had no effect on my neuropathy or seizures. Either one I believe gabapentin is only affective in about 40 to 50% of people.
You might want to ask your doctor to increase your dose to at least 1800 and see if that makes a difference. If not, you have plenty of room to increase it more provided you can handle the side effects if you have any.
Best of luck to you,
Jake
YES, YES. and YES. They differ with most folks. My most troublesome was double vision., It may not affect .you.. My brother used it successfully. Google "The side effects of gabapentin mad look at the possible list.
Check with your Doctor...mine told me to eliminate the afternoon dose for 2 weeks, then slowly eliminate the the morning, then the evening. I had no after affects. It was the best thing for me to get rid of that drug.
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1 ReactionHi
Thank you for reaching out. I have another Pain Dr. and he is going to give me an epidural - lower in the back. There is so little or no space between L4 and 5.
I am doing core exercises to strengthen myself, plus weights
when I balance on the ball. Hope!
Did your vision go back to normal once you stopped the gabapentin?