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4943237 tn?1428991095

Gabapentin missed dose .......itching

I'm really hoping that someone can tell me that missing one dose of Gabapentin is enough to set off mad itching!!  I forgot to take a midday dose of 600 mg (because I was too busy Christmas shopping lol) and didn't remember until the next dose was due five hours later.   Now I'm itching like crazy.  Please don't let it be another relapse!!

Poppy
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Avatar universal
    I am a 68 year old woman.  I missed a few daily doses and my body was itchy from the bottom my feet to my scalp.  It was an almost unbearable, constant itching  that came on suddenly all over my body.   Google "Gabapentin and itchy all over" and you'll find plenty of people bothered by this side effect.  
    I've experienced amnesia from gabapentin twice.  Another time when I stopped taking gabapentin, I suffered severe twitching and facial twitching.  Gabapentin is a nasty drug but I take it now for facial pain.   Another side effect I had was a desire to walk and I'd walk for a mile which is totally not normal for me.  I have memory problems and I don't sleep well.  These could also be effects of taking gabapentin.  
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Avatar universal
i've experienced "itching" from missing a dose. in fact, every time i miss a dose, or i'm even a few hours late,  i have a sensation all over my skin that feels like i've been rolling around in fiberglass insulation. lotion does not help, and there is no visible sign on my skin that would explain this abnormal sensation. hope this helps
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4943237 tn?1428991095
Thanks Kyle and ess.   I'm now pretty sure heat was the trigger.  I got a bit overheated yesterday - my TN was also playing up and both resolved when I cooled down.  

By the time it went away I'd scratched so much my skin was raw in places so don't want a repeat of that one in a hurry.

Poppy
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Avatar universal
Missing a dose of gabapentin would not cause 'breakthrough' symptoms, and gabapentin doesn't prevent anything. If it works, it just puts a damper on nerve pain, which can get worse as the med wears off.

Of course, everyone is different, but still, I'm betting that the itching is just a (horribly annoying) coincidence. If it keeps up, try asking your neuro for a stronger dose, since at present you're at only half of the max safe level per day.

I hope you're feeling better.

ess

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1831849 tn?1383228392
Hi Poppy -

I doubt that missing a single dose would cause that kind of rapid reaction. Drugs like gabapentin need to be maintained at certain levels in order to be effective. The leve is determined by gradually increasing the dose, over at least a week. In reverse, it would take a similar amount of time for the gaba to be noticably reduced. One dose would not likely be enough to show up.

I took gaba for a while (1,200mg 3X/day). When I missed a dose I saw no change. I swapped gaba for Lyrica and when I miss a dose (mid day on weekends seems to be my weak spot) I don not see any return of symptoms.

Kyle
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