Gabapentin?? side effects?

[Wobbly]

Hi there, the MS specialist wants me to up the dose of gabapentin, I'm not taking much right now, only 1 pill 300 mg at night as it really tires me out.

She wants me to take 100 mg twice a day in the daytime, but I'm taking amantadine twice a day to help with fatigue.  Now the gabapentine twice a day makes me tired?  

does gabapentin have a side effect that effects you mouth...my teeth, gums.. etc..get so sore everyday for the past few days, not sure why.  I though maybe one tooth, but the other parts of my mouth get sore as well?

plus I'm so out of it, that I can't go outside... I'm so tired and can't seem to sit for long.  

I don't know if its the meds...cause the amount isn't that high... if not the meds...why is this happening?

I'm not sure what to do about it..

take care
wobbly
dx

[fidel32]

I take 2 300mg a side and I feel like getting up and doing anything and doing it really fast. but why?

[Glenislay]

I know this is the MS community, but I was searching for gaba info because I am at such a high dosage.   After 5 years of neurologic pain in my chest and shoulder (which always mimicked angina or a heart attack), in 2007 a doctor prescribed 300 mg of gabapentin that took those pains away, but not before a year long frozen shoulder.

Then shortly after this in 2007, I started getting unbelievable pain attacks. I can only describe the attacks as if a steak knife was stabbed in my upper side under my arm pit, then the knife is ripped down towards my groin and sometimes then down my leg.  Thankfully, each attack only lasts a 1-2 seconds.  Most days, I would only get 2-5 attacks, but had some days of 20-100 attacks.  When I get more than 3-4 attacks, I cannot get out of bed for a day or two after.  These attacks give me ongoing swollen, pulled stomach muscles from reacting to the torturous pain, which my doctor thought were tumors at first because people don't get pulled muscles in those spots.  There was no more driving because I would wreck if I had an attack and no more going out in public because of embarrassing yelling during attacks and people sure I was having a heart attack. About 12 years ago in an accident, I ripped off my finger tips, took a chunk out of my arm, and hit my back so hard it was black.  It didn't hurt as bad as one of these pain attacks.

Pain doctor and another doc think it is postherpetic neuralgia, but primary doc and neuro are just leaving it at peripheral neuropathy.  Recently had pain go to other side, so that throws a new wrench. Gaba has been a life saver for me. I have eliminated a lot of other negative meds knowing it is what works for me.

I think Diet 7up is fine because of its contents.  It is also the closest of all sodas to the ph of water.  Definitely Squirt could cause a side effect in some people taking gaba.  Other sodas that say citrus might too, because grapefruit is cheap juice.  I am on a PPI and ranitidine, plus occasionally need coating stuff like sucralfate, so my gerd meds are more extreme than some.  I am guessing, but things that coat like tums, bismus, sucralfate might be more of an issue than PPI's and Zantac for some that are just adjusting to gaba.  Just timing the gaba an hour or two before or after gerd stuff would help consistency rather than at same time.  Tums/Rolaids can affect some blood pressure and other meds the same way.  

As far as age, it is not the year of the car, but the mileage.  Also attitude makes the difference between highway miles and off road.  :-)

[Wobbly]

Hi there...that's very interesting to hear others info that we haven't heard before... could you tell me why you take Gabapentin...is it for MS Pain...or tingling, numbness...

by the way... I'm 56 and not an older person....hahahaha

I have Gerds as well and take Pariet daily for it.. and drink Diet 7 UP..
should I be not drinking this?  

I didn't see any info on this...but then I don't like to check them out too much as I would get every side effect I read..hehehe

take care
wobbly
dx

[Glenislay]

I think everybody has different experiences with meds for many reasons, but here's my unique experience with gabapentin maybe pointing out some things not mentioned above.  I have been taking 4x900.  It took me a while to figure out what might be gabapentin side effects because I was on, starting, or stopping so many other meds at first.  

I believe gabapentin causes my feet to slightly swell to where I use diabetic socks to keep from cutting off circulation and getting cold feet.  I think this is common for older people.  I am 52.

My vision changes anytime the dosage of gabapentin is changed, so I have had to update glasses almost every dosage change. Catching the vision change thing for me reduced the feeling of dizziness because it was just the need for different glasses.  Noticed certain fluorescent lights take time to adjust to, but can't say if it is connected to gaba.  

Initially when on 300mg/d, I learned if I skipped gaba more than a day, I would pay with adjustment side effects of dizziness, etc. all over again the next time I took it.  I have gerd/acid reflux and have to be careful because certain gerd meds may block the amount of gaba dosage absorbed and causes the side effects of changing gaba dosages if not timing when meds are taken.

Even though it says on the insert to stay away from grapefruit and maybe other citrus while on gaba, I also discovered that drinking Squirt and some other popular clear sodas with citrus will greatly interact with gaba and cause dizziness and other negatives like feeling of being slightly drunk (they should mention sodas with grapefruit/citrus as well on the insert and the neurontin website because people don't think of sodas having grapefruit sometimes).  

I have gained about 15 pounds either from inactivity or gaba or both over the last two years.  I am a computer programmer and have to admit, I cannot do multiple calculations in my head anymore. I think my concentration regained somewhat after a long term adjustment to a fixed dosage. I learned to use additional tools to help keep organized and reminded. I think in my situation, the life changing health crisis may also have played a part in concentration. Any negatives have been more than worth the cost for the benefits in my situation.  

[meg321]

It sounds as if everyone has different reactions to this drug..i am taking 600 mgs a day at bedtime, it makes me sleep good, i don't know how anyone can take it during the or in such high doses.

I am way too sleepy to type....later..

hugs, meg

[LLWB]

I have taken gabapentin for lots of years, off & on since 1991. It has never caused me to gain weight. When Lyrica was approved for nerve pain, my PCP thought I should switch. First off it was sssoooo expensive! $75.00 co-pay. Then IT caused me to gain 15lbs in a month! So, switched back to gab. I take 1 300mg pill 3x a day, + 2 at night. And can increase when I need to. I also can take Tramadol, 2 50mg tabs 4x a day. I don't usually need to take that many for pain. So, to answer one of your above questions, yes you can take pain pills along with the gab. If there is anything else I can answer, please feel free to ask. I hope your headaches are gone soon.

Maggie