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long term effects

I am 17 years old and I have been taking Neurontin for 3 or 4 months, I take 9 300mg pills a day for chronic nerve pain in my leg that I have had for five years. Previously I was taking lyrica. Lyrica seemed to affect my vision so I switched to Neurontin. I feel like I am in a blur everyday and all the events meld together, also when I work or go to school I feel like I am working through a fog. I am wondering if people take this kind of medication for years? And I have noticed that his medication has messed with my memory, what will that be like in the future? I am worried that it will affect me too much and really mess up my head in the future.

Also Neurontin, Lyrica, made me more hungry than usual, and I have gained at least 10 pounds in the last couple months. Is this a normal symptom?


This discussion is related to Neurontin, long term use.
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Avatar universal
Drug studies are only 4 to 8 weeks long I doub't there have ever been any long term (more than a year) studies on the long term use of gabapentin.

For any one who is having trouble tapering off of gabapentin a magnesium supplement is very effective in reducing the severity of the withdrawal from gabapentin.
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Avatar universal
Hi, I started many years ago (about 10) with 300mg of Neurontin 3x a day for PN.  I now take 1800mg per day, 300mg with breakfast, 600 in early afternoon of the generic gabapentin, after driving is done for the day (am retired), 300mg. at dinner, 600mg at bedtime.  This does not relieve all pain, but makes it possible to function somewhat and sleep at night.  Weight loss is really hard, my thinking is slow, too much "foot-time" near bedtime still causes too much pain for sleeping.  Until someone comes up with a better solution for the burning, tingling and sharp stabs of pain in the feet, I will take the gabapentin.  quiltingallodi



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654901 tn?1293671265
Hi,
I dont know the answers to the long term affect, but I know that all of us with this kind or similair pain have to do what we need to TO LIVE FOR TODAY. Sometimes I worry about the effects that all this has on my memory because I take Neurontin also and it does make me foggy. BUT, I have to take it or I am in pain. So try not to worry so much about the long term effects when you are trying to survive today.

If you are worried about this I would talk to my doctor and let them know what you are experiencing and there may be something they can do differently. Just dont stop any seizure med without a doctors help.
Hope you feel better..and your not alone
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Avatar universal
You are experiencing side effects of Neurontin, is all.  Diff people react diff ways to it.  Me, I have nausea that bothers me a lot.  The weight gain you ask about is one of the side effects, as are the other problems you are having.  I've been taking it for two years, and I also started out on Lyrica, but becuz of cost I had to switch.  Neurontin has only been around for about 15 years, so for at least for that length of time you're good.  The only normal wierdness I know about is withdrawals, so you have to taper slowly over several weeks' time.  I should think if this medicine is fogging up your day to where it bothers you or you cannot get used to it, your doc may need to switch to a different pain reliever.
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