Have any of you taken Gabapentin? 💊

Medications
1

So, I was prescribed Gabapentin for fibromyalgia pain. I took my first dose of 100mg, last night. I was worried about it making me groggy or worsening my seizures, but I feel fine today. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Drugs(dot)com warns about mental health side effects:

“Some people have thoughts about suicide or behavior changes while taking gabapentin. Stay alert to changes in your mood or symptoms. Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor.”

For anyone who has taken Gabapentin, how did it affect your mental health??

2 Likes
2

I didn’t feel good on Gabapentin. We were trying it as an off label mood stabilizer (I think?), but I didn’t last more than a couple of days. I don’t know how to describe it – I just felt off. And a little out of it.

1 Like
3

I’m sorry it made you feel so weird. :confused: I hope I feel OK on it. I’m starting at a very low dose.

Thank you for your reply, BTW. :relaxed:

1 Like
4

Of course! My sister takes it for nerve pain, and she does fine with it. Occasionally she gets a little dizzy, but that’s all. If you don’t feel bad, then you probably won’t. I hope it works for your pain!

1 Like
5

It really helped my anxiety, but made my libido shoot through the roof.

1 Like
6

Thanks, Pandy!! :smiling_face:

Oh! My libido is non-existent, at the moment… Maybe this med will bring back a little of my intimate side?? :open_mouth:

Thanks for your reply, BTW. :smiling_face:

1 Like
7

Side effects I experienced were weight gain (80 lbs) and shortness of breath. I believe there is now a black box warning about shortness of breath when combining APs and gabapentin.

1 Like
8

I hope I don’t gain weight. :grimacing: I will have to keep an eye on that.

Yes, I believe you’re right. I have read the warnings about trouble breathing. The pharmacist told me to look out for that side effect, as well.

9

It seriously ■■■■■■ with my memory. I had to go off it. I’m in Cymbalta and tramadol for my pain stuff.

1 Like
10

It made me crazy.

I was like on amphetamines.

Cleaned all day, like literally scrubbing the floor,

Couldn’t sleep and was super horny.

Very odd drug, for me.

2 Likes
11

I did read about people having memory problems, from Gabapentin. I read about that on the fibromyalgia subreddit. :grimacing: I will keep an eye on that.

Cymbalta is my last option, if Gabapentin doesn’t work out for me.

Thanks for your reply. :smiling_face:

1 Like
12

Oh, geez. I hope I don’t become manic. That’s scary.

Thanks for your reply. :smiling_face:

1 Like
13

I take 300mg lyrica it is much stronger than gabapentin but works in a similar way. I have also taken gabapentin before but lyrica works better.

1 Like
14

I was on 1000mg of Gabapentin for insomnia for a few weeks, sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t so I quit it and switched to 1.5mg of clonazepam.

I had no side effects at all, however I had a few days of withdrawals after I quit where my body felt like it was burning up and I was sweating. I had the AC blasting and a fan blowing on me and I still felt super hot, it was very discomforting. Things got better after about 3-4 days.

I’ve read a lot of people get withdrawals from it, but 100mg isn’t very much so if it doesn’t work or you have bad side effects and have to quit you’ll probably be okay, if not taper off it slowly.

1 Like
15

Thank you for your replies, @Dsyncd & @Headspark! :relaxed: I appreciate your feedback.

1 Like
16

I took it for nerve pain a long time ago. It actually helped me.

17

Oh, that’s good to know! Thank you. :smiling_face:

1 Like
18

I forgot to mention, my dad has been on Gabapentin for over a decade. He takes 100mg/day and has never had a problem. It works as intended and he doesn’t have any side effects.

Gabapentin is the 11th most prescribed medication in the US so while it’s possible it may not work or you have side effects in a large number of cases it is a great medication.

I also forgot to mention I noticed a pronounced anxiolytic effect while I was on it…

1 Like
19

Amyloban has helped my nerve pain from fibromyalgia more than gabapentin did

1 Like
20

Oh, interesting! I will keep that in mind if Gabapentin doesn’t work out for me. :grinning:

1 Like