I began taking GABAPENTIN three days a go and am already experiencing unpleasant side effects. Dizziness, agitation and restless. I am on a low dose only 200 mg a day. I need help with pain but fear continuing on the med.
Would line to hear from others that are on or have taken GABAPENTIN.

I had a difficult time with gabapentin as well, but different side effects. This is something new to your system, which it will have to get used to. It will either resolve within days, or not, but I'd give it a little longer.

The big question is, how is your pain?

Doc

I just joined and we have allot in common. I to have been on Gabapentin for 3days and have the same side effects. I take more than you, 300mg 3 times a day for nerve pain.

When I told my doc that it wasn't helping much for pain, he told me to double my dose 600mgs 3 time a day............

He took me off lortab because he didn't want me doped up...... I told him I am more doped up on this stuff than I ever was on lortab.

Anyway I cant give you advice because we are on the same time period but maybe support and a new INTERNET friendship

Good luck and stay positive.

I didn't mention it in my other reply, but this reminds me. Gabapentin (and Lyrica for that matter) also have upper dosage limits beyond which they may no longer be effective. For some, they work for a time -- even a few years -- and then just stop working entirely.

I hope you may be able to find a cause of your PN and alternative treatment. My worst symptom was the burning pain. R-lipoic acid has very effectively eliminated that for me. I still have some other kinds of pain, along with occasional cramps, shocks, needle jabs, but (for me) they're minor nuisances. The burning is gone.

There is much to learn here in the Sticky threads, archives, and asking questions. Above all there is hope and support. As I mentioned before, you're not alone in any of this.

Doc

Doc,
Just wondering how much R-Lipoic Acid you take daily. I have been using Benfotiamine, a long with R-Lopic., (also MethylCobalamin B12) but not on a regular basis. I did notice if I took more than one R-lopic in a day, I felt a bit more agitated. Have you noticed this side effect?? The burning is primarily in the ankles; but lately the legs have been really aching.


Gerry

Hi Gerry,

I've only needed 100 mg/day. It doesn't seem to make a difference whether it's the stabilized form or not, but they're close enough together pricewise that I've stuck with the stabilized once I'd used up my supply of the other.

I tried 200 mg/day (split into two doses) for about a month, and noticed no difference (no agitation), so I dropped back down to 100 mg.

I take methyl B12 and some other things, but nothing that I've noticed has made much difference in the PN except pantothenic acid (B5). The only one I haven't gotten around to is benfotiamine. Only so much in the budget.

Doc

Hi,

My doc told me that most of the time if Gabapentin is going to work it will work at around 400 - 600 mgs.

M

Hi,
Generally, the side effects lesson or go away in a few days.

We often feel the nasty side effects of these meds before we feel the benefits.

M

Per dose or per day, and for what condition? The time or two I tried it for PN (burning pain), I only needed a single dose of 100 mg./day. My wife takes it for fibromyalgia, and has been on a pretty constant dose of 300 mg/day (3 x 100 mg) or 400 mg on a really bad day. YMMV.

Doc