I have been on Gabapentin for over a year now. Earlier on, I experienced brain fogginess but as I went along, I have noticed frequent forgetfulness. I attribute some to natural aging. But some I know its not from aging. For example, there was a conversation the previous day that when I wake up the following day, it would seem that that conversation was like a dream. I have to think hard to realize it was real. Another one - I called my friend 2x to talk about exactly the same thing we talked about the previous day. If I am experiencing this memory problem now only 16 months on this medication, how will I fare years from now?

I wish there are better alternatives to Gabapentin. Sadly, we have limited options. The gabapentin in fact is not 100% effective but it weans off some of the discomfort.

Does anyone on gabapentin experience the same memory problems?

Oh Yeah!. A lot of brain fog and short term memory problems. I was on it about 8 months, and it wasn't really working for me any more. The pain was getting more noticeable, and every couple of months my dosage needed to go up. I was up to 2400mg daily. I'm tapering down now & am at 900mg as of today. My neuro gave me a script for Nortriptylene & just started that on Tues.

My friend couldn't tolerate Gabapentin, & was switched a few months ago to Nortriptylene & is more satisfied with it. He even says it feels like some of the numbness has left his feet. But no, you're not likely to see complete relief with anything, but it's nice to get it to more tolerable levels.

The Gabapentin was making me a complete idiot so the doc changed mine to Oxcarbazapine. Still not sure if that's the best one, but my brain is working much better now.

I didn't really notice a problem for the first few years on gabapentin, so I tend to attribute most of my brain fog and short term memory issues to being 51. My friend, who is the same age, has far more memory lapses, and is not on any medication. It is very hard to know what causes what at this stage of life. Because I am also on opiates my husband is under strict orders to monitor my mental clarity. We play a lot of strategy and tactical games which I hope help to keep me sharp.

I do know that stress can exacerbate any memory problems, and you are dealing with a lot of serious health problems and related worries.

My biggest side effect seems to be an off and on blurring of vision which is driving me crazy. Again, that could be anything from the medication, to aging, to the CMT itself.

I'm 63, and yes I am forgetful without Gabapentin, and surely the stress & discomfort doesn't help, but being presently on less than half the high dose that I was on, I can feel the cloud lifting & my brain clearing, & can tell I am getting less forgetful.

I couldn't take it. As a matter of fact when I stopped taking it the people in work said welcome back! I didn't realize I was that bad!

I cannot take Notriptylene due to some other medications. I dont have numbness, just pain.

You are right, I started at 900mg a day but the prickly, pins andneedles pain driving me crazy, so the doctor increased it to 1500mg a day, then at 1800mg a day. For a while, it was working well. I have to stay in this dosage for as long as I could. Isnt it so frustrating that there is not much options for us?

My word, it was that bad, huh.

Hi Susanne . I was hoping you really would post as I remember you are also on Gabapentin. You may be right that at our age (I am 52), memory lapses are normal occurences but in my case there are things that I believe its more than just my age. I mentioned in my earlier post that a conversation that happened the previous day, when I think about it when I wake up the following day, it seems like a dream -- its a weird feeling. I have to think hard to think if that conversation really happened. I read a lot and do frequent crossword puzzles to make my brain continuously working.

Yes, you are right my other health issues cause me stress and anxieties. But, I am trying to cope with it. Knowing that I am doing everything what is humanly possible, I surrender myself to HIM. When I really think about it, worrying will not help me. It is not easy not to be worried in my situation but I just have make a conscious effort to not worry.

My vision is being monitored (even my hearing) on a regular basis because of the side effects of the medications I am taking. Has there been any write-ups about gabapentin having an effect on the vision? It was mentioned by my opthalmologist that dry eyes, which I have, can also cause temporary blurry vision. Have you been tested for cataracts?

Yes, I get tested every year or two. I have very poor vision, with one "wandering eye" due to poor muscle control, and severe astigmatism. My right eye is legally blind, and I need strong prisms in my glasses to keep it in line, but i have no depth perception, so my eyes are closely monitored and now they do the cataract tests as well. Blurred vision is listed with the gabapentin side effects and I had it before I started the opiate therapy.

I definitely think the gabapentin causes fog, memory, and all sorts of issues, and what you are describing sounds very severe, not the typical menopause memory problems everyone talks about.

How is your sleeping? Are you sleeping poorly at night, or sleepy during the day? Narcolepsy can cause confusion between awake and asleep states.