I once asked somebody in the brain injury room how gabapentin works and they said don't worry about how it works. I thought that that was a naive and dangerous answer so I looked it up and now I know how it works. However I can't for the life of me find out why it makes you hungry. That is extremely weak on the makers side to just put side effects without a reason why they think they occur. That is my opinion anyway for what it's worth lol. if anyone smarter than me which isn't hard knows the answer I would love to know

--is that, in the process of downregulating the responsivity of the central nervous system, gabapentin and a number of other anti-seizure drugs induce the body into believing it is the time of year to semi-hibernate, and this physiologically comes with the desire to "fatten for the winter", as it were.

Many people report the tendency, as the days grow shorter, to be sleepier and want to eat more carbohydrates; this is thought at least in part to be due to the nervous system's response to shortening daylight hours as mediated through the pineal gland and hypothalamus--energy needs to be stored and conserved for the coming colder months. Apparently the anti-seizure drugs upregulate this process to some extent.

thanks that makes sense. I couldn't believe how hungry it made me

I have the eating bug with Lyrica at times, though I always chalked it up to part of any brain fogish response I have- mindless eating. Glenn's explanation makes a lot more sense.

I have been able to control it. When I do get my gnosh on I try to make it healthier- homemade black bean hummus with tabouli and some whole grain pita- and I always make sure to only bring a reasonable portion to the plate. The 30 seconds it takes to get to the kitchen for another helping is often grounding.

Good luck on controlling it, Mark. It is cliché, but if I can do it anyone can.

Jon

I took Gabapentin for a few years to control epilepsy. I didn't have any problems with my apatite though. I am now on Topamax and Keppra. This combo does the trick. I've been seizure free for over 4 years.
Gene