Gabapentin and UTIs

[BerthaAntoinetteMason]

Hi all

I've been prescribed gabapentin for some nerve pain issues I've been having. These are pain from bladder and surrounding area following a run of recurrent UTIs. I understand gabapentin can be quite effective for nerve pain but when I read the leaflet in the side effects section it says that in up to 1 in 10 people a side effect can be UTIs! Since UTIs are what got me in this mess in the first place I'm reluctant to take them and start the whole cycle again. However, my consultant says he hasn't heard of UTIs being a problem.

Therefore, I'm interested in peoples experience of gabapentin and if you've had a UTI while on them (which is unusual for you). In in interests of fairness, it would be great if you also posted if you've taken them and no UTI.

Thanks in advance XX

I've never had a UTI on them. They are very effective

Thank so much @Maddy70 . Good to know they are working for you. XXX

My dad was on gabapentin and developed an out of character UTI but he was in his 80s so I’m sure very different situation.

Thanks @MagicalMystical . Interesting though as you suggest, UTIs in the elderly can happen.

@BerthaAntoinetteMason I was told I needed to take gabapentin (potentially for life) after recurrent UTIs and thrush which caused me nerve pain. I’d taken multiple courses of antibiotics and tried every remedy under the sun. I found an article online about how a woman had cured hers completely with garlic. I was so desperate I followed her protocol and ate a bulb of raw garlic for 3 days straight. I’ve never had a UTI or any nerve pain since (10 years).

@Youtani what an amazing story. I'm glad you are free of them now - they're so horrible and poorly understood.

@BerthaAntoinetteMason thank you. It it awful. I remember I was becoming so depressed with it all. I believe this is the article There are a few people in the comments who had success with it: https://drmauramcgill.com/how-i-cured-an-uti-with-garlic/. It obviously makes your breath stink for a few days but it has been SO worth it in my case. I don’t post on here much but because this was so life changing for me I felt like I must share.

I was on gabapentin for a while. No UTIs.

There are other options for nerve pain.

I was on it for about 8 years for joint/nerve pain. I had some UtI but had previously so don’t think it was connected. Worked incredibly well for the nerve pain but it made me slur my speech, which actually continued for several years after I stopped taking it. Going onto was awful, dreadful nausea and dizziness for the first month, but when I came off it I went cold turkey which is a big no no and I don’t have a single symptom. Very odd.

Thanks @Octavia64 . I'm on nortriptyline at the moment but this is giving me some undesirable side effects so I'm going to have to swap. There is another one whose name I can't remember but the consultant suggests gabapentin next.

I've been on gabapentin for several years & not had any issues with UTIs. Found it very effective for nerve pain too.

You might find some answers here. It’s a great channel, highly highly recommended.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4g8-NT9b2k

Been on 3 x 300mg a day for years ...
Never have UTIs and didn't know it was a thing x

Thanks @WinterNightStars . Good to know it worked for you. Xxx

Thanks also @Maraudingmarauders . Another vote for efficacy but it's a shame it gave you those problems. The slurred speech must have been awful. Xxx

Thanks @HornyHornersPinger . Good that it's been OK for you. X

Just giving this a cheeky wee bump

You could join the Chronic/Embedded UTI Facebook group. There will be people who can advise you there.

I hope the video I posted above helps. It’s well worth sifting through the whole channel to see what else is revelant for you.

the other thing you may want to try is increasing vitamin B12 and B1. Both associated with nerve damage and renewal. I’ve found floradix wonderful. Magnesium is also terrific.

im a long term uti bladder and nerve damaged veteran. I’ve never taken gabapetin.

im long past sticking yet another tablet in my mouth the doctor tells me will work, hoping for relief only to experience other horrible side effects.

DH (49) has been on both Gabapentin and Pregablin which are similar. It made only a slight improvement to pain levels, and he did have several uti’s, didn’t realise it could be the cause! It made him very groggy and not himself, the vagueness was supposed to improve but it didn’t really. He took it for about three years before weaning off. I think it works well for many people, but wasn’t a magic pill for him.

That’s so interesting

Thanks @user87349287657 . It's a shame they didn't work for your husband and that he had UTI issues. I hope he is a little better now. Xxx

My partner read something in the Guardian a week or two ago about too much vitamin B having adverse health effects, so there’s that to consider too. Bloody minefield, but hope you get there @BerthaAntoinetteMason

Edit: found the article - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jan/05/simon-never-linked-the-pain-in-his-hands-and-feet-to-multivitamins-but-a-pathology-test-did

Yes that’s related to b6. Missed that one out in my suggestion deliberately. It’s needed actually for nerve pain if you’re low but there is this problem with b6 causing overdoses/toxicity in some people. Some of the doses are insanely high though.

something like floradix is a nice low level vitamin b supplement. Doesn’t cover them all but 1, 6 and 12 are in there with iron too. I’ve found it so helpful but everyone’s got to check and do their own research. Some b vitamin supplements give you 1000s of percent extra which seems overdone to me!

Thanks @MagicalMystical and @PlopSofa . I looked up the B vitamins you mentioned and I should be OK as eat lots of their sources and love marmite!

My son is on gabapentin for neuropathic pain in his feet and it has worked wonders for him as well as lidocaine patches which he wears on his feet for 12 hours overnight.

Before we started, I couldn't even touch his right foot without him screaming in pain and it is much better now, though not 100%. His left foot is almost back to normal.

He's never had a UTI and is actually more prone to infections because he's had chemotherapy recently.