Anyone Taking Gabapentin??

[oasiswaterpool]

Hi I have just started taking Gabapentin yesterday for migraine and anxiety. My GP prescribed 100mg x 3 daily. I took one 100mg capsule last night and one this morning and feel spacy. I am thinking of taking just one at night for a week and then work my way up as I need to be clear headed for work. How did you start please? I also take Escitalopram daily.

Also can I take Paracetamol with it if I get a headache in the meantime?

My dd (8) is on 450mg 3x daily. She was spacey and sleepy when she first started it and when her dosage increases but returns to normal after a few days. We did do a stepped increase when she first started.

She does have paracetamol when needed

My dh has just started it and felt the same after the first few tablets. Took him an hour to do one small lot of washing up on the first day lol. He says it's nothing short of miraculous for the pain though.

Oh yes, he takes it in conjunction with cocodamol so paracetamol would be fine.

I took 2500mg a day for six years.

Unfortunately, while I got used to the spaced feeling, it was always present for me. My doctor kept an eye on it and I understood that was the trade off to get some relief - anything smaller, which didn't give me such a bad spaced feeling, also didn't treat me.

I came off it four years ago, because I didn't feel safe driving on it anymore, and I felt the spaced feeling could be preventing me from doing my job well.

You can take paracetamol as well, and do try to give yourself extra time to do things for the first few months. It will settle and you'll get used to it, but in the meantime, go really easy.

I'm on 900mg three times a day at the mo, with no noticeable side effects.

Have you not been told to build it up gradually? I had to take one per day for the first day, then two, then three (and that was 100mg doses). And I was told to slow it down if I felt too dopey. I was a little drowsy to begin with, but that wore off quickly. I have had a day or two of drowsiness each time I have increased the dose as well.

It is worth persisting if you can as it is so effective. I take it for nerve pain and it has reduced the frequency and severity of "attacks" massively. I hope it helps your migraines

MarthaCostello it is good to hear that you have no noticeable side effects. I was just prescribed one 100mg capsule 3 times a day and then to return to the doctors in one month's time. I am going to go slower than that as the Escitalopram that I take acts in a relaxing way as well so 3 a day could be too much to begin with. I think with nerve pain you need much more than for migraine to be affective from the forums I have seen on line.

I started on one tablet a day and after a few days increased to two etc. tbh it think you need to apply common sense to how quickly you increase the dose because everyone has a slightly different experience with some being severely affected and a few are fine. I built up to 300mgs x3/ day without much trouble but getting it up to 600mg x3/day took ages. It works though so was worth it.

My experience has been that I'm not exactly spacey but I am forgetful and suffer from annoying word searching which is common. One thing to say is that IMO far too many people give up on these meds too quickly and don't allow things to settle. The benefits also take some time to be fully apparent as the blood levels need to rise. And paracetamol is fine.

Good luck.

Well I guess Gabapentin does not suit me after all back to the drawing board. I have felt dizzy and nauseous today (which I understand can be initial side effects) but have been very sick this evening within an hour of taking another dose. I don't think this is coincidental as I tried to take Gabapentin one month ago and was physically sick after a couple of doses then but I thought I would give it another go. So disappointing...

Any ideas of what I could take for migraine now?? have tried .....

Topiramate
Hormones
Triptans -Sumatriptan etc
Migraleve
Antihistamines
Other antiepileptics
Doxepin
and on and on .......................

I was able to take gabapentin without the spacey/drunk side effects. Started on 100mg three times a day, raising my dose every 2 weeks until I got relief from my TN. I'm now on 3x600mg a day.

There are similar antiepileptics to try that could bring relief. And just because the gabapentin didn't suit doesn't mean they all won't. I was first put on carbamazepine and really couldn't take it. It made me feel the worst I ever have. I couldn't walk a straight line and couldn't stay awake (the day I started to fall asleep at the wheel while driving my children home in the middle of the day was the day I took myself back to the doctors to ask for a new prescription!).

My friend didn't tolerate gaba either, so she's on lamotrigine. And my sister didn't get on with gaba for her neuropathy so she's now on Lyrica.

Have you tried amitriptyline? I take 10mg at night for pain, not sure if works but take anyway in case it will

I have tried Amitriptyline I used to take 50mg at night and for 5 years it was marvellous. The problem has been that I was taking Amitriptyline alongside Escitalopram and have been told there is a risk it can affect the QT wave of the heart so would be good to change. My GP consulted a local Psychiatrist and he said I could continue on this combination and just have heart checks at the GP as the combination has been so good for me. I just do not know what to do I want to go back on this combination but there is a slight concern of course about the heart business.

As far as anti epileptics go I have also tried Topamax and Sodium Valporate and could not tolerate these well either.

50mg is still quite a low dose of the ami, if I were you I'd go back to it with regular check ups

Thanks thatsshallot I think I might go back on it and see if I can't reduce Escitalopram am on 20mg and maybe Ami as well though take them together to low risk. It's a tough one x

sorry to lower the risk

I have been on gabapentin and pregabalin/Lyrica for neuropathic pain - I decided to just cope with the pain using meditation methods in the end but I found pregabalin better than gabapentin for side effects. Have you tried that?

Was that still on only 100mg per day or had you increased the dose?

If you've only tried a few doses, would it be worth trying for a wee bit longer to see if the nausea is only temporary? I've found I only ever have side effects for the first few days after starting/increasing the dose, so the nausea might go away shortly.

I hope you find a solution that you are happy with soon

This is the second time I have tried Gabapentin and both times I have had a couple of days of feeling sick and then 3rd actually being sick after taking it.

Have you tried Lyrica (pregabalin)? It is similar to gabapentin but it's a newer drug and is supposed to have less severe side effects. I take it for nerve pain. Started on a low dose and worked up. I am tired and forget words but it's manageable (and I take a few other meds as well so side effects prob not just due to lyrica.

I tried Gabapentin and was so sick i lost 3 stone in 2 months. Now take pregabalin alongside topiramate for my migraines (and various other meds for different ailments).