Gabapentin side effects a little much.

Hello

I have Bipolar 1 and having a lot of anxiety. I was prescribed gabapentin and after a day and a 1/2 I have had a lot of side effects. I mean the anxiety goes away when I take it but its been replaced by a feeling of being 'high' and vision issues along with dizziness. It took about 2 hrs to go away.
What I want to know is how long do those side effects last? Do they go away with time or are they here to stay for the duration that I take the medication? Is there anything I can do to lessen the effects? I'm on 300mg 2 times a day.

Neurontin is used off-label for anxiety.  It has a very low side effect profile.

From the information I have, 900 mg is typically the dose used for anxiety although Gabapentin is not approved for treating anxiety and there is almost no evidence it is effective so the "best dose" is more of a guess.

The reason it is sometimes used it that it is not a substance of abuse and certain anti-anxiety drugs, benzodiazepines, have a potential for abuse.

You may want to talk with your Dr. about slowing down how quickly you get onto this medication.

I now list Neurontin as a drug I am allergic to as my Dr. switched me from an AD to this medication but forgot to check dosages and I was overdosed on first dose, ended up in ER and an overnight stay in the hospital.  So I am very leary of this medication for me. 

I hope it works for you. 

Kindly,

Kitt

I am glad that you are feeling better today. It is good that you have an appointment coming up...you can see how you do in the next week, and then have your experiences to discuss, which I am sure will make you feel better. I am pretty sure that you will continue to improve, and that your therapist will reassure you that your S/E's were normal:)

Keep posting with us, and let us know how your appointment goes too.

Take care,
S.C,

I have questions. I recently found out about Gabapentin (Neurontin) causing side effects other than the physical kind. I've been using Gabapentin for around 4½ years. In this time I have become more depressed, more actively Bi-polar, reclusive, and the worst- SUICIDAL! I'm not looking for any kind of attention. However, in the past I was given a drug known to cause seizures AND even more so if certain psych meds were being prescribed at the same time. So I ended up having a grand seizure. The doctors told me that it had been documented that you could actually HEAR peoples bone break during these kind of seizures. And both my shoulders did. Bi-lateral fracture to downward scapula. I woke up in the hospital freaking out. My memory had been greatly affected as well. I thought I was still a teenager when in fact I was 33.
I was given the medication, Gabapentin, a few years later for both the nerve pain in my left hand and to control my seizures.
In all this time, I thought that all these things that had happened to me were just taking their toll. Im not one to read about side effects unless I start experiencing out of the ordinary things. But since everything had been out of the ordinary since my first seizure, (I can't count how many I've had.),I didn't think that it was the medication. However, after finding out how many people have actually commited suicide, and the other side "UNCOMMON" side effects that have been reported, PLUS lawsuits. I haven't the words. Ive lost so much because of the way I've changed since starting this drug. Literally, I've cracked and have been in a loss as to the "What it's?" if I had NOT been mentally affected by it. I've spoken with friends that have both come and gone, some are still around. But people can only tolerate so much. I am truly sad with all these "What if's?"
I now live alone. Not many stop by. I can't help but dwell on my situation that Im in. I try to understand things, but you lose a little more of your mind and recuperating takes longer after every seizure.
Has ANYBODY else had any of these kind of things happen to them?

I'm done with ALL meds! Before I got hurt and was on pain meds, I never took any pills. I didn't fall in with everybody else that was taking and experimenting for fun. I was a raging alcoholic. I'm not here to lie. All I ever wanted was a good lady, a porch.and a dog. Very simple happiness. I remember who I was, but that seems to be a lifetime ago. I'm leaving this place I'm at now, with the intention of not speaking of my past. Forgetting this whole incident, and hoping for the best. My hopes are that my brain hasn't mushed up so much that I'll still make someone's life happier for choosing to be with me. If not, I'm still hoping for the porch and dog.

Hi B

Welcome to the forum.

I to am sorry to hear of your physical struggles and bi-polar challenges.

I have been on a similar medication called Pregabalin (Lyrica) and found it did work well for anxiety but I got a lot of side effects and it was an absolute nightmare to discontinue.

I agree with SC that you need to speak with your pdoc to see what options you have.

Keep us posted.

Hibee