I have been on Gabapentin (Neurontin) for about six months now (at the time of this post), and I have actually adjusted well to it. I haven’t had many of the nasty side effects that some report having. The most common side effects are:

• Drowsiness
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Vision problems
• Anxiety
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Dry mouth
• Constipation
• Weight gain

For me, I have drowsiness about 30-40 minutes after I take it and it lasts for about an hour. It is actually pretty comical since I can tell when it is working since I will start nonstop yawning for that hour. I also have short periods of dizziness from time to time, but not often. They don’t last long and they aren’t bad, they are actually very mild. Taking Gabapentin actually helps me with my anxiety issues, which is totally awesome. I don’t classify my anxiety as real anxiety, it is mostly brought on by the pain, the more pain I have usually translated to being more anxious or more on edge. So taking the Gabapentin kills the pain, thus less anxiety. I do have a dry mouth but mostly at night. My dentist was not very happy during my last dental exam. I told her about Gabapentin and she recommended that I try XyliMelts at night and they actually help greatly. And of course, if you read my history, you know that I’m having weight gain. I haven’t found a solid solution for that at this point. I will touch more on this in a later post.

For me, the biggest problem that I have with Gabapentin is known to enhance or amplify the effect of many OTC medications. Certain ANSIDS like those that contain Naproxen will cause issues. Most opiates will also cause issues. And most medications for acid reflux are off-limits as well. So most OTC headache remedies are off limits as are most sinus medications. But most of all for me it really seems to amplify the effect of alcohol for me. A single drink and I’m buzzing really good, I’m what my wife calls “a cheap date”.

My pathway to taking Gabapentin was actually not via my neurologist, but actually via my allergist ironically. I had a refractory chronic cough and prescribing Gabapentin was a hail Mary actually and it actually worked. I had been taking all sorts of things for it for many years and nothing worked, so my allergist suggested that I try 300 mg once-a-day dose of Gabapentin and it worked.

A huge bonus to it was that much of the nerve pain was gone as well. I noticed that a few hours after I took my dose the pain was gone for a few hours and it was great. First, if you don’t have chronic pain you would never understand how much you miss being pain-free and it is a wonderful feeling. The first time I had this feeling was a few years before when I was given a DepoPred shot to boost my immune system a boost to fight a long-lasting upper respiratory infection that I had. I noticed that when I was given the shot my neurological systems and pain mostly disappeared for a few days and then slowly returned. So experiencing even a small period of being pain-free is really something to celebrate for someone with chronic pain.

Of course, now that I found something that actually works, the FDA wants to crack down on it and is considering making it a controlled substance, due to excessive abuse and being over-prescribed.

https://www.techtimes.com/articles/226988/20180505/how-a-25-year-old-drug-for-nerve-pain-called-gabapentin-showed-up-in-opioid-overdoses.htm

https://www.northpointrecovery.com/blog/neurontin-gabapentin-new-drug-threat-didnt-know/