Gaba for generalized Anxiety disorder

[5960]

Is anyone out there on Gabapentin for generalized anxiety disorder? I am having some of the worst side effects, and am curious as to whether I am alone. I am shaky, have panic attacks, numbness on arms, hands and lips, sore throat, increased anxiety, headaches, lightheadedness, racing pulse, raised bp, feeling that I am not in my own body. I have been taking 400mg X 4 times each day, and I have been on this for one month.

I was put on this because the psychiatrist said that it was initially for people with seizures, but they found out it works better for anxiety. If this is feeling better, I will find a way to live with anxiety. I have been dealing with anxiety for the better part of my life, and I am now almost fifty nine. Honestly, I just want to feel better.

If you have had similar symptoms, I would appreciate hearing from you.

[Suffering2018]

Hi,

Yes, I take 300mg 3 times a day for about 3 months now. I wake up shaking, numbness on my cheek and eye area, and upper arm numbness. more anxiety than before, and jittery all day. Does not help me, I'm shaking now. You can't just stop taking it you have to weened off by slowly decreasing the dosage with doctors supervision. I've tried twice on my own without success. Had a complete meltdown. I do not want to go back to the neuro who prescribed it, so I have to go to another one. I saw a rheumatologist, and he said he couldn't take me off I would have to go back to a neuro. This is horrible to be taking a med that does not help you with such serious side effects, and you can't stop taking it without risking your health.

Glad I read your post, because I have all these new issues. Now I know for sure it's the meds.

[5960 in reply to Suffering2018]

This drug should be stricken from the market. Decreased anxiety??? Nope! If anything, I am more anxious now than ever before. The side effects are insane, and I really believed that I was going insane on this drug. My whole body has done nothing but shake since I began taking the dreaded drug, but my head feels numb.

I wish you luck with future medications. Stay away from the GABA drugs!

[5960 in reply to Suffering2018]

I also had a terrible rash break out on every part of my body except my face. My primary had me tested for measles, which is wan't. It can also effect your bladder and your bowel. Not trying to be crude in any way here, but I have had it all. Pharmaceutical companies come out with these drugs, and the people who design these drugs should be made to take them, and experience all the terrible side effects.

[Teeney]

I have been on that and progablin I’ve tried them a few times and I don’t like either of them , I’ve stopped taking the progablin few weeks ago , it slows my responses I feel it makes me worse , either of them don’t work for me , I felt all over the place , tell your go the affects it’s having on you , hope you get it sorted

[Shanim]

Hi, I was on Gabapentin for nerve damage after a back operation, they made me feel anxious and generally ill, I even questioned whether I should drive or not so my GP changed them to Pregablin which I find a lot better, I still have anxiety and a lot of brain fog but I do take Tramadol too, my physio told me that a lot of people suffer from anxiety and a lot of other side effects when they are on Gabapentin so I am surprised you would be given them for anxiety, but I’m not a doctor. I think you should really research them and go back and ask for an alternative.

Hope you can get this resolved and feel better soon

[5960 in reply to Shanim]

I was prescribed them, and then the psychiatrist who prescribed them is not longer with the facility I went to. So, when I called to speak with him about the problems I was having on the Gabapentin, I was given the runaround. Gabapentin is an awful drug! It should be taken off of the market. I is so very nice to know that I am not alone in this. If anyone ever breaks out in a terrible rash on this medication, don't worry, it is all part of this horrible drug. My primary thought that I had the measles!! That is how bad it was.

I wish you luck with future meds. Thank you for responding.

[uggycat]

morning 5960 I have gabapentine for pain, but do not really take it, but because I stopped all other pain meds tried one gab morning and night, helped a bit but have noticed as soon as I stop taking it all the symptoms you mentioned set in, l really just want my natural endorphine to work, so will fight like you .

[Horsesgalore]

I tried gabapentin for pain relief but had to stop it after a few months, it didn't help my pain and gave me terrible side effects, numbness, groggyness, headaches and I seemed to pick up every infection going. I tapered the dose really slowly under my gps advice and came off them ok.

[stollerydd]

It isn't just you. This med had the worst side effects of anything I've ever taken. I've had Fibro for most of my life, with the past 8-10 years being the worst. Drugs affect all of us differently so it's often a process of trial and error. My experience is such that the awful side effects of many drugs are worse than the malady itself.

[5960]

I hate that you have experienced horrible side effects, but I was glad to read that I am not alone. I was scared to be honest with you. I began to believe that I was alone, and that nobody was going through the same thing. Meds are making us sick!