Gabapentin And The Zombie

[Squirrel1270]

Morning MS fam. Hope everyone's doing well today. So last week I saw my neuro and discussed my ongoing issue of numbness in my left leg with burning needles at night that wakes me up. His solution was to prescribe me with Gabapentin 300 mg. He told me that a lot of people on MS took this med. The thing is, it makes me feel like a cast member from The Walking Dead for half the day... minus the killing and eating people, of course. Anyone know if this normalizes or goes away after a while? I'm a bit loopy to start with so with the addition of meds that make me even more loopy, not a good combo.

[leking1]

Hi Squirrel! I'm on my 3rd try with Gabapentin. I have experienced all the zombie like feelings and behaviors, plus extreme dizziness, vertigo and passing out. I was so sick after taking my 300 mg pill. I decided I wasn't going to take any more, ever, I fixed myself something for breakfast. As I ate, I noticed that I felt better. Ever since, I have no problem with the Gabapentin, as long as I eat something before I take that first pill in the morning. It needs to be something substantial. As my body has gotten used to the meds, I no longer have a problem with the Gabapentin. I hope something simple will work for you, but if it doesn't, talk to your Neurologist about it. Welcome to our forum! This is an amazing group of people who understand what you are dealing with. Linda

[Squirrel1270 in reply to leking1]

Thanks for the tip Linda. I'm supposed to take the pill before I go to bed but it still makes me groggy (more so than normal) in the morning, at least until noon. I'll try taking it a bit earlier, like right after dinner and see if that helps.

[ahrogers in reply to Squirrel1270]

I take 300mg between 6-7 pm. It takes a while before it makes me drowsy. I have been on it a few years now. I might have been a bit more spacey in the mornings initially but not anymore. I take it for vertigo which it did clear up. Replacing vertigo with a little drowsy probably made it less noticeable to me though.It should get better over time. You could also ask for 100mg capsules and start with 100mg at night and slowly increase to the lowest dose that helps your symptoms. It is a drug that is supposed to be started at a low dose and gradually increased. I started at 300mg but your body may be more sensitive to it.

[leking1 in reply to Squirrel1270]

It's worth a try! I would suggest you eat something with it. Good luck!

[Sandydemop]

hi Squirrel, i had trouble with burning pain in my leg that woke me up at night but found a way to deal with it without pain meds. I take 500mg of magnesium glycenate at bedtime and that works great. Also if you need gabapentin the dose may be too high. maybe try a smaller dose after you try the magnesium

[Peruzzot]

Yup. Zombie is a perfect description. My doctors have listed it under allergies for me so no one tries to prescribe it for me again. Also had some vertigo with it...and it did absolutely nothing for my pain.

[309Ygi]

oh wow that is what I started taking for the nonstop sweating at nights . When it wears off .I’m sweating again

[Squirrel1270 in reply to 309Ygi]

I find that it is helping me at night but I still get the pins and needles sometimes during the day. At least if it's going to keep me awake, it's better during the day than during the night.

[Taras1965]

I've tried that before and it did absolutely nothing to help with the pains.

[palomino27]

It usually goes away once your body gets used to it. I was as high as 3200mg a day. 800mgx4I am on Lyrica now. I found the gabapentin helps the upper body more and Lyrica the lower body. Lyrica is very hard to get off of so take that into account too. I'm am 7+ year lifer on Lyrica lol.

[2468642]

Hi “Squirrel “ I hope your numbness improves. I know many people who didn’t continue Gabapentin because of how it made them feel but it has been used for many years and is very effective. I have those side effects as you but continue to take the medication. I’ve been on it for many many years. I currently take 8 capsules daily. One suggestion is to drink several ounces of water when you take the pill as that helps.

[Squirrel1270 in reply to 2468642]

I took it after I ate dinner last night and the zombie effect seemed a bit less this morning. I'll try the water method as well. Thanks.

[Peet8]

I take Gabapentin as well but only at night as that’s when my nerve pain is the most uncomfortable. I think it also helps me sleep through the night. I don’t feel any negative effects during the day. It doesn’t completely relieve my pain so have started Low dose Naltrexone on top of it as I didn’t really want to up my dose of Gabapentin.

[Graip76]

I started with the 300 mg at bedtime years ago and experienced no problems. Today I take 500 mg three times a day and have no issues with it. The key is to work up very slowly . When I was building up my dosage I started at bedtime for 5 days adding 100mg. Then I added another 100mg at midday for another 5 days. Adding 100 in the morning was next. If you’re just taking the 300 at night it should wear off by morning. If it is still making you sleepy in the morning after a few weeks, maybe your neurologist can give you the 100 mg to gradually build up. When I first started to increase my dosage I went to quickly and also experienced the “zombie” feeling. 😉

[Sagesewer]

Hi. I’ve tried Gabapentin at 300 and 100. Same effect. I felt like I was trying to get out of a cocoon when trying to wake up. It was a very unpleasant experience.

I’d rather deal with the rug burn feeling that I have in my legs than deal with that med.

I wish I could tell you about a better experience but I can’t. I hope you find something to help.

[Squirrel1270 in reply to Sagesewer]

It's like when you see the commercials for all those meds on TV. You have to wonder sometimes if the side effects are worth what the original ailment was.

[Sagesewer in reply to Squirrel1270]

totally worth agree!

[Elle61]

I had to stop it because I swelled up , my legs were really bad .

[Neworleanslady]

i get SOOO tired when i take gabapentin! I stopped taking it and I am dealing with the pain because id rather be in pain than extremely sleepy. I took it for leg spasms (at rest) and neck shoulder and upper body significant pain. The pain interferes some with my sleep thats the main reason i started it. Now i do a LOT of stretching to alleviate the tightness some (trevor wicken and some yoga stretches). I have a good bit of painful tightness but it’s worth it to me to be alert.

My dad had extreme neck pain ( no MS) and couldn’t sleep because he couldn’t find a comfortable position. Dr gave him gabapentin and his pain decreased and he slept like a baby he said. (He has since had neck surgery and is now pain free)

[MarkUpnorth]

I did the Gabapentin / Mirapex thing for years, alternating, till both stopped working. So then for years I had to go cold turkey. Then my neuro's had me try vaping medical cannabis. Quenched the burning feet, instantly! Vaping dry flour I was instructed to do so that you heat only so much to release the oils and not all the toxic combustion products. Edibles and liquids also work, and may be even healthier, but they are not as potent and take a long time to work. So take a few puffs vaping, for the immediate cure. You can follow up with a gummy for many hours lasting effect.Now here's the important thing. CBD works best for this type pain. Get the highest CBD to THC ratio from hemp flower sold on line. Dispensaries tend to sell canabis, but strong CBD ratioscan still be found there too. The THCdoes little for my burning feet.

For restless legs and the associated needles, magnesium citrate or the like, a couple hours b4 bed works for that.

Leave the Sawzall alone. After years if thinking I would cut off my feet because I couldn't take it anymore, thankfully I was warned that the fantom pain would remain just the same, and have read of people with like fantom pain with feet or legs actually gone duets accident...

I have No side effects from the CBD vaped, or the recommended daily dose of magnesium.

[Squirrel1270 in reply to MarkUpnorth]

I would love to be able to use medicinal cannabis but I work for the Air Force as a fed and for us it's "frowned upon"... We get emails constantly telling us that if we use it and test positive on a urinalisis, it's our job...

[Cutefreckles72]

I take 600mg 3 times a day. For me, it stops the burning and tingling and makes me sleepy.

[Scout4x4]

My doctor prescribed it for 3 times a day. Taking morning and afternoon doses would just knock me out. Because my problem wasn't didn't effect me much during the day and waking me up at night so I switched to taking all 3 capsules at night.

The pain no longer wakes me up.