I would like some advice please, I take 2 x 300mg Gabapentin around 6-7pm and have done for a few years I also take 1 x 1.25mg mirapexin in the morning ( I have reduced the dose but can not go below 1.25) 2 iron tablets and 1 Trazadone daily, I have lately been feeling more depressed than usual, headaches, confusion, not sleeping properly, dry mouth and eyes, anxiety. I have convinced myself it is the start of dementia (there is a lot of it in my family)but on reading the side effects a lot of the symptoms are side effects of Gabapentin, I see my doctor on Friday and want to ask her (and this is what I need help with)is there an alternative that will go with my other medication I would really like to come off it, I need something to top up the mirapexin, I have tried taking that later in the day to see if that helps but it does'nt.
I thought I would ask you first as you always give such great and informative advice to people. Thank you in advance !!
desperate_41
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desperate_41
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Sorry to hear about your situation. I'm not really sure what's happening with you I'm afraid. The symptoms you describe could be side effects of Gabapentin, but it's unlikely if you've been taking it for years.
It does sound more like the side effects of Trazadone.
It doesn't sound like dementia. If you think you're at risk of that, then perhaps you need to read up on the early signs of that.
As regards your RLS. I think, hope, you've got the dose of Mirapexin you say you're taking wrong. 1.25mg is an absolutely massive dose! Perhaps you have the decimal place wrong and it's really 0.125mg (125 micrograms). If it really is 1.25 mg that might be the source of your problems.
RLS is a circadian disorder i.e. symptoms are associated with the time of day. One of the diagnostic criteria for it is that it tends to occur in the evening. It seems strange then that you're taking Mirapexin in the morning. If this because you've been getting RLS symptoms in the morning, then this could be augmentation or rebound.
It certainly seems you need to see your doctor to try and sort this out, but I suggest you first ask the advice of Dr Buckfuhrer, you can do this by going to the website linked below and clicking on the yellow email button on the left side and email him with your problem.
He may suggest an opiate for your RLS as the two main alternative first line medications (Mirapexin and Gabapentin) aren't working for your RLS.
However, it may be that the trazadone is your main problem.
Interesting that there was a feature on BBC news this morning about a recent report on the alarming number of people in the UK addicted to prescription drugs, these include opiates, anti anxiety drugs and antidepressants. It was clearly stated that people should not be prescribed these drugs for any length of time. Unfortunately the support needed to help people withdraw from them and deal with their problem.non-pharmacologically, is generally not available. This, I understand puts you in a difficult position, but I think you do need to try to wean off the Trazadone.
• in reply to
Only a short reply as on phone:
+1 on Manervas great reply and add in that long term antidepressant use is not helpful for low mood or depression and alternative therapies should be sought. CBT if used properly can be of greater benefit as can meditation and mindfulness all with out the horrible and sometimes dangerous side effects of the antidepressants.
It could be both Trazodone and gabapentin, separately and together.
That is a long list of meds, and nobody, but nobody, knows how they interact in any individual. They all act on the brain, and your pharma-soup could easily seem like dementia. The brain is super-sensitive, and you are throwing a lot of chemicals at it.
The only way to know would be to drop one or more and see what happens.
Make your fears crystal-clear to your doctor.
If your doctor would give you an opioid alone, you might discover the truth - although an opioid will also give you a dry mouth.
Gabapentinoids linked to serious hazards, including suicide
The study,7,8 published online in April 2019 in the journal BMJ, examined data on 191,973 Swedish residents who filled gabapentinoid prescriptions in the years between 2006 and 2013.
In that time, 5.2% of them either received treatment for suicidal inclinations or died from suicide; 8.9% unintentionally overdosed, 6.3% were involved in a traffic accident or traffic-related offense; 36.7% were treated for a head or body injury due to an accident, and 4.1% were arrested for a violent crime. The researchers concluded gabapentinoids treatment was associated with:
A 26% increased risk for suicidal behavior and death from suicide
24% increased risk for unintentional overdose
22% increased risk for head or body injury due to an accident
13% increased risk for traffic violations or accidents
4% increased risk for violent crime offenses
Of the two gabapentinoids, pregabalin — which is the newer of the two9 — was clearly the worst, accounting for most of these adverse effects, while gabapentin — an older drug — showed “no statistically significant hazards.”
Stratified by age, the risks associated with these drugs were the highest among those aged 15 through 24, and the risks were dose-dependent, so the higher the dose, the greater the risk. According to the authors:10
“This study suggests that gabapentinoids are associated with an increased risk of suicidal behavior, unintentional overdoses, head/body injuries, and road traffic incidents and offences. Pregabalin was associated with higher hazards of these outcomes than gabapentin.”
As is often the case, the risks associated with these drugs have only become apparent as their usage has increased. Dr. Derek K. Tracy of Queen Mary’s Hospital told Reuters that:11
“While it’s not clear why prescribing of gabapentinoids has grown so rapidly … anecdotally it appears that many doctors regarded them as relatively effective and with a low side effect profile.
As we accumulated more information over time, it has become clear that this is not the case, and most recently there has been a countering drive to try reduce their usage as their harm profile came more to the fore.
“The risks associated with these drugs were the highest among those aged 15-24 and the risks were dose dependent..the higher the dose the greater the risk “
Also more risk when combined with opioids
As a 54yr old on 200mg once a day, I’m not too worried
Before categorizing gabapentin as a med so strongly related to suicide, remember that gabapentin is, very often, prescribed as a first-line remedy for RLS. I have been taking it for 4 years and it was prescribed by Dr. Christopher Earley (Johns Hopkins) one of the leading experts on RLS. Because of a separate nerve condition in addition to RLS, I have been taking 1200 mg for the past two years.
I don’t profess to know why your meds are making you feel this way...I just don’t want gabapentin to be categorized that way when it’s helped so many people.
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