What time should I be taking 600mg gabapentin

[Angel0077]

Hi

Started taking gabapentin around 6 weeks ago , started with 300& gradually increased by 100mg each week so now on 600mg.

I found it worked well if I took it at 8:30 and I was asleep by 9:30 but if I take it at 8:30 then watch tv or something for hours in bed my rls is horrendous when trying to go to sleep. Why is this?

Thanks all

[Hidden]

It may help to experiment with the timing of when you take it, and you really ought to observe sleep hygiene measures.

It takes about 3 hours after you take gabapentin for it to reach a maximum level in your blood, so it's best to take it about 3 hours before bedtime. "Bedtime" is ideally when you go to sleep.

If you take it too early, then it will wear off too early.

Sleep hygiene

One of the rules of good sleep hygiene is that when you go to bed, you go to sleep. Really there is only one other thing you should do in bed.

Another rule is that if you haven't fallen asleep within 15 minutes, then get up again.

Watching TV in bed is a definite No No. You shouldn't really watch TV for at least 2 hours before sleep time.

In fact using any backlit device in bed is ill advised. This is because the display produces full spectrum light, similar to sunlight. This inhibits your pineal gland from secreting melatonin which naturally promotes sleep. Some devices, e.g. tablets have a facility to filter out the blue end of the spectrum which is better, (but everything looks pink!)

The other thing is that 600mg may be insufficient. A typical minimum effective dose is 900mg, but try the sleep hygiene first before increasing it.

[Angel0077 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Manerva trying someGood sleep hygiene this week!

[Zedz]

I have no problem falling asleep even if I take it hours before I actually fall asleep. However if I wake up for any reason I get RLS immediately. Luckily it is remedied by getting up even for a few minutes. So different than the years I had augmentation

[Angel0077 in reply to Zedz]

Started taking it at 7pm and I can go straight to sleep at 9:30 yes!👍👍Only thing is I’m waking first thing in the morning with symptoms is this the Gabapentin wearing off?

[Zedz in reply to Angel0077]

I have same on most days. Do your symptoms go away once you get up?

[Angel0077 in reply to Zedz]

Yes after about 30mins. It’s pins and needles quite badly in my arm on a morn!