Gabapentin

[dahon]

I have been on gabapentin at 600mg that I take between 9pm and 10pm for about 8 weeks, and now on 1200mg and I take 600mg between 7p m and 8pm then 600mg at about 11pm. Still awake at about 2pm with rls. should I take just 900mg at 10pm? I am aware that gabapentin is not absorbed well over 600mg but 900mg dose seems to be better for me. Also the rls seems to be worse at the 1200mg dose so I wonder if the larger dose of gabapentine is the reason or is it a case of the higher dose taking a few more weeks to take effect?

I have a medicine review next week and wonder if asking for a mild sleeping tablet would be effective with gabapentin.

Any advice on dosage and times to take would be welcome.

[SueJohnson]

You are taking the second dose 4 hours before your last dose. Instead take it 2 hours before or at 9:00 om. If you ask for a sleeping tablet, ask for ativan. You don't want clonazepam which is often prescribed because it has a 40 hour half life and you will end up tired the next day. But first try taking the gabapentin the way I suggested and see if that works. Also, if you are still waking up with RLS in the middle of the night, try adding 100 mg of gabapentin at 7:00 pm. Most people require 1200 to 1800 mg to control their RLS and increasing the gabapentin would be better than adding a sleeping pill.

[dahon in reply to SueJohnson]

I'm stuck at 1200mg as that is the maximum my doc will prescribe here in the UK as it is an off label drug and also only enough for a month unless I take a couple of nights at 900mg then a night at 1500g to see what happens without running out of tablets. To be fair the gabapentine has done away with the evening rls generally, Lack of sleep is the culprit now so I will suggest ativan to my doctor next week to try out. Many thanks for your advice also.

[SueJohnson in reply to dahon]

If may be an off label drug but there is no reason it can't be prescribed at amounts greater than 1200 mg. as it has for many people in the UK on this forum. I suggest you print out the appropriate section in the Mayo Clinic Updated Algorithm on RLS at Https://mayoclinicproceedings.org/a... and show him. If he still won't prescribe more, switch doctors. I wouldn't try a couple of nights at 900 mg and then a night at 1500 mg. Have you had your ferritin checked?

[Daewood1949 in reply to dahon]

Please forgive me for being obtuse, but I'm in Canada and you have different terms for things-what do you mean by off label dahon-?

Is it like a controlled substance like codeine?

[SueJohnson in reply to Daewood1949]

Off label simply means that it is prescribed for a condition that it was not approved for. It is done all the time. For example gabapentin is not approved by the FDA for RLS in the US.

[Daewood1949 in reply to SueJohnson]

Sue, you are so wise, I agree. I was doing it all wrong.

[Josana13]

I have RLS and I took a sleeping pill, I was walking around hitting the walls. For me, RLS is more powerful than a sleeping pill. Had to keep walking as usual, this time like a drunk. I got desperate and decided to take another one, hoping it would knock me out. I layed down and couldn't stay, so decided to ride my stationary bike. COULD"T. I tried to get off and fell off. (NOTE: just had major back surgery a couple of months ago). Untangled myself from the bike and decided I was going to cook. Sweet rice, tiliapa, and waffles. Finished and passed out around 6 a m. When I got up I was shocked to see that I had used some rice to make the waffles. In the rest of the rice I added the Tilapia. Go figure. I could have burned the house down. I will never ever take sleeping aides again. It is shocking.

[dahon in reply to Josana13]

I,m not surprised. I took Nytol one night, big mistake as it sent my rls ballistic and only on this forum I learnt that it makes rls worse. To be honest I will still try a mild sleeping tablet to see what happens, no harm in trying and they may work for me.

[Daewood1949 in reply to Josana13]

Josana13, that is awful. i'm so sorry that happened to you