I am quite interested to read latest posts of people who are now experiencing adverse side effects of gabapentin and pregabalin whereas there appeared to be a suggestion that these were the better option to Pramipexole
I am still trying to get appointment with gp to discuss results of recent blood tests but receptionist just said ‘no action required’ when I asked about ferreting levels
No action required means only that your ferritin was within normal limits for people without RLS. You need to ask what your ferritin was as what is normal for those without RLS is not normal for those of us with RLS. It needs to be above 100.
Gabapentin and pregabalin are definitely better options. Pramipexole and other dopamine agonists like ropinirole are no longer the first line treatment for RLS. Gabapentin is. The reason is that up to 70% of people on dopamine agonists will suffer from augmentation. Check out the Mayo Clinic Updated Algorithm on RLS which will tell you everything you want to know about it including the latest treatment and refer your doctor to it at
Https://mayoclinicproceedings.org/a... And as far as side effects most of the side effects of gabapentin will disappear after a few weeks and the few that don't will usually lessen. Those that remain are usually worth it for the elimination of the RLS symptoms. But you already know this because I have mentioned it to you before. As far as my side effects, I have a slight loss of balance when I first get up that goes away after 5 to 10 minutes and a slight trembling of my hands that likewise goes away after 5 to 10 minutes. I do have some edema in my lower legs as I take 1500 mg but it is not a problem and requires no treatment.
Gabapentin and pregabalin are better options than DAs IF you can tolerate them. I am unable to take either due to their effects on my memory. I lost over a year of my life because of gabapentin. At the time I thought it was only affecting my short-term memory. Our youngest was four years old at the time with four others ranging up to age 15. It would be heart-wrenching to lose your memory of any time with your young children, but our youngest passed away from cancer at 16. The loss of those memories is devastating. I don't want to discourage anyone from a valid and helpful treatment option - especially one that enables you to avoid DAs - but if gabapentin or pregabalin cause mental issues when you try them, please weigh the risks vs. the benefits.
So sorry for the loss of your son at such an early age 💔 And again, another member with a plethora of knowledge of this insufferable condition. xx
Your story makes me see the impact of memory loss in a whole new way. I'm very sorry for the loss of your son and some of your memories of him. 💔
I had a reaction to gabapentin which I don't often see mentioned but was very definite (I am a senior woman) in that it made my hair shed after a short period of usage. I was very puzzled as to what was happening to cause this, and so stopped the gaba as a trial, and the shedding stopped as well. After a while, with my neurologist's blessing, I tried the gaba again, and back came the shedding. Obviously, it is not the medication for me. Google it. You will see.
l’ve been taking 300mgs of gabapentin for nerve pain for over two years, gained a lot of weight, but that was nothing compared to the hair shedding, & thinning which has been getting worse. I had my roots coloured with the usual product recently and had an adverse reaction, and lost a lot of hair within a few days, hair shedding continued at an alarming pace for 4 weeks. I weaned myself off gabapentin last week and the hair shedding has considerably slowed down.
Pramipexole to Gabapentin 
RLS - pramipexole vs Wrap
switching from pramipexole to gabapentin
Weening off Pramipexole to start Gabapentin
