Gabapentin and Oral Iron

[PoorRichard]

When taking iron supplements on alternate days (iron bisglycinate 25mg) and using gabapentin nightly, how far apart should the iron and gabapentin doses be on the days that I take the iron?

[SueJohnson]

They can be taken at the same time.

[PoorRichard in reply to SueJohnson]

Thank you, Sue.

[PoorRichard in reply to SueJohnson]

One further question: I typically turn out the lights between 10:30pm & 11pm. What is optimal time for gabapentin dose?

[SueJohnson in reply to PoorRichard]

How much are you taking?

[PoorRichard in reply to SueJohnson]

200mg

[SueJohnson in reply to PoorRichard]

1 to 2 hours before bedtime.

[ChrisColumbus]

You were experimenting with magnesium a year or so ago, and had advice about distancing this from both gabapentin and iron intake: if you're still taking Mg hopefully you're taking it at least two hours apart from the others?

[PoorRichard in reply to ChrisColumbus]

I do not get RLS relief from magnesium, but thanks for the reminder, since I use it occasionally for muscle fatigue & twitching.

[SueJohnson in reply to PoorRichard]

Actually take it 3 hours apart from gabapentin and 2 hours apart iron.

[PoorRichard in reply to SueJohnson]

So, since iron & gp can be taken together, the interval between gp+iron vs Mg is 3 hrs in total.

[SueJohnson in reply to PoorRichard]

right

[Weezie99]

With all the articles regarding the bad effects, poor safety, and issues surrounding Gabapentin, why do doctors keep prescribing it? I told my doc that it was a big fat NO.

[eliz45 in reply to Weezie99]

Would you share with me what you mean about the bad effects, poor safety and other issue surrounding Gabapentin?

[SueJohnson in reply to Weezie99]

They keep prescribing it because it is now the first line treatment for RLS and helps many many people. There are no safety issues with it although there can be side effects for some that people can't live with. Unfortunately almost all drugs have side effects. And unlike dopamine agonists one can come off it slowly and not have any withdrawal effects.

[Weezie99]

Please just look up side effects of this drug. Also search for gabapentin effects on the elderly, and side effects of this drug on women. I get that it's well tolerated by many, but just because a drug is FDA approved doesn't make it safe. I also get that we all make our own decisions, after having weighed the pros and cons and balancing those against the misery of RLS. For me, it's a hard pass.

[PoorRichard in reply to Weezie99]

I understand your concern. My path has been to use the lowest effective dose, which, for me, at this point in time is 150-200mg. I was able to manage my RLS without it for over a year. Unfortunately after 6 months of increasing severity I am back on gabapentin. I'm upping my iron intake to see if I can reverse the tide.

[Hidden in reply to PoorRichard]

Richard, why not take the iron only when you need it? Also, I noticed in one of your posts that you took magnesium one night (as well as iron) and was jerked awake with RLS later on. Then took yet another iron tab to quiet things down. I think it’s best to take magnesium during the day. I’m no expert, but from what I read, magnesium “inhibits” the release of dopamine. That would be very bad for RLS in the hours following ingestion, but in the long run, blocking our dopamine receptors should make them grow big and strong, just the opposite of the DAs. Bottom line, just take the magnesium during the day.

Another idea would be to take 14mg of ferrous bisglycinate at night and only take the Gabapentin if needed. As you can tell, RLS has very little to do with ferritin. You were better off when your ferritin was low and you were taking iron every night. Your ferritin is now closing in on 300 yet you had to go on Gabapentin despite a year or more of managing with the iron alone? That’s because whether ferritin is 5000 or 5, every human’s SERUM IRON plummets at night. It’s that drop in serum iron (with a nadir of midnight) that brings on RLS, in people like us, who have lousy D2/D3 receptors and an inability to store much brain iron. So if you can’t, or don’t want to take iron every night, figure out a way we can up-regulate our receptors.