I have been taking gabapentin for just over 2 weeks now. I had been taking pregabalin for a couple of months, but I was feeling very drugged in the morning and that feeling usually lasted most of the day. I was taking 300mg of pregabalin and I am now taking 1200mg (300mg capsules) of gabapentin. For some background, I took pramipexole for nearly five years but had to stop due to augmentation. The gabapentin does not work as well as the pramipexole but I am hoping to get to a point where I am comfortable throughout the night. There have been many posts here regarding how to take the gabapentin, but I am still not sure how and when to take 1200mg. I typically go to bed around 10:00 PM and start winding down around 7:30. If someone could share with me the right time to take the gabapentin, I would greatly appreciate it. I realize that 1800mg of gabapentin is similar to the 300mg of pregabalin I was taking, but I am hoping that I can manage with the 1200mg.
Many thanks!
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abby1003
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Take it 1 to 2 hours before bedtime as the peak plasma level is 2 hours. since you need more than 600 mg take the extra 4 hours before bedtime as it is not as well absorbed above 600 mg. If you need more than 1200 mg, take the extra 6 hours before bedtime.
If you take magnesium even in a multivitamin, don't take it within 3 hours of taking gabapentin as it will interfere with the absorption of gabapentin and don't take calcium within 2 hours for the same reason.
Sorry for the hijack - do you have any info on Magnesium/Calcium contained in other food, e.g. milk. Is there a threshold below which the absorption is usually not impaired?
I too am recently weaned off the pramipexole that I took for 25+ years and suffered with augmentation. The incredible people here stuck with me through it and helped me transition successfully to where I am now - taking 1,200 mg of gabapentin. I go to bed at 10:00 pm as well. I have worked out a system that is a little different than recommended - I take my 1st dose of 600 mg around 8:00pm and then my 2nd dose at 10:00 pm with my 50 mg of trazodone. I'm unconscious until I wake for the day about 8 hours later. It's incredible. Life without kicking. It's incredible. I pray to be able to continue on this course as it seems to be working exceptionally well for me.
I am having some issues, however. I am assuming that they're side effects of the gabapentin and I'm praying they'll subside over time instead of staying the same or getting worse.
1) I've been experiencing some severe heart palpitations at night. It seems to happen only when I smoke the medical marijuana in the evening, but this has never happened before the gabapentin.
2) Severe sudden onset anxiety. I'm not suffering from it all day. It's not ongoing. It will be something that frightens me and I'm suddenly feeling like I'm borderline hysterical. As if I were very close to absolutely losing it. 0 to 60 in 2.2 seconds and I have to breathe and think through what's happening but it's profound and very scary. I've not truly lost it but I feel like I'm about to totally break down and it takes a lot of effort to hold it together. I've never experienced anything like this before. Again, I'm hoping it will be something I'll progressively experience less. They said somewhere in the literature that I've read on gabapentin, that the symptoms, unless severe, would most likely abate over time.
3) Leg swelling. So far, a dose of hydrochlorothiazide - a diuretic is enough to keep it at bay but it if gets worse, I won't be able to continue to take it, which scares me. I need a backup plan in case I have to change.
My pcp has already let me know that this is over his head/area of expertise and thinks I should see a neurologist. Pregabalin isn't an option. I took it for nerve pain back in 2015 and it made me suicidal. If, God forbid, I'm unable to continue with the gabapentin, what would be my alternative options?
Thank you for your personal experience. I am still not sleeping well with the gabapentin, I sometimes take Lunesta, but it doesn't seem to help at all. I may try trazadone again, maybe that will work better? As far as your anxiety, I have been experiencing some anxiety as well since coming off pramipexole. I have never had anxiety before and it is getting better. My reasoning is that it's from stopping the pramipexole, and you were on it MUCH longer than I was... Maybe that's the culprit here? Thanks again for responding and I hope your other symptoms improve with time.
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- do you have any info on Magnesium/Calcium contained in other food, e.g. milk. Is there a threshold below which the absorption is usually not impaired?
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