pregablin

[Brookside43]

hi can someone help me if you get lot of muscle cramps or drowsiness please

[SueJohnson]

Drowsiness is common side effect. I assume you are taking it only at night. Are you drowsy during the day?

Muscle cramps can also be a side effect for some. Why did you switch from gabapentin?

[Brookside43 in reply to SueJohnson]

Hi they giving me for pain for a lot of joint pains and I have been taking in day as requested but can’t function taking two

[SueJohnson in reply to Brookside43]

Taking 2 of what?

[Brookside43 in reply to SueJohnson]

Of pregablin

[SueJohnson in reply to Brookside43]

And what happened with the gabapentin?

[Brookside43 in reply to SueJohnson]

Was told stop taking it

[SueJohnson in reply to Brookside43]

Why?

[Brookside43 in reply to SueJohnson]

Because of been on it long time sometimes it works most of the time it doesn’t

[SueJohnson in reply to Brookside43]

That is strange because it is the same kind of medicine. In fact you can switch back and forth between them. The equivalent dose of gabapentin is 6 times the pregabalin dose. For example if you take 100 mg of pregabalin the equivalent dose is 600 mg of gabapentin.

Since you are having side effects on pregabalin, I suggest you switch back to gabapentin. You can switch directly by multiplying your pregabalin dose by 6.

increase it by 100 mg (25 mg pregabalin) every couple of days until you find the dose that works for you.

Take it 1 to 2 hours before bedtime as the peak plasma level is 2 hours. If 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.

This is for your RLS. You will need extra for daytime to cover your joint pain.

Most of the side effects 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. According to the Mayo Clinic Updated Algorithm on RLS: "Most RLS patients require 1200 to 1800 mg of gabapentin."

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 nor calcium-rich foods within 2 hours for the same reason.

Check out the Mayo Clinic Updated Algorithm on RLS which will tell you everything you want to know including about its treatment and refer your doctor to it if needed as many doctors do not know much about RLS or are not up-to-date on it at Https://mayoclinicproceedings.org/a...

[Brookside43 in reply to SueJohnson]

I spoke to take, 200 in the morning and 200 in the evening but I was taken 300 mg in morning and 1200mg in evening but seem to work but I had bad sleep last night on it

[SueJohnson in reply to Brookside43]

I'm a little confused because I thought you were currently on pregabalin. So you took gabapentin last night instead of the pregabalin? Did you have the muscle cramps?

[Brookside43 in reply to SueJohnson]

Took pregabanlin

[SueJohnson in reply to Brookside43]

You took 1500 mg of pregabalin. That is 2 and a half times the maximum amount of 600 mg. No wonder you have muscle cramps and drowsiness. That is actually dangerous! Please, please go back down to no more than 600 mg.

[Brookside43 in reply to SueJohnson]

No I only been taking 200mg x2 pregabelin not taken gabapentin since I started pregablin

[SueJohnson in reply to Brookside43]

You said "I was taken 300 mg in morning and 1200mg in evening " and when I asked you said it was pregabalin. Did you mean when you used to take gabapentin you took 300 in the morning and 1200 in the evening?

[Brookside43 in reply to SueJohnson]

Yes that’s right I meant say I use to tke 300 in the morning and 1200 mg of gabapentin and now I take 200mg x 2 one in the morning and then 200mg in the evening but no gabapentin

[SueJohnson in reply to Brookside43]

OK then it is no wonder the gabapentin didn't work. You were probably not taking it at night in divided doses as I outlined above so you weren't getting the full effect of the 1200 mg. When you don't divide the doses of gabapentin less is absorbed so it is like you aren't taking as much.

And taking 300 mg of gabapentin during the day would be like taking only 50 mg of pregabalin.

If you didn't get the muscle cramps on gabapentin then I would suggest you go back on gabapentin taking it in divided doses and taking more in the daytime for your joint pain again in divided doses.