Needed to read PDF's

Gabapentin

What is Gabapentin

Gabapentin is used to help control partial seizures (convulsions) in the treatment of epilepsy. This medicine cannot cure epilepsy and will only work to control seizures for as long as you continue to take it.

Gabapentin is also used to manage a condition called postherpetic neuralgia, which is pain that occurs after shingles.

Gabapentin works in the brain to prevent seizures and relieve pain for certain conditions in the nervous system. It is not used for routine pain caused by minor injuries or arthritis. Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Gabapentin dosage forms and strengths

Gabapentin is taken by mouth as a tablet, capsule, or oral solution.

Tablets: 100 mg, 300 mg, 400 mg, 450 mg, 600 mg, 750 mg, 800 mg, 900 mg

Capsules: 100 mg, 300 mg, or 400 mg

Liquid: 250 mg per 5 milliliters (ml) oral liquid

Brand names

Gralise®

Horizant®

Neurontin®

Conditions treated with gabapentin

Gabapentin is FDA-approved as Neurontin to treat partial seizures in adults and children with epilepsy. Partial seizures are convulsions that originate from a single location in the brain.

Neurontin is also approved to treat a type of nerve pain called postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN. PHN can happen after a person has had shingles, an infection from the same virus as chickenpox that causes a painful rash or blisters. Nerve pain from PHN can last for months, or even longer, after the rash has gone away.

An extended-release form of gabapentin is also FDA-approved to treat PHN.

Another extended-release form of gabapentin is FDA-approved to treat restless legs syndrome. This condition causes unpleasant or uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an irresistible urge to move them around, especially at night, which disrupts sleep.

Off-label uses for gabapentin

Doctors often prescribe gabapentin off-label to treat conditions such as:

pain from diabetic neuropathy, which is numbness or uncomfortable tingling caused by nerve damage from diabetes

nerve pain in the neck and back from conditions such as sciatica, a painful compression of the sciatic nerve

hot flashes, which are sudden feelings of heat and sweating that can happen in women after menopause and in those being treated for breast cancer

mood disorders such as anxiety

alcohol addiction.

How should I take gabapentin?

Take Gralise tablets with your evening meal. Swallow tablets whole with a full glass of water. Don't chew, break or crush.

Take Horizant tablets with food. Swallow tablets whole with a full glass of water. Don't chew, break or crush.

Take other forms of gabapentin with or without food.

Neurontin and generic forms of Neurontin tablets may be broken into two pieces. You can take the second half for your next dose. Don't use the half-tablet beyond 28 days after the whole tablet was cut or broken.

Carefully measure the liquid formulation of gabapentin using the measuring device that comes with the drug. If you did not receive a measuring device, please ask your pharmacist for a medication-measuring device.

If you take an aluminum or magnesium-containing antacid, such as Maalox®, Mylanta®, Gelusil®, Gaviscon®, or Di-Gel®, wait at least two hours before taking your next dose of gabapentin.

Take gabapentin exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider.

Safely stopping treatment with gabapentin

If you stop taking gabapentin suddenly, there is a chance of having seizures. Instead, you may need to gradually reduce how much gabapentin you take until you stop it completely. Your doctor can advise you on how to safely stop treatment with gabapentin.

Side Effects

What are the serious side effects of gabapentin?

If you have any of these symptoms, call your healthcare provider right away:

Signs of an allergic reaction: If you have a skin rash, hives, itching or swollen, blistered or peeling skin with or without fever contact your healthcare provider. You should also contact your provider if you have trouble breathing or swallowing, wheezing or swelling of your face, lips, throat, eyes, mouth or tongue

Changes in mood or behavior: Call your provider for any suicidal thoughts or thoughts about dying, suicide attempts, new or worsening depression, anxiety, irritability or feelings of agitation or restlessness. You should also call your provider for trouble sleeping, panic attacks, feelings of aggression or anger, impulsive behavior, extreme increase in activity or talking and other changes in mood or behavior, confusion, inability to focus or memory problems as these can be side effects of your medication.

Signs of liver abnormalities: Yellowing of your skin or whites of your eyes, dark urine, light-colored stools, vomiting, unusual bleeding or bruising.

Signs of kidney abnormalities: Trouble urinating, a change in how much urine is passed, blood in your urine, or weight gain and swelling of legs and feet from retaining fluid.

Other concerning abnormalities: Change in color of your skin to a bluish color on your lips, nail beds, fingers, or toes along with severe fatigue or weakness and unexpected muscle pain.

What are the more common side effects of gabapentin?

Common side effects of gabapentin include:

Feeling tired.

Dizziness.

Headache.

Nausea and vomiting.

Fever.

Difficulty speaking.

Recurring infections.

Memory loss.

Weight gain.

Movement problems: coordination problems, being unsteady, tremors, jerky movements.

Eye problems: unusual eye movements, double vision.

Talk to your healthcare provider if any side effects do not go away.

Are there any serious interactions with gabapentin and other medications?

Serious breathing problems can happen if you take gabapentin with drugs that cause severe sleepiness or decreased awareness. Some examples include narcotic opioids, anti-anxiety medicines, antidepressants, and antihistamines. If you are 65 years of age or older and/or have a condition that affects your lungs, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), there is an increased risk for breathing problems. Watch for increased sleepiness or decreased breathing when you start taking gabapentin or when the dose is increased. Get help right away if you develop breathing problems.

Seek immediate medical attention if these symptoms develop:

Confusion.

Unusual dizziness or lightheadedness.

Slowed, shallow or trouble breathing.

Unresponsiveness (can’t wake up).

Bluish-colored or tinted skin, especially on lips, fingers or toes.

What other medications and products can interact with gabapentin?

Products that interact with gabapentin include:

Alcohol.

Antihistamine-containing cold, cough and allergy products.

Certain medicines for anxiety or sleep.

Certain medicines for depression, such as amitriptyline, fluoxetine and sertraline.

Certain medicines for seizures, such as phenobarbital and primidone.

Certain medicines for stomach problems. (Wait two hours after taking aluminum and magnesium-containing antacids before taking gabapentin.)

General anesthetics, local anesthetics, or muscle relaxants given before surgery.

Narcotic pain medicines.

How long should you wait between gabapentin doses?

If you’re taking gabapentin more than once a day, it’s best to space out your doses as evenly as you can. Taking them too close together could put you at a higher risk for side effects. Doing so can also make gabapentin less effective since only so much of it can be absorbed at once.

However, waiting too long in between doses can leave your condition under treated. If you’re taking IR gabapentin for seizures, it’s especially important to take your doses consistently. At most, you shouldn’t wait more than 12 hours between doses. Typically, doses shouldn’t be more than 8 hours apart since gabapentin is usually taken 3 times a day for seizures.

Another reason to space your gabapentin doses evenly is that going more than 12 hours between doses can lead to withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety and restlessness.

What happens if you miss a dose of gabapentin?

If you forget to take your gabapentin dose, what you should do depends on which form you’re taking:

IR gabapentin: Take your missed dose as soon as you remember. If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip your missed dose and take the next dose at the regular time.

Gralise: Take your missed dose with food as soon as you remember. But if you don’t remember until the next day, skip the missed dose and take the next dose at the regular time.

Horizant: Skip your missed dose, and take the next dose at your regular time the following day.

What should you do if you take too much gabapentin?

Symptoms of overdose may include the following:

double vision

slurred speech

drowsiness

diarrhea

In more serious cases, you could have breathing problems and experience an overdose. This can happen from taking too much gabapentin alone, or combining it with sedative medications. Examples include opioids and benzodiazepines, even at usual doses. Taking gabapentin with alcohol can also increase your risk of breathing problems and overdose.

If you or your child accidentally took too much gabapentin, go to your nearest emergency room or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

FAQ's

Is gabapentin a narcotic or controlled substance?

Gabapentin is not a narcotic. It's not classified as a controlled substance in most states. (Kentucky, West Virginia, Michigan, Tennessee, and Virginia have reclassified gabapentin as a Schedule V controlled substance). Gabapentin is not an opioid.

Is gabapentin addictive?

Gabapentin is not addictive, but this doesn’t mean that gabapentin can’t be abused. A small number of studies have reported misuse and abuse of gabapentin.

Does gabapentin cause withdrawal symptoms?

Gabapentin withdrawal symptoms have been reported since the drug was approved. However, the individuals in these reports experienced symptoms after discontinuing higher-than-recommended doses of gabapentin and for uses for which the drug was not approved.

What’s known about gabapentin and overdose?

Overdoses on gabapentin have been reported. Individuals experienced double vision, slurred speech, drowsiness, diarrhea and sluggishness.

What should I do if I miss a dose of gabapentin?

If you forget to take a dose of gabapentin, take it as soon as you remember. If it’s just a few hours before it’s time to take your next dose, take only one dose. Never take more than one dose in an attempt to catch up. If you have any concerns or questions, be sure to call your healthcare provider or pharmacist right away.

What is the highest dosage of gabapentin that’s safe?

In general, the maximum dose of IR gabapentin per day is 3,600 mg. This is typically divided into 3 doses. However, doses this high aren’t always more effective than lower doses. And they tend to cause more side effects, like drowsiness and dizziness.

The best gabapentin dosage for you depends on what you’re treating, and other factors such as whether you have existing kidney problems or take medications that may interact with gabapentin.
What are the most common side effects of gabapentin?

The most common side effects of gabapentin are dizziness and drowsiness. This can raise your risk for falls and injuries.

Often, these side effects improve as your body gets used to gabapentin. But if drowsiness and dizziness are preventing you from carrying out your daily tasks, talk to your prescriber. You should also tell them if you’re experiencing other side effects, such as fluid buildup (edema), weight gain, or mood changes.

How do you take gabapentin?

Gabapentin capsules should be taken with water, with or without food. Horizant and Gralise should be taken with food because this helps them be absorbed by the body better.

Gabapentin tablets can be split in half (unlike Horizant and Gralise). But you shouldn’t open the capsules. If you cut your IR gabapentin tablet, be sure to take the other half within 28 days.

One Final Note..

Your gabapentin (Neurontin) dosage depends on why you’re taking it, and other factors such as whether you have typical kidney function. It also depends on whether you’re taking gabapentin immediate-release, or an extended-release version such as Horizant or Gralise.

When starting gabapentin, your prescriber will typically initiate a lower dose and then increase your dose over a few days to weeks. This helps your body get used to gabapentin, and minimizes the risk of side effects.

Space your gabapentin doses as evenly as possible. If you’re not sure how long to wait between gabapentin doses, ask your prescriber. Doses taken 3 times a day should be taken no more than 8 hours apart. And going more than 12 hours without a dose is typically not recommended, since this can leave your condition undertreated and cause withdrawal symptoms.

Find me on Social Media

Don't forget to bookmark me to see updates..

Contact Page

Most recent revision June 22, 2025 09:07:00 PM

**DISCLAIMER: THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE: The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.