My doctor started me on Neurontin for pain that I've had in my back. I was very happy with the outcome. It took the pain away and it is not a narcotic! The downside began after a week or so, I noticed that my feet and legs were very swollen. I read on the package that this is a rare side effect. I've talked to my doctor about this and she discontinued the neurontin. Does anyone know how long it will take for the swelling to go away? I gained about 15 pounds of water weight and so far I've only lost five and it has been about 10 days since I stopped taking the medication. Is this normal?
Has anyone experienced feet and leg swelling after using Neurontin? How long does it last?
Question posted by Kellyskane on 26 March 2012
Last updated on 2 March 2019 by Saberoflight1
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
24 Answers
Saberoflight1
2 Oct 2018
I have been on gabapentin for 8 years, and yes I had to quit because of the water retention was quite noticeable so much so that my physical therapist even noticed it. I am tapering off of it because of the water retention. This is a symptom of kidney problems, this occurs in some individuals as 60% of gabapentin has a low bioavailability and is poorly metabolized, at 2.4 grams a day, add it up. In just thirty days I was taking 2.53 OZ of this drug a month, and that's a lot! over one year it's 30.47 oz a year! The kidneys work double time to off load it. I'm concerned about this of course, but this drug is way over prescribed and now we hear about some people abusing it by falsely believing that they can get high off of gabapentin . I have been on it for 8 years, and believe me this drug cannot get one high.
This notion is a myth, and now certain states are scheduling it like it is a NARCOTIC, this is just one more way the war on drugs can escalate, bureaucrats are seeking more regulations on it just for more power over a once free people, and with more power, they can get bigger budgets to continue their hunger for more control, and one more detail, the narcotic problem was caused by Doctors who more then likely own large amounts a the Drug Manufactures stock, it must be nice to get a Medical license to peddle drugs and own shares in the drug companies, it is a HUGE opportunity to make money on both sides of this drug dealing business, they get to prescribe the very drugs they manufacture, classic double dipping. It's also a conflict of interests, illegal and yet only a few get caught.
Saberoflight1
2 Oct 2018
I have been on Gabapentin for 8 years, and yes I had to quit because of the water retention was quite noticeable so much so that my physical therapist even noticed it. I am tapering off of it because of the water retention. This is a symptom of kidney problems, this occurs in some individuals as 60% of Gabapentin has a low bioavailability and is poorly metabolized, at 2.4 grams a day, add it up. In just thirty days I was taking 2.53 OZ of this drug a month, and that's a lot! over one year it's 30.47 oz a year! The kidneys work double time to off load it. I'm concerned about this of course, but this drug is way over prescribed and now we hear about some people abusing it by falsely believing that they can get high off of Gabapentin. I have been on it for 8 years, and believe me this drug cannot get one high.
This notion is a myth, and now certain states are scheduling it like it is a NARCOTIC, this is just one more way the war on drugs can escalate, bureaucrats are seeking more regulations on it just for more power over a once free people, and with more power, they can get bigger budgets to continue their hunger for more control, and one more detail, the narcotic problem was caused by Doctors who more then likely own large amounts a the Drug Manufactures stock, it must be nice to get a Medical license to peddle drugs and own shares in the drug companies, it is a HUGE opportunity to make money on both sides of this drug dealing business, they get to prescribe the very drugs they manufacture, classic double dipping. It's also a conflict of interests, illegal and yet only a few get caught.
phyllisday
1 July 2018
Does this make you gain weight I have gain weight an never bee this size all my life
Ginnykos
21 June 2018
I was put on 300mg 3x daily of Gabapentin for Shingles nerve pain 6weeks ago. Now, I’ve noticed that my lower back has started hurting, my feet, ankles and legs are swollen and although it has relieved my shingles nerve pain, I’m having muscle and joint pain from my lower back to my feet. I have to keep my feet propped up on pillows to relieve the swelling, but the pain is still there. It hurts my back and legs to walk. I also feel bloated/swollen in my stomach and I wake up in the mornings with a puffy face and swollen hands. I’m gonna start weaning myself off of this drug today!! It’s comforting to know that I’m not alone in this struggle, and at the same time, my prayers are with those of you who have been suffering longer than I. God Bless.
Judy kubik
4 April 2018
I started Lyrica in September and was taken off it in December January because the swollen legs and feet as of now they are still badly swollen and causing a lot of problems for me
Sheken61
3 Feb 2018
I to was on Lyrica for 4 weeks before I realized that the swelling in my feet, ankles, legs, and hands were the Lyrica, until I watched the commercial. After going to the doctor he said it was my neuropathy and fibromyalgia and I should start a water pill and wear compression socks everyday. It has been 3 weeks after stopping the med. And I'm no better, my feet and ankles are in severe pain!! I to would like to know how much longer!!
aestival
1 Dec 2017
I was started on neurontin for terrible burning in my feet after chemo... they said to take it for 8 days working up to 3/day ... after one wk my feet and legs were so swollen i couldnt put my boots on... how do you darlings take this for years? after not taking for 3 days the swelling subcided... hope there's something else for this 'feet on fire' feeling as im going back for more chemo in a few days.
Dtbrownfield
9 Oct 2017
I can't take it either. I looked like the Michelin Man after a couple weeks whn the dose got higher. It helped with nerve pain, but swelling became such an issue I had to stop it. My shoes, wedding ring, etc, didn't fit. Ntm my skin on my legs and feet became so tight it started to hurt. It all stopped once j quit Gabapentin. Anyway, hope this helps.
acol2013
5 Oct 2017
I was put on Neurontin after having surgery to try and remove a nerve-sheath tumor from my spine. Both legs started swelling in hospital, but because I had a blood clot in one leg, they assumed that was the cause. I had to go back to hospital a few weeks later and they decreased my dose by accident-- and the swelling went down within a day. When I got home and began taking my normal dose, the swelling came back. I ended up discontinuing neurontin (the swelling was pretty severe) and switching meds a few times. I'm currently on Lyrica. My R leg seems to have been damaged and is puffy and tender all the time now-- but not to the severity it was during neurontin. Hope this helps.
mselber
2 Sep 2017
I am so glad I checked this issue out on line. I saw a nuerologist last week for neuropathy... She prescribed gabapentin and I was completely unaware of its side effects. Over the past few days my feet started swelling... I mean they felt like balloons that were about to pop.. and they became increasingly numb and painful. Of course I thought I was dying. I was convinced my kidneys or liver was shuting down... and i mean rapidly. And on top of that felt like I was taking in much more liquids than I was expelling. An hour ago I almost went to the emergency room to demand they put me on dialysis immediately. Thank the Universe for the internet..Anybody know of a substitute??
Kellyskane
28 Sep 2017
When I started this thread so many years ago I never imagined how many people would be suffering from this medication. I ended up being diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension and I believe it is all due to taking neurontin. I'm now on oxygen 24/7 at 2 liters. I am so upset! My pain doctor started me on this medication and I finally went to see my primary care doctor and she took one look at me and called me a blueberry. My oxygen sats we're in the 70's and I had water all over my body. I could feel it slosh around in my stomach when I walked. I can't believe I have had this happen to me. This drug needs to be pulled from the market. I wish you all the best and hope what happened to me doesn't happen to you. God bless, Kelly
sfvjosh2316
12 July 2017
I've been taking gabapentin for many years.Only recently I figured out that my blood pressure meds were causing swelling.I stopped taking them and it got better.Im a ex combat medic and I lost one leg in the gulf war.Recently I ran out of gabapentin and I thought wow my one leg has no swelling at all.i have a burn that has a hard time healing and it pisses me off that I have to figure things out when my doctor's should have known this that gabapentin causes swelling.im mad that all the medications that I was on made it triply hard for my leg to heal.if Lyrica and cymbalta cause the same symptoms what can I do.im already on enough opiates to kill an elephant but those don't really help for nerve pain.is there anything else.i don't get the medical information like I did when I was in the service.has anyone got any ideas.even though tramadol is non narcotic it acts like one so I don't think on top of the strong opiates that I take that it would do anything.ibuprofen helps but not enough.Anyone?
Daschouw
4 April 2017
With any med you must weigh the potential side effects with the expected outcome and is it worth it for you. At the start of my course I was willing to try anything to resolve lower leg pain secondary to a back injury in my cervical and lumbar regions from work. I am a 46 y/o male that has always been thinner in statue 6'3" 195lbs. I titrated up in dose rather rapidly as I have a history of a fast metabolism whether food or medications, additionally we wanted to decrease if not completely discontinue narcotic pain meds. I have been on the medication just over a year and am titrating back down as rapidly, over the last few weeks, as possible with a peak dose of 800mg TID. This isn't a medication you can quit cold turkey. I have managed to gain 40lbs in my breasts, stomach and lower legs.
I have had severe bilateral lower leg swelling issues going up and down consistently and for the last month it has been singled out on one side that I can't seem to shake. I also have a gamut of other side effects from this medication that I look forward to walking away from, literally. As a nurse with experience in trauma, general medical-surgical and psych to name a few, I have seen a broad spectrum of medications prescribed to patients. The generic phrase is as I mentioned each person must weigh his or her decision with their health care team as to "are the side effects worth the potential risks". I have read that this drug is either a hit or miss as to pain relief, for me it was a MISS. Hence unless prescribed for seizures, I personally would NOT recommend this to anyone that I loved. I can't recommend any medication, being a nurse, to patients but if I was clocked out I'd say stay away. I draw this conclusion also because I have other side effects like Insomnia, dizziness, aches, etc so my opinion is that this is NASTY STUFF. Disregarding my upper torso and left leg edema issues, my right side is insane. The swelling at times makes my leg look like an upside down Christmas tree shape extending into and above the knee. Run away from this as fast as you can. Thank God my skin is light colored and not green or people might mistake me as some strange Dr. Suess Christmas Tree storied man and try to decorate my leg.
Roberta7
30 Jan 2017
My name is Roberta I don't know for you but I stopped taking it last yr because of my allegic reaction to it and I still have severe swelling in both feet and ankles and problems with water retention and now I have severe leg a cramps in my thighs. And pain when I walk. And it's only getting worse and worse for me. I had to go on disability because I can hardly walk and it's all thanks to this Lyrica. If only my Dr. Would have just kept me on my other med and just raised the dose like I asked I wouldn't be where I am now. But hopefully, you can listen to me and here because what I wanna tell you is this. Don't believe everything the dr says. Research things yourself. Half the things I know its from here. Good luck and God Bless
jamiejame
31 July 2017
This makes me extremely nervous.. I started neurontin almost 2 years ago when I herniated a disk in my back. I can't take opoid medications so I was in excruciating pain. The neurontin gave me tremendous relief however about a week after I started taking it I was so swollen that I couldn't wear any shoes, I had to wear slippers everywhere and I couldn't wear any of my pants, I had to buy several pairs of leggings. I went to my primary, two different emergency rooms and no one had an explanation for the swelling. Finally my primary did some research and discovered that it was neurontin causing the swelling. Because I couldn't take anything else for the pain I tried to stay on the neurontin and added a fluid pill. The fluid pill didn't help at all so we tried lasix.
That also didn't help and the doctor had increased the dose several times, to the point that the lasix was making me extremely sick, low blood pressure and it still wasn't taking any of the fluid off. The swelling got so bad that I looked 9 months pregnant and I would have to sleep sitting up because if I laid down the fluid would go into my chest and cause my chest to be tight and it would be hard to breathe. I had no choice but to cut the neurontin back. The swelling didn't start getting better til I was down to 1 300 mg pill at night. I stayed on that dose since almost 2 years ago but I've kept moderate to severe swelling in my ankles, hands and moderate swelling in my belly. I started trying to lose weight about 2 months ago and so far I've lost 17 pounds but I couldn't notice any weight loss in my stomach because of the swelling and I got fed up. So 3 days ago I completely stopped the neurontin and not one bit of the fluid has come off yet. Plus, several months ago, I started getting severe planters fasciitis and now it's really bad in both feet, so bad in the mornings that I can barely walk and if I've been sitting for more than 30 minutes it's extremely bad when I stand up but if I stay standing for more than 30 minutes it becomes extremely painful, severe throbbing. I, nor my doctor, thought the planter fasciitis had anything to do with the swelling. If the swelling doesn't go away and the pain in my feet continues to get worse I don't know what I'll do!! I am the primary bread winner in my home, my husband works full time but I make a good bit more than him. We own a home, new car, have debt that would not allow me to not work!!!
airforce1977
17 Jan 2017
I began using Gabapentin (Neurontin) at 300 mg 3 times per day in early December for the pain associated with my severe bilateral carpal tunnel. I gained 20 pounds of water weight with 15 lbs of it happening over 2 weeks. I have to use a shoe horn to be able to get my feet into my shoes. They are swollen badly, so are my knees and hands. I am tapering off the Gabapentin and increasing my Tramadol (Ultram) for pain relief. Also taking Lasix to help get rid of the water weight.
jlpeterson9
12 June 2015
Hello all,
I started gabapentin in July 2014 for neuropathic pain that would evenutally lead to a dx of fibromyalgia (300 mg/night). I tried a higher dosage when that stopped working, and it turned me into a blob of mush, so I have stuck with 300 but added nortryptline. My swelling is ridiculous. It is mainly in my legs, ankles and feet, but recently has moved into my belly area. I have gained 10 lbs of what I'm sure is mostly fluid. I did the vein ultrasound thing because the pressure from the fluid has caused numerous spider veins and now my first varicose (yay). My veins are all fine, no fluid backup, so it's the pressure from the fluid retention. Well, it's summer, and I'm getting married and my legs are AWFUL. I do not want my pictures to have tree stump legs! I miss my ankles... I'm on a light diuretic, perhaps I need a stronger one.
My neuro suggested Cymbalta, so I might transition to that... has anyone tried it?
Has anyone transitioned off gabapentin and how did it go for you? How long did it take your swelling to go down? Has anyone had kidney problems with gaba?
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Further information
- Neurontin uses and safety info
- Neurontin prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Neurontin (detailed)
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