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
24 Answers Page 2
I am having the same problem. I love the neuron tin but the edema is scary, Is it possible that the edema will lessen over time?
Thank heavens for this thread! My pain specialist just put me on a new trial of Gralise (gabapentin/neurontin) for my neurpathic pain, and yes it is relieving the pain after 3 days of increased dosing... Except I am now remembering being put on Lyrica some years back just before my back operation and was retaining a lot of fluid with it. My internist told me to stop immediately and I did. I know I will have to stop this Gralise, because it works the same way as Lyrica... Damn! and I can't afford to gain one extra pound of water weight. At least I still have the specially compounded pain cream I can use (sad face)... The Gralise was helping, but the packet of pills my doc gave me were increasing the dosage everyday, arriving at 1800mgs per day in 15 days... yikes
I am so glad I found you all because I feel like I am going crazy. I have neuropathy of the feet. I have been taking Gabepentin/neurotin since July of 2014 to relieve the pain. it worked great at first in combination with tramadol and naproxen. my podiatrist upped the dosage to 2400 mg per day in Dec 2014 and by late January the trouble started my feet and claves became swollen. my calves look like tree trunks and my thighs and stomach are bigger too. I gained 25 - 30 lbs in 2 wks and i'm in almost constant pain. he's cutting back the dosage but i'm going to need something else because the original pain is starting to come back. anybody have any ideas? how long until I loose this weight.
I have been taking gabapentin for about a year. I have swelling in feet, legs and hands. So frustrated because of it but wonder what they will switch me to. Use to take tramadol and that worked but after a while I got pain at the base of my head and stopped. Any advice accepted please.
I have arthritis, fibromyalgia, and a lot of other small complaints but the pain from the first two complaints was really getting me down. I was on lyrica and did not seem to help that much. After two years my doctor retired and when I saw new doctor he started me on Gabapentin. It was wonderful. Help a lot with the pain and gave me a good nights sleep. About this time started going to the pain clinic. They gave me two narcotic pain pills a day, which helped but was absolutely not enough to stop the pain all day. If I could take 3 per day it would control it. But back to Gabapentin. My pain clinic doctor ordered me a compounded rub to put on the painful areas and it was a miracle! My husband said he had not seen me that active and pain free in years. I was So... Happy. Then I noticed my feet and legs were swelling. looked like tree trunks. My blood pressure went sky high.
No matter what blood pressure medicine I took the swelling would not go down, my feet started looking a little purple and I had to get my husband to look at my feet for me (can't bend over that far) He said I had a ton of little blood veins bursting. and underneath my toe nails was a little purple, also. I called the Professional Arts Pharmacy that was in Louisiana to see if they had something that was similar but did not contain Gabapentin. They didn't but they made up another compounded medication rub. It did nothing. I tried to go back to my Lyrica (which is an improved version of Gabapentin). Now my feet and legs swell with the Lyrica, so I cannot take either of the pills and now I cannot use the rub either. I got so depressed, it would have been better not to have found this rub only to have to stop using it.
It is hard for me to talk about it because I can't keep from crying.
But the good news is that this does not happen to everyone. So you might talk to your doctor and get him to order it. you may not have the side effects I had. I will pray for all of you that do try it, asking God's help in you being able to take it.
So I am using just a tiny amount of the rub on the worst pain area, my hip. I notice my foot has swollen just a small amount.
this is frustrating, I got off of the Gabepentin and took fluid pills for 2 weeks and lost the water weight. New meds made me nauseated so I couldn't stay on them. Now I am using a compound cream and it worked great for the first several weeks but now my lower legs are starting to swell back up and the cream is making my feet feel like two hunks of meat most of the time.
back to the drawing board.
My 81 year old mother was put on this for nerve pain, burning, tingling after a pinched nerve diagnosis. It worked for a while but then she had symptoms and hand swelling. Not sure what else can be done for her as she in in pain and can't grip anything. Don't know what else will work without all these side effects any ideas?
If you can at any opportunity lie down with your feet higher than your heart.
I now know why my face was a funny shape thought the feet sweeling was due to heat as was on holiday when I first noticed. I also felt very unwell, thinking it was IBS> but possibly it was the gabapentin(Neurontin.)
going to stop taking it as already my feet are getting swollen after a break due to the illness( again same problem as in January)
will reduce slowly as should not just stop them>
thanks for highlighting this and thanks to all who replied. As it was not helpng with my nerve pain it seems daft to carry on.
seeing Gp on Friday after full blood counts.
you mnight find you go to teh loo a lot as the fluid leaves your system.
if you can put your feet up against a wall for half an hour twice a day.,that might help.
Good luck
Has your doctor or you checked your blood pressure lately? I was on Lyrica & had some of these same issues with the water wieght. One day my head hurt in a very unusual way so I checked my blood pressure & its was 190/100. Well, I normally have very low blood pressure, so I went right in to see my doctor. The first thing he did was to make me stop the Lyrica,(similar to neurontin), & gave me furosemide to take each day. I was already on atenolol which is a beta blocker for a fast irregular heatbeat. I lost over 8 pounds of water weight in less than 2 days! This was in early February, & I still check my blood pressure regualrly, but it runs around 140/70. the upper being pre-hypertensive. I found that the water was all over my body. My legs ,ankles, boobs, tummy etc... I have now lost 12 pounds & I believe it was all the water weight. It's not a wonder I couldn't lose weight by dieting! Oh & my face was real puffy too.
Never again with the seizures meds for my pain. I have found out that since I got all the water pressure off of me, that my oxycodone does just fine for my chrontic pain too. I still have bad days, but in general I feel better than I have in a very long time. Just a thought or two...
Thank you for your reply, Mary. A friend of mine suggested I take my blood pressure. I took it and it was 120/75 which is pretty good. I did get a prescription for furosemide and I'm hoping that it works - I haven't taken it yet because I was nervous of the side effects. I know I must be holding water in my stomach because I look 15 months pregnant. :). I think I will break down and take it today and let you know what happens. I'm already on a blood pressure pill that includes a very low dose diuretic so that's why I was worried about taking them both. Thanks!
By the way, how long did it take to get rid of all the weight? I was thinking that it seemed like my normal dose of oxycodone has not been helping me as much as it usually does and now I wonder if it's because of the water.
BREAKER! BREAKER! My heart doctor in December said if your blood pressure is normal , DO NOT TAKE A WATER PILL for water weight from Lyrica or any seizure med! It can KILL YOU! It did his partner. You should only be on furosimide if you have high blood pressure, & you don't! Please reconsider this act! He told me I would have to get off the Lyrica, & I didn't so I did get high blood pressure. Now I will probably be on afurosimide forever. Did your doctor give you this script? He needs an education... Mary
Didn't mean to scare you! You did say you are taking something for high blood pressure? If you doctor ok'd the furosimide than he must feel it's ok, but the neuronitn can make you retain water, & you really should not be taking it with water retention already on board. My heart doctor had a fit when I asked for a water pill , but my pressure then was 120/60 after a stress test! Never had HBP til this February. Bah Humbug! I wish you the best... Mary
Also you asked about the wieght. I lost 8 pounds in less than 2 days! Was living on the potty, but the other 4 came off like a pound a day, & I have finally leveled out after 12 pounds. Sorry about the answer. It scared me!
Hi Mary I was scared when I read your post and very thankful I had some misgivings about taking the furosemide. I haven't taken it - do you mind me asking what dosage you were given (of the furosemide?). My doc said she wanted me to take a very low dose so she prescribed me 10 mg twice per day. I really wish the water weight would go away on its own but it just isn't as fast as I would like. At this rate it will take a month or more to get it off. Did you lose any of the water weight on your own before taking the furosemide? Sorry about all he questions. Ty for taking the time to answer.
No, infact I didn't know for sure it was water weight, except my ankles were swollen some ( well, turns out a lot). My doctor put me on 40mg of furosimide which is still considered a low dose, so maybe you will be ok on 10mg twice a day. Is your doctor an Internist or what? If you didn't have the water weight til the neruontin, I really would sugerst getting off of it. It's not a good mix to be treating two conditons with a water pill alone. There are other seizure drugs & maybe the others wouldn't affect you the same way. Everyone is different & react differntly. Mine was Lyrica(as I said) & a lot of people have complained about weight with it. Mine was just water weight tho.
Did you lose any of the waterway without the aid of the furosemide? If so how long did it take to do that? Thankfully I was only on the Neurontin for about 10 days or maybe 12 but not long
No, I didn't. It was the furosimide. The first pill I took the first morning I started peeing within an hour. I was in the potty all day! By the end of the second day it was down 8 pounds ,& like I said after the first two day on furosimide, I starting losing a pound a day. When I went to the rheumatologist Wenesday he had me strip all but my undies, to check out all my joints, & my ankels were a tad swollen that day, & have lost 2 more pounds of water wieght since then like 2 days ago. I quit smoking about 8 years ago, & immediately gained 20 t0 25 pounds. I hated it becuase I couldn't lose it no matter what I tried. At one point kept a journal as what I eat, & the calories etc... & was only eating 900 calories a day! I gained more wieght! I wasn't even on Lyrica then, so a few weeks ago I decided the only way I was going to lose it was to start smoking agin. Then got the weird headache, & quit again right away.
when I found my BP 190/100. I was only smoking about 2 a day, so not much, but enough apparently to speed up my metabolism. I am going to research to find a different way to keep my metabolism higher than smoking. It's just so bad for a person, & I have allergies & asthma from the alleriges, so smoking is definately out. I sure don't reccomend smoking to lose wight, & a lot of heavier peopl smoke too, & it doesn't affect them that way, so I must attribute it to the water now, & the furosomide helped. 2omg isn't vey much, so myb your doctor doesn't feel it's all wateer wieght. I was always a kiny person had a 22 inch waist in high school & kept if except when pregnant til I was 57 year sold. That's when I guit smoking for good, & the wieght came on in a hurry around mostly my belly area. Now it's almost back down the where it should be. My doc used to have me drink milshakes everyday to keep my wieght up, til he tested me for food alleriges. I would never let him because something in Hershey bars alwyas gave me hives. I love hershey bars & ice crea & all milk products, but found out I am allergic to milk proteins, & that stopped all that! He felt pretty bad about the milkshakes, but I still have an occional ice cream(just can't break that haibt!), but always take an allergy pill first, & haven't had to much bad reactions. I have an epi pen if I get into trouble with it. It's so nice to have my flat belly again too! Good luck & let me know what happens if you decide to take the lasix, or furosimide... Mary
Hi mary
I broke down and decided to take the 10 Mg furosemide like the doc told me to but its not really doing too much. I havent lost any significant weight. I think its because its such a low dose. Plus I havent taken the second pill of the day because I dont know how to get the timing right with it and my other meds.
My feet are much better. I can finally wiggle my toes but my legs are still red and swollen. Maybe its just going to take time.
If your legs are RED & swollen you need to be checked out for a possible clot inyour egs! Don't put this off! Water weight doesn't usually present as RED. Please get back to your doc ASAP! this is nothing to mess with. Hopefully it's an allergic reaction & not a clot,m but if it's still swollen red, & hot to touch you amy have a blood clot. Has you doctor checked out your legs? Please, this could be very serious... Mary
Forgot to mention I am down 17 pounds now without even trying! About a pound a day! Getting so my clothes are falling off of me now. Whoopee! A new wardrobe is in order anyway! Never would have imagined it was the meds doing this to me. Thought it was my metabolism from stop smoking, but apparently not! Was prescribed Lyrica when it first came out & that was about the same time I quit smoking too. Hmmmm.
I have been on Neurontin for post acute withdrawal syndrome. It helped, but now my hands and feet are swollen and extremely painful. It is unfortunate, but I will have to stop it. Ther are no other medicines that work for this problem, and it takes a very long time to detox from benzos. Ugh!!
I am having an issue with my right leg swelling that's why im here.Im taking the gabapentin for other reasons than pain however im worried about this and you all have pretty much hit it on the head with this,but im wondering if any of you feel or felt like your muscles hurt with this as well.When I walk my three dogs I feel like im gonna get a Charlie horse and by the time I get back home im almost in tears.
Kelly, I am so sorry. I used to call Neurontin my miracle drug, literally. I was on 1200mg three times a day, and didn't need pain meds. I also didn't realize the swelling that I was going through until I put on 80 pounds, and realized the it wasn't my fault!! I have been off of it for years (except for one 300mg capsule) at night, so that I can get out of bed in the morning. I've only lost 20 of the 80 pounds, and it is very frustrating!! I also have to take a diuretic now. Be glad that you noticed immediately, the fluid will eventually come off, but you have to give it time. Perhaps your doctor can prescribe a water pill for you in the meantime to help with the fluid the neuron tin caused. Good luck!! Also, I hope that you find another med that helps you as much as the neuron tin.
Dear Kellyskane,
I too, couldn't take Neurontin due to severe swelling. It was too bad, because it did work for my pain. But my feet couldn't fit into any shoe. I hope you can find something else to work for you. Nothing but best wishes. Ruth
I cannot take Neurontin, Lyrica and Cymbalta for this very same reason. I swell up like a toad! it starts in my feet and hands then goes to my face and lips! It is fortunate that your Dr took you off right away. Just because I had these same effects with other drugs doesnt mean you will. You might try Lyrica or Cymbalta, both good for chronic pain and non-opioid (I dont use the word narcotic. I feel it is an atiquated word than connotates illegal activity. That should not apply to a legally prescribed medication. Narcotic is a word used more by law enforcement than medicine but some docs still use the word. Yes these drugs can be used illegally, too, but in the sense of medicine narcotic doesnt apply. Not criticizing you, just explaining why I dont use that word!) and they might work fine for you. It is certainly worth discussing with your Dr.
I truly wish I could take something non-opioid that would work for me or at least allow me to use less opioids. If I remember right it took about a month for all of the swelling to go away completely. You are not alone, it does happen!
I cannot tell you how much your post meant to me. I have been so worried! How long did it take your swelling to move to your face or did it do that right away? Did it stop in your stomach along the way? The reason I ask is because my stomach seems a little bloated but finally my legs and feet are getting a bit better. I agree with the negative connotation that goes along with the word narcotic. I was just so happy to finally find a non opioid medication that actually worked! Now I'm bummed again because I'm back to square one. My doc said that because those mess are closely related (cymbalta, lyrica, etc.) I would have a good chance of swelling from them too. :sigh: thanks for your post. I look forward to your reply.
Thank you I have tried all that medicine makes me sick But I was going to it again see what happens my feet are Swollen hurt and burn and my Hands my Stomach I Calling Doctor on Monday
I've been taking gabapentin 300 for about 6 years . I was taking 600 mg a day and then found the swelling in my hands and feet to be too great. So I cut it in half about 2 years ago and only take one 300 mg pill At bedtime when i read this post.
Amazingly two different rheumatologist cannot tell me why my hands and feet were swelling. They said it was not due to my disease. It wasn't till I found this post that I realized it was made worse thru side effect of the gabapentin.
These doctors have many people on this drug and did not know this? I am now checking all of my prescription drugs for the side effects.
The confusing part is, the swelling in my hands feet and face for 11 years. Part of it was discovered to be allergies, and the others to the rheumatological diseases tho the doctors never confirmed that part for me. I just know it got much worse on the gabapentin and when I cut that dose in half the symptom all but went away so far.
Autoimmune and pharmaceutical medicines, and side effects, all create their own cons. Hopefully the pharmaceutical pros outweigh the cons. Not my case so far with this drug, as higher than 300 mg doses of Gabapentin definitely made it worse.
I’m tapering off gabapentin 2400mg for sciatica I’m down to 400mg last titrations I’m kind of scard to drop last 400mg I’m going off for edema in my feet and ankles blurred vision constipation . It took me several interviews with medical professionals about fluid in the feet and now I’m told it could take sometime for fluid to leave I’m doing all the doctor stuff don’t know if this helps you this is just my story
I’m tapering off gabapentin 2400mg for sciatica I’m down to 400mg last titrations I’m kind of scard to drop last 400mg I’m going off for edema in my feet and ankles blurred vision constipation . It took me several interviews with medical professionals about fluid in the feet and now I’m told it could take sometime for fluid to leave I’m doing all the doctor stuff don’t know if this helps you this is just my story
I myself have been on Gabapentin(Generic Neurontin) for 10 years & I've never had that problem,but if you have & your doctor stopped it then that's the best thing to do,but it's to bad you found a non-narcotic drug that worked for you & you can't use it.
Ty for your reply. I have read some of your other posts and feel that you offer sound advice and encouragement to people who are worried or just wanting to vent. Considering all you've been through you are very positive! I think that it helps with the pain.
Thank you it's really nice to have someone say that when you answer questions that you know are right & not get a helpful response. Thanks again.
Yw. If you ever need to vent yourself I have good ears. :). I might not know what what to say but I will listen.
I use Gabapentin on the odd occasion, and when I do, I admit to using quite a bit at one time. My body seems to have an immunity to quite a number of what would normally be effective drugs at normal doses. I get swollen lower legs and feet each time! It starts about say, 4, maybe 5 days after ward, and will not go away until i stop taking the gabapentin, and stay off of my feet for a few days in a row. I asked my doctor about it at the time, even bringing in photos on a USB stick that I had taken of my feet when they were at the worst, but she didn't seem to equate the drug with my symptoms. I am now finding out otherwise though. I'm just hoping that MY response isn't an allergic one.
I was on gabapentin for 12 months for chronic sciatica and lumbar neuropathy and almost immediately my calves and feet swelled, I got insomnia, and began to gain weight. My doctor then prescribed furmosiside as a diarretic for the edema. The gabapentin never helped me... made me worse, so I weaned myself off the drug! My insomnia is much better, my weight is starting to go back to normal, and the edema in my lower legs and feet are better, but definitely not gone yet! This after only a week of not taking this awful drug!!!
I just started taking Gabapentin(Generic Neurontin 600mg three times a day my ankles and hands are so swollen. Gonna call doctor in the morning. See what he says. It helps alit with my pain hoping I don't have to stop it.
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- Neurontin uses and safety info
- Neurontin prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Neurontin (detailed)
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