Wife found out she has shingles a few days ago.Nowafter a few days of taking the medicine she sometimes jerks and shakes for no reason.
Will to much gabapentin cause jerking and shaking plus panic attacks.Taking 300mg 3 times a day?
Question posted by Doug48 on 12 Jan 2014
Last updated on 14 January 2014
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4 Answers
tj_1159
14 Jan 2014
Hi, I started gabapentin a few months ago, with the same dose as your wife 300mg 3X daily. I did have feeling that didn't seem right, just held out & in a week or so all was good no bad feeling or side effects. If your wife can't handle them then call her Dr. I am now on 600mg 3X daily with no side effects. Hope things work out for your wife. Good Luck.
agosch
12 Jan 2014
I had similar side effects when I first began gabapentin and what my Dr informed me with, it is a drug that one has to build a tolerance up to in order for it to completely give you a more calming effect and is most effective. I'm on two weeks now and those unpleasant side effects have subsided and now I am feeling a whole lot better over all. Most pharmacists will tell you that gabapentin over all a really good med for most.
Doug48
12 Jan 2014
Thanks.My wife has a low tolerance to medicine.I will call the Dr. tomorrow but I believe if she just starts at 300mg for awhile and work up to the 900mg a day she will be better.She also takes hydrocodone. .She was taking 3 a day before she started on the other medicine.I think she needs to cut down on that also.
Doug48
12 Jan 2014
Thanks.My wife has a low tolerance to medicine.I will call the Dr. tomorrow but I believe if she just starts at 300mg for awhile and work up to the 900mg a day she will be better.She also takes hydrocodone. .She was taking 3 a day before she started on the other medicine.I think she needs to cut down on that also.
Doug48
12 Jan 2014
Also how much were you on to start with.Thanks
Doug48
12 Jan 2014
Also how much were you on to start with.Thanks
butterflylynn
12 Jan 2014
They usually start people out on 300 mg a day taking
100 mg 3x day for 2 weeks & then slowly increase the dosage. I am not sure why her dr. would have started her out with such a high dosage.
Take care, kathy
agosch
12 Jan 2014
Hydrocodone began to give me anxiety with the gabapentin. I'm not sure if the mix of the two was just too much for me but I had to either get off of that or add an anxiety med to my already daily pill regimen. Just my own recent personal experience. Good luck to ya both.
agosch
12 Jan 2014
I started out with 300mg 3x a day. Might have been a heavier dose than usual for some but it allowed my tolerance to build a whole lot faster so to me, struggling the first week was worth it. Now I take any where from 4-5 a day. No problems. Even am working at my job well on it now and my relationships are getting better because I am feeling better.
kaismama
12 Jan 2014
I take hydrocodone and gabapentin and have no problems with it. She's not on that much that it would be a problem, and she needs it for the pain.
Doug48
12 Jan 2014
Yes I know but what she has been taking has really made her seem like a overdose.She is just now feeling a little better at least she is not jerking around and is now talking with more sense.I think she needs to cut back until it gets in her system better.Will talk to her Dr. tomorrow and see what she says.Has not taken and gabapentin today.
Inactive
14 Jan 2014
Years ago when I first started gabapentin the doctor started me out on 100 mg a night for 10 days then increased it slowly to 1200 mg 3x a day. The slow titration up is probably why I had no bad side effects.
Please let us know what the doctor said about your wife. Wishing you the very best,
pamee
Doug48
14 Jan 2014
She is now taking just 300mg a day.Today is just her second day.She is not taking any hydrocodone at all.She. does not do well with that drug.Hoping she gets to feeling better with the lower dose.I know it might take a week or so.Thanks
kaismama
12 Jan 2014
They started her out on too high a dose. I take 600 a day but I started at 300 a day. She definately needs to call her dr.
Doug48
12 Jan 2014
Yes I believe so.She acts doped up, words are slurred,shaking and so on.Have cut the meds off until she gets back to normal.Only been on them for 2 days.Thanks
Inactive
12 Jan 2014
Hello Doug48.
I have taken 3600 mg daily of gabapentin and never experienced jerking or shaking, but with any medication there could be all sorts of side effects as we are all different. Usually gabapentin has a calming effect, but your wife may be suffering with the panic etc due to the pain of the shingles. Call the prescribing doctor or pharmacist and tell them what is happening with your wife.
Related topics
panic disorder, herpes zoster, gabapentin, medicine
Further information
- Gabapentin uses and safety info
- Gabapentin prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Gabapentin (detailed)
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