My phsychiatrist put me on Gabapentin to help my anxiety and insomnia. I have only taken 100mg 3 times a day. So far I have experienced side effects of dizziness, nausea, and feeling drunk or high. I also feel like I have blurred vision and just an overall weird feeling in my body. Just wondering if this goes away, and if so how long to I have to take it before the side effects go away. Right now it is making me miserable.
Gabapentin: How long for side effects to go away?
Question posted by Lee on 5 May 2013
Last updated on 19 August 2023
Added 5 May 2013:
I have been taking it for one week .
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.
30 Answers Page 2
JESME
11 June 2018
I just started Gabapentin. I took 200mgs last night and 200mgs today. I am VERY dizzy and am having increased pain, not reduced pain. I am very off balance. I feel extremely sick. No nausea, just feeling very out of sorts. Why would this medication cause me to have more pain in my back, (neurological pain?) I will NOT be taking any more! This seems to be a dangerous medication, given all of the side effects. The best to anyone who is using it and benefiting from using it!
Sassie Lewis
11 June 2018
I started 300mg x 3 Gabapentin a week ago for neuropathic pain (fused c6/c7 bulging c5/c6 nerve compression, waiting for surgery) I threw up within an hour of taking the first tablet. Doctor suggested only taking it of a night for a couple of days so my body could build up a tolerance. First morning I woke up feeling drunk, second day woke with a hangover, and third day I woke up fine. Over the weekend I introduced my midday dose. First day I felt stoned and nauseous, the following day I felt buzzed and a little hyped up but better than the day before. Today I felt slightly buzzed but otherwise fine, well that is until I had to drive and pick my kids up from school. Lucky their school is only a kilometre away. Now I feel extremely nauseous and dizzy, I've been laying in bed for the past hour wondering why the hell i'm taking these tablets! They have done nothing for my pain and numb tingling arm, if anything they have increased the pain.
I don't think I could take the morning dose and function.
I'd rather take codeine and live with the pain than stay on gabapentin. Worst drug I have ever been on.
emailaccomplished
30 Dec 2018
I spent 2 yrs of my life on gabapentin. Took up to 1800mg daily along with trazodone and flexeril. I have sticklers syndrome, so I took it for my chronic joint, muscle and connective tissue pain. I have to say that I would like to have the last 2 yrs of my life back . Gaba ended up causing pain, weakness, stomach problems, eye problems, skin and hair problems, and I just might have realized what was going on if it hadn't made me a complete zombie. My previous doctors kept telling me my problems were from my genetic condition and prescribed me increasing doses of gaba. I also have trouble remembering the last 2 years in detail, as it have me some memory loss. Before getting on this I was prescribed cymbalta, which made my brain feel scrambled and made me stare off in the distance, eyes rhythmically twitching.
SheSheMarie
30 May 2018
I just took my first pill 3 hours ago. 300 mg. I’m so dizzy and off balance, I dont think I could take it again. I can’t even leave the couch...
Is this normal?
Shweetie44
28 Aug 2018
I’ve been taking Gabapentin for alittle over a month for sciatica pain. I’m on 300mg in the am and 300mg in the pm. Dr wants me to up it to another 300mg midday. I’ve noticed that I get the droggy, lightheaded feeling, a little off balanced feeling about 2-3 hrs after taking it. I felt it was odd til reading your post. It may be normal for it to take that long to take effect I guess but I hate it. Hoping it subsided cause this is no fun especially at work. Hope you e found relieve as well since this post is from May
SheSheMarie
28 Aug 2018
Hey friend!
I ended up not taking it. I heard that the side effects go away with time but I am already dealing with dizziness so I don’t want to add to it. :)
Lori Christine
22 May 2018
I am 61 and just started this a couple of weeks ago. I too am dizzy and if I turn my head too fast or look down I get the spins! I have degenerative disc disease and the gabapentin really helps the pain but I hate being dizzy. I am going to try it for a month. Hopefully this side effect goes away!
TKMarsh711
22 May 2018
It gets a lot better. There are mornings when I can't tell I took it and mornings when I still feel the side effects. I can't differentiate anything particular between those times. But for the most part it gets a lot better.
Lori Christine
23 May 2018
Well that's good to know. I am up to 900 MG a day now. And it really helps my back so I hope it gets better. Thanks for the reply.
Charliesmum
22 Jan 2018
I was put on Gabapentin 27th December 2017 as a last resort for chronic cough following a bad bout of chronic bronchitis. Since starting I have had severe daily headaches, dreadful dizziness, and nausea. I wondered if it was this as have been on Ventolin nebuliser and Fostair inhaler with little side effects, manageable. I also have trouble sleeping at night and increased appetite therefore increased weight. Local hospital could/would not answer any of my questions so am going private to see a Respiratory Consultant, not cheap, but if I get answers it will be worth it. Next appointment at hospital is not until March. I cannot wait that long.
Charliesmum
22 Jan 2018
I also have blurred vision so bad I wonder if I am fit to drive? Cannot see road signs luckily I drive where I know. Reading is difficult, watching tv is also difficult.
stopspinning
15 Sep 2017
I take 800mg twice a day. I have been dealing with the dizziness for some time now and just now realized that it might be this medicine! See, I have high blood pressure and I am diabetic and I work midnights so I have several reasons why I may be dizzy but it has become more annoying and almost debilitating since I started working midnights. I have neuropathy in my legs which have been very painful and so I take gabapentin before my shift and before I lay down... I never connected the 2 until now. So... I think that I will try taking a lower dose and see if I still become dizzy or not.
Bowie65
28 March 2017
I am now taking 6ooMgs of Gabapentin 3 times a day for tigeminal nuralgia and i,m suffering badly with nausea, blurred vision and constant dizziness, my doctor told me that it should pass soon but after steadily increasing my dosage to 1800Mgs per day over a six month period i'm beginning to wonder whether i'm ever going to feel normal again. Does anyone else have a similar story with a positive outcome?
Caribbean2017
9 May 2017
I take 1800 mg and have for a long time. The side effects do go away. I have neuropathy and gabapentin is a lifesaver! I also take it in combo with multiple meds and no problem. Hope yours gets better.
Caribbean2017
9 May 2017
You could also ask your doctor about an anti nausea med like raglan. I carry it in my purse and it acts fast.
nm3
21 March 2017
I have had very serious problems w gabby I noticed very blurry vision. I have been taking 800mg 3x day for a very long period I stopped taking them tapered off does Anyone know if my vision will get better I've also been having stomach issues but have zofran
axeus
20 Jan 2016
I just start taking this medicine. On the 7and I didn't feel like this when I first started and now I got dizzy I can't Harding see I am going to called my doctor and let her how this gabapentin make me feel bof. ad and I am not talking it. Any more. Of this medicine
ssgundes
3 Sep 2015
i am having the same dizzy spaced out response. Does it ever go away and still get the pain relief?
leslietcorliss
4 Sep 2015
I am taking a combo of Gabapentin and Carbamazepine for Trigeminal Neuralgia and I feel like a zombie.Dizzy and shaky I don't have anybpain rwlief from this but doctor says once I build up I will.This makes me feel out of it.
Anna Maria S
20 May 2015
I was originally prescribed lyrica for extreme lower back pain due to a slipped disk along with sciatica but I was experiencing weight gain plus it's very expensive so I switched to gabapentin about a week ago;I feel awful dizzy,headachy,and an almost constant feeling of faint nausea.I'm thinking about just not taking them;I can't stand feeling nauseous most of all.I don't know how I'll feel about all the pain coming back though is the only problem and I have to go to school and I work and have a two year old
Inactive
20 May 2015
Oh, God bless you - there must be something else that will take care of your medical
problems. Good luck to you.
Trish
kathywillow
14 Dec 2018
Lyrica and Celebrex made me feel highly suicidal. I felt like suing the company but they had their buts covered saying that's a side effect.
Ce26
18 March 2019
I never got use to gabapentin I became extremely depressed, suicidal. I had terrible mood swings I felt as if I were drunk could not concentrate went into blackouts. I tried lowering dosage then taking it only at bedtime 300 mg then every other night ect. ect. Awful! I never got use to it, yes it took my neuropathy away but I had no mind. It builds up in your system and takes time to get back out. Doctors hand this out like candy and will not listen to the ones that don't like the high. Maybe they should all try it B4 they push it! But yet they aren't willing to give something to help with chronic pain.
jane Beaudette
8 April 2015
Me too I started yesterday and feel like you. I wish someone could tell us how long we will need to put up with it.
.
Lilipunzel
1 Nov 2015
I have been taking gabapentin for almost ayear
I was up to 700 a day for Post herpetic neuralgia and now take 200 at night. I still feel like a zombie, dizzy, nauseated and wierd. Not sure if this feeling ever goes away
Littlema3
5 April 2017
I tool a 300 mg last night before going to bed. I have a pinched nerve in my neck. Degenerative disc disease and bone spurs in my neck and lower back. My stomach is all nausea and i feel as if I want to heeve. Hoping I feel better when I wake up.
Beebop2601
4 July 2018
I have the same problem I get so nauseous I have to take meds for the gabapentin to not throw up I think it’s just worth it to just stop
Tonyarclark
16 Oct 2014
Just started taking this neurotin as I have migraines everyday and recently had neck cervical surgery I have been taking it 3 days after a ten day headache and have had no headache slept threw the night but I'm dizzy nauseas and feel disoriented will this go away I'm only taking 100 mg 3xa day !help!!! I have a 4 yr old I can't feel like this all the time !
Vergara42
14 July 2015
I've been taking Gabapentin since 6/23/2015 and have been feeling nauseas and dizzy particularly this last week when I started taking 100mg 3x a week one in the morning and one at night. If I look down for a couple of minutes I start to get the spins. I'm so scared this is going to last as long as I take this medication. I've also been having weird dreams and feeling groggy. I called my Dr. yesterday because I don't want this dizzy/spins feeling, the one people get when they are buzzed from drinking. What is strange is that the dizzy spells will come about, then seconds later it will go away then come back, etc. When it goes away I feel great, but I'm constantly worried about looking down or having it come back another way. It is July 14th now, and the dizziness isn't as bad, although my head is fuzzy with a somewhat dizzy/heavy feeling. From the other posts perhaps I should go down to two hundred or so.
xXSMURFXxCLE
1 Aug 2015
You build a tolerance to this substance very quick. Shouldn't last too long. Enjoy while it last lol.
MZMAZEY2U
11 May 2013
Love those side effects.The hallucinations are better than LSD or EX,and are all legal... I'm a 65yo aging Hippie & I;m terminal... GREAT. but just don't drive your car... VERY DANGEROUS...
leslietcorliss
4 Sep 2015
Can't imagine trying to drive.Will this go away after awhile?
muffin62
13 Oct 2015
right on fellow LSD user and i am 62... aging hippie... my spirit goes with you. so i say to you RIGHT ON BROTHER. remember you are just crossing the Vail. see you there!
lady2882
6 May 2013
The blurred vision should be reported to your doctor as well as the other side effects as you may need to start on it at a lower dose.
lalaB
6 May 2013
Don't know if this is the right place but does the blurred vision get better as you adjust?
lalaB
5 May 2013
It was a recent add on for me. I only take it at night to help with sleep and anxiety. It has definitely helped me sleep better which does help with the anxiety. I am not sure if I will ever be able to take it during the day without feeling a little loopy.
Lee
5 May 2013
Ok. Thanks. How much do you take at night?
lalaB
6 May 2013
I am just starting and it is slow, I took 100mil for about three weeks and now at 200mil. Once I adjust to it then it will be bumped up to 300. I have tried several times before and never made it this far due to side effects. This time it will be a slow process and I hope it works. Keep me posted about your progress.
Lee
6 May 2013
I didn't take it today, and feel better. I figured I will just take it at night and see what happens.
jane Beaudette
8 April 2015
Please keep us updated on how you feel and I will too.
Erica cane
13 Oct 2016
I just got put on it for anxeity and started 300 mg.I think maybe I should start at low dose cause I had vertigo in the past and from everyone saying its sounds like the nausea and dizziness it's like you have vertigo with this gabapentin.
Related topics
anxiety, insomnia, generalized anxiety disorder, gabapentin, side effect
Further information
- Gabapentin uses and safety info
- Gabapentin prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Gabapentin (detailed)
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