Gabapentin for Insomnia User Reviews (Page 3)

• Mac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 7, 2018

"I started taking gabapentin for fibromyalgia and neuralgia, and it's been extremely effective. I take 700 mg daily -- 200 mg in the am, 200 mg in the afternoon, 300 mg at night -- and it's also helped my sleep. Not just the duration of sleep, but the quality. I'm not waking up at night with pain in my arms and legs, and no panic attacks jolting me awake. I wake up feeling that I've slept, and I'm not tired all day. The generic is very affordable even without Rx insurance, which I don't have. This medication has changed my life, and while I realize not everyone can take every medication, I highly recommend this one."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 30, 2025

"I have been suffering from insomnia for 6 years. I tried many different medicines like trazodone, clonazepam, Xanax, Quviviq, melatonin, and many other OTC ones. Some of them helped me to get the sleep but with side effects including grogginess in the morning, dizziness, and... recently I got very severe COVID symptoms and leg and feet pain. My neurologist, fortunately, prescribed me gabapentin 500 mg, 200 in the morning and 300 at night. From the beginning, I started taking 100 for the morning and 200 for the night. Believe me or not, the first night I slept like a baby and woke up very refreshed, and my pain became very less. I decided to take this medicine solely for my insomnia and never interrupt it, unless I come up with delayed side effects. I highly recommend this medicine for whoever suffers from pains and critical insomnia."

• Gin...
• July 11, 2019

"I have fibromyalgia, shingle nerve pain, herniated disk neck and back pain, along with arthritis. I was put on gabapentin 300 mg three times daily. It helps the pain, but I am so dizzy and weak. I feel incapable of doing anything. I think I need to go back on Aleve."

• Con...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 1, 2019

"I started on gabapentin to get off klonopin. After several months, I find it works amazing at decreasing the need for klonopin. I usually get great results combining very low levels of klonopin with gabapentin. This improvement is why I scored it a 5. However, I now wake up after only 3 to 5 hours of sleep. This low number of hours of sleep makes me anxious. When I listen to my body, I feel rested, and I am not tired during the day. Unfortunately, knowing the lack of sleep hours is related to mood issues, I get scared."

• Ver...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 28, 2015

"I have idiopathic insomnia as well as sleep apnea. Although the CPAP helps the apnea, I still was waking up every hour or two during the night, never getting a restful night's sleep. Then I was prescribed gabapentin for nerve pain and discovered that it also works for my sleep. I wake rested and have much more energy. Apparently, GABA helps increase slow wave sleep, so I am dreaming more also."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 1, 2012

"This has been the only medicine to help with my insomnia, and I've tried a lot. Unfortunately, I'm finding I'm also irritable most of the day since I've ramped up to three pills per day. I'm cutting back to two to see if that helps with that side."

• Hyp...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 2, 2017

"Gabapentin gives me a nice sleep with good dreams. Some dreams are vivid even. If I do wake up, I'm in a decent to good mood. 200-300 mg per night. Morning fog and grogginess is not bad at all. Best sleep aid I know of. I've also tried Trazodone, which is a bit too heavy and gives poor dream quality. I'll stick with gabapentin until I find a better one. Daytime meds are levothyroxine and Concerta."

• Kel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2017

"My doctor prescribed gabapentin for insomnia because she didn't want me to use NyQuil or even a low dose of Xanax. Trazodone made me feel hungover, so I wouldn't take that. I tried a couple of times to take one 300 mg capsule - which did nothing. Then I tried 2 capsules as it was prescribed as 1-2 capsules. I laid sleepless until 4 am. I felt as if someone had turned the radio volume completely down but didn't turn it off. I laid with a silent and blank mind but could move into sleep. Once I fell asleep, I slept until 5:30 am when my alarm went off. I felt completely drugged, dizzy, disoriented, and even once I was at work, I could not remember the names of the physicians I work with daily. I didn't feel safe to drive or care for my patients. Never taking it again."

• pul...
• May 23, 2015

"Great medication. I acquired RLS from abrupt discontinuation of benzodiazepines, and this has been the only thing that helps. Ambien on its own doesn't put me to sleep, but 5 mg in conjunction with 400 mg of Neurontin helps me so much. I've had insomnia almost every night for the past 2 months, and I am so glad my doctor prescribed me this!!!"

• Eur...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 20, 2016

"I was prescribed gabapentin for anxiety and insomnia. I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea and had a tough time getting used to my CPAP and didn't sleep for several nights in a row. The first night I took the gabapentin, I slept! And I've slept every night since then. I take 800 mg during the day and 800 mg at night for a total of 1600. I sleep between 7 and 9 hours every night now. My neurologist also told me that gabapentin increases slow-wave sleep. Before my CPAP (and the gabapentin), I was getting no N3 slow-wave sleep at all. So this drug is amazing for sleep, for me at least."

• kba...
• April 6, 2018

"If you are having success with Trazodone or another safe sleep aid, keep doing what you are doing, but I find gabapentin works great for insomnia and anxiety. When I read the other reviewers who were not having success, it looked like they were on too low a dose to make a difference with sleep. At first, I had success with 200 mg at bedtime only, but that was when I was also taking lorazepam at night. Because we wanted to get me off of lorazepam for good, we increased the dose to 400 mg at night and 100 mg at dinnertime. This has worked well with helping me to get off lorazepam. I agree with the reviewers who say to take it a couple of hours before you NEED to be asleep. Sometimes it works faster, but it will take at least 30 minutes to 1 hour and sometimes 2 hours. And you need to help it by not doing anything stressful after you take it. Calm down and relax. For those patients not getting sleep help at 100 mg, I would say talk to your doctor about upping your dosage to 200 or more mg."

• Lol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 22, 2017

"Gabapentin is the best medication for insomnia, in my opinion. If you want a solid 9-10 hour deep, refreshing sleep, I recommend combining it with Tegretol (carbamazepine). However, Gabapentin on its own is great for insomnia. I have sleep maintenance problems. I go off to sleep without any trouble, it is staying asleep that is the problem. Waking up after 2-3 hours, I go to work feeling like a zombie. I also suffer from tension headaches, it's horrible. Gabapentin is great for both going to sleep and staying asleep for several hours. I seem to nod off to sleep and then dream constantly, but Gabapentin has stopped that in its tracks. Some people say they have vivid dreams, not me. Gabapentin helps me to have a great, deep sleep."

• sta...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2016

"I have been using 150 mg of trazodone together with 300 mg of gabapentin. Able to sleep most of the time straight through for 6-7 hours with little after-effects the next day. After suffering with chronic insomnia for over 40 years, this is pretty good. Helping me to get off regular use of Ambien and Xanax."

• Geo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2023

"I was prescribed to help calm my knee's nerves down during bedtime after bilateral surgery. It has worked. It also has the effect when I fall to sleep to be out like a light. No nighttime wake ups or needing to pee. The sleep is deep and restorative. 6 hrs or 8 makes zero difference. It's had a stunning affect on my rest. Didn't expect the sleep part to be that good."

• And...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 22, 2024

"I tried literally everything for insomnia. Only amitriptyline helped, plus olanzapine. I had to stop both because of weight gain. Nothing else helped. I became depressed. I got gabapentin for my migraine, it did not help, however, I noticed I could sleep very well with it. I use 300 mg at night. I think I will keep taking it since I was always tired because I was always a light sleeper."

• GMF...
• September 23, 2016

"Originally, I was prescribed this and meloxicam as a two-pronged approach for pain, and it has reduced my opioid dosages. Let's say my pain management doctor had me on levels greater than those given to cancer patients. When my PM increased it to that level, my primary took over. First, I was taking gabapentin 200 mg 3x. However, I was still having sleep issues. She sent me to a neurologist, and she changed how I take it, keeping the dosage. Now, I take 200 mg at noon and 400 mg two hours before I go to sleep. What a difference it made. And it still helps with pain management as it was originally prescribed. Due soon for an increase. It helped reduce my opioid dosage."

• Ter...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 19, 2018

"I have not been able to sleep on this medication! I couldn't figure out what had changed all of a sudden to make me have insomnia so bad!! I have just started gabapentin for pinched nerve pain, and it's wonderful for that, but I can NOT sleep. I am going to try and just take it in the morning because I don't want it interfering with my trazodone and remeron. I have been miserable for the last week, since starting this. It also causes dizziness. BEWARE! I got up after taking it in the middle of the night and fell over, knocking a bunch of stuff around. I am not on anything else for pain, and my doctor is very reluctant to try anything else. I am at a loss because I wake up in such bad hip pain."

• JF1...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 23, 2018

"I love this drug!! I take Effexor for anxiety and had such a hard time sleeping and would wake up several times during the night. Now I take 150 mg at night and sleep like a baby. Wake up refreshed with no grogginess. Highly recommend it."

• Kek...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 15, 2016

"As I understand, gabapentin was originally used to treat seizures but helps to keep you asleep, but not necessarily put you to sleep. My doctor is very wise but also very conservative, but felt it is a rather benign drug, so added it to my Ambien. The combo has been very effective in giving me a full night's sleep. I live in Washington State, so I was encouraged by my naturopath to try medical marijuana. I take a capsule with THC only (no CBD, as it's about $5/pill), and it has been a Godsend with no discernible side effects. I sleep like a baby. I still add about 200 mg of gaba to keep me asleep. My only problem with gaba is I have blurred vision the next day. I understand from the fine print that this can be a side effect."

• AZC...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 15, 2022

"After years of insomnia, I thought this was a miracle drug, but then it stopped working. Now I take it because I’m dependent on it and am trying to wean off. Stopped working a few months into it, so I upped my dose from 400 mg to 800 mg. I’m now at 300 mg, my brain has completely adjusted to it, so it does nothing for me. Or does it? I’m suspicious that it’s giving me brain fog, bad, and depression. I find it difficult to string a sentence together when talking and embarrass myself often. I’ve also been depressed with suicidal thoughts almost daily. This is terrible! It’s been going on for months now, I’ve just put 2 and 2 together that it’s likely the drug. At the very least, it’s not helping anymore. Please be careful taking it. I have nerve pain, restless legs, PLMD, and insomnia, but I'd rather deal with it than these side effects."

• wes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 13, 2016

"I started taking GABA four nights ago as prescribed by my doc for severe trouble sleeping due to cold turkey stopping alcohol. Just taking the low dose, 300 mg. Before GABA, I'd lay there, I swear, up to all night long without falling asleep. Now I've had four awesome sleep nights, I sleep around 12 hours normally. I'm used to 7 or 8 trips to the bathroom during the night, now it's like around 2! I'm experimenting with different dosages of Trazodone, 100 to 200 mg, and mixing it in with my marijuana or not. Great sleep!"

• Inc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2014

"I've had insomnia for 30 years. Started taking gabapentin. Well, I'm up at 3:00, and I will never fall asleep. It has made my insomnia worse. Racing heartbeat, skipping beats, tongue is swollen, facial skin has a rash. Plus, red, itching eyes and stomach noise feels uncomfortable. I'm really very disappointed with these side effects so soon. I would be doing myself so much harm to continue this medication. I'm glad it works for people who are saved from this awful plight of acute insomnia."

• sle...
• September 6, 2015

"I take either 1 gabapentin and 2 ZzzQuil or 2 gabapentin and 1 ZzzQuil, and I sleep like a baby all night! I normally fall asleep relatively quickly and wake up around 2 or 3 a.m. with terrible back pain and am practically up the rest of the night. Ever since this combo, I have finally found rest! The 2 on their own did nothing for me, just FYI."

• Ric...
• June 3, 2016

"Zolpidem (Ambien) plus melatonin didn't work very well. I had pain from various conditions, and 5-10 mg of hydrocodone (Norco) helped with the pain, but I don't want to be on narcotics the rest of my life. I tried GABA to help out, at the advice of my sleep doctor. At 600 mg each night, the GABA had no effect at all, so I discontinued usage. Now, however, another doctor has said maybe my dose should be higher, so I've taken 1200 mg each night. Very strong effect at that level, and I slept 9 1/2 hours! However, it took a while before it had any effect, and it left me groggy and dizzy the next morning. Next, I'm going to take 1200 mg at 7 pm instead of 9 pm. I suspect that after a few weeks at this dosage, I'm going to become accustomed to it."

• Eli...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2018

"I normally wake up in the middle of the night as I have always been a light sleeper... then can't turn my brain off to get back to sleep. My doctor prescribed this, and it has been great... I take 200 mg and fall right back to sleep. I also have taken Sonata and have good results with that but need to take more than one capsule per night."