Gabapentin and Anxiety: What Users Say (Page 2)

• gm9...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 13, 2019

For Anxiety "Tried gabapentin at several doses for anxiety. Felt nothing from the 100 mg/3x day that my doctor started me at, so we upped it to 200 mg/3x day. I couldn't tell for certain whether it was making anxiety worse or still having no effect until we upped it to 300 mg/3x day when I knew that it was making me feel spacey, disconnected, and overall more anxious and unable to focus and think straight."

• Pch...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 3, 2019

For Anxiety "My doctor put me on gabapentin due to daily headaches. I felt absolutely wasted for the first 3 weeks. Once that had worn off, I can’t say it helped my symptoms at all. I had awful nightmares, night sweats, and the most intense anxiety I’ve ever felt. I’m now coming off the drug, and it’s tough. I wouldn’t recommend this for a long-term fix or at all, to be honest. It is different for everyone, though."

• Anonymous
• June 2, 2017

For Anxiety "In a chemical dependency program, I suffered from anxiety and insomnia. Gabapentin saved my life: 300 mg, 3 times a day, and 50 mg of Seroquel at night for sleep. I finally feel normal for the first time since my early 20s. I am 42. Best sleep ever: deep sleep with full dreams. Gabapentin made me feel a bit foggy for the first 2 weeks, but after settling in, I function fine, with normal energy and normal reactions to life. It has stabilized my appetite as well, I have actually lost 20 pounds in the past 6 weeks."

• Big...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 11, 2017

For Anxiety "I am truly amazed by how well this works for my anxiety. I have PTSD, nightmares, and waking up from them would ruin my day. I would have flashbacks, but ever since I started this new medication, I feel normal, which is something I am not used to. It is definitely exciting to know that I don't feel anxious to the point of feeling like I can't breathe. I feel normal, and that is amazing. I don't even feel that I need my Xanax, which is a huge relief, and I am so happy that I finally found a medication that can help with my high anxiety and PTSD without having to take so many benzos."

• Hal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 16, 2018

For Anxiety "On 400 mg three times a day. Feel wonderful, but not drugged. I feel normal. No more anxiety or depression, and I sleep 7 to 8 hours a night. For the people saying gabapentin isn't working for them: it could be because your dose is too low. I started at 100 mg three times a day, and it did nothing. Went up to 300 mg three times a day and felt better, but still anxious and wasn't sleeping well. Went up to 400 mg three times a day, and it's working wonderfully. Don't give up. It's all about finding the right dose for you. Some people need a bigger dose three times a day to see results. Plus, it took about a month before I noticed the full results of the drug."

• Sgw...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 25, 2015

For Pain "I'm a recovering alcoholic/addict with chronic pancreatitis, so having the option to take a non-narcotic to manage chronic pain is critical for me. I have been relatively successful at managing the pancreatitis after its acute and vicious onset, which had me hospitalized and on a dilaudid drip for seven weeks. Now that after a year the pancreatitis has turned chronic, though I maintain a good diet and exercise often, pain management is crucial. However, it's pretty dangerous for me to be on narcotics, and it is most certainly not how I want to spend my life. The Gabapentin has truly made the biggest difference for me in both dealing with chronic pain and the anxiety I have about controlled substances. I am relieved and grateful."

• Cen...
• December 16, 2015

For Alcohol Withdrawal "I've detoxed several times. The last one was really bad. This time my doctor put me on gabapentin 300 mg, three times a day and lithium. I usually suffer withdrawals for 5-7 days. I did have anxiety for two days, but I'm on day three, no anxiety and no cravings."

• Sup...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 19, 2019

For Anxiety "It only kind of worked the first time I used it, but I must say that I think it worked better that time due to the fact that I didn't sleep the night before (as in 0 hours of sleep). I took it again the next day, and I didn't feel any different. I was still as tense and as anxious as ever. I wish people would quit demonizing the other pills. Maybe then people like me who really need them could get our hands on them, but no, people keep abusing those pills, so now you've got all these hurdles people like me gotta get over in order to get a medicine that actually works. Gabapentin isn't very effective at all. For me, it did absolutely nothing."

• Sup...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 19, 2019

For Anxiety "It only kind of worked the first time I used it, but I must say that I think it worked better that time due to the fact that I didn't sleep the night before (as in 0 hours of sleep). I took it again the next day, and I didn't feel any different. I was still as tense and as anxious as ever. I wish people would quit demonizing the other pills. Maybe then people like me who really need them could get our hands on them, but no, people keep abusing those pills, so now you've got all these hurdles people like me gotta get over in order to get a medicine that actually works. Gabapentin isn't very effective at all. For me, it did absolutely nothing."

• Che...
• July 11, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "This medicine works so well for my bipolar disorder! I've tried so many other medications to no avail. Finally, a doctor put me on this (300 mg x 3 times daily) and now I'm up to 600 mg three times daily (1800 mg daily). It works wonders! I have virtually no anxiety (I used to wake up and could literally feel the anxiety set in before this medicine) and it helps with pain as well. My doctor put me on Bupropion 100 mg twice a day also. In conjunction, these seem to really work for me. All in all, I highly recommend Gabapentin!"

• Mdd...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 22, 2017

For Insomnia "I also have been prescribed gabapentin for neuropathy and most recently for 2 herniated discs in my lower back causing sciatica. The first month was fine, and the only side effect was blurred vision and dizziness. Going on month 6 and having horrible insomnia, memory loss, lack of coordination, pain, depression, anxiety. Affecting my job, cannot stand more than 5 minutes, 2-4 hours of sleep max per night. I'm miserable."

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 21, 2014

For Anxiety "I took one pill and had more anxiety than normal, did not help with pain, and lay in bed awake all night. Took it again... same thing. More anxiety than normal and muscle spasms are horribly intense. I will be calling my doctor Monday. This medicine did the opposite of what it was supposed to. It is definitely not for me."

• Set...
• March 20, 2021

For Anxiety "So I noticed a lot of people post on here as soon as they start taking it, great reviews, but then we never hear from them again. I thought it might be helpful to readers to see how the medicine continues to work for me. Week 2: 5 days ago I increased to 300 mg 2x a day. At first, I felt really anxious after taking it. I also had a foggy, drunk feeling and blurred vision. After a couple of days, most side effects went away. I still will get very anxious after taking it, sometimes. This drug is weird. I feel like there is no consistency, or perhaps my dose is wrong? For the first time in my life, I feel DRUGGED. There are moments I feel better but don't feel myself? One night I split my night dose into two 150 mg doses. That was my best night. I think I will try that again tonight. Good luck to all of you who have anxiety and depression. I have found that anxiety and depression is an addiction, for I am addicted to feeling normal again."

• kre...
• October 27, 2014

For Anxiety "I wasn't sure about how anxious I was on a daily basis. I tried to self-medicate with nicotine and caffeine, but the caffeine just added to my anxiety. I was put on 100 mg twice a day as needed. I like this medication. My anxiety has decreased by at least 30 to 40% just after my first dose. I am going to take gabapentin every 8 hours from now on. That should cover me during the day and evening. That leaves me with 8 hours of sleep in which I don't need the medication. My doctor said I can take up to 200 mg at a time, but I am not sure if I am going to do that. I don't want to be on such a high dose. Things are slightly better than they were before I took the pill, and for now, it's all I need."

• xxF...
• September 7, 2014

For Anxiety "I have had to be patient for a while with this pill. I was prescribed at 14 for this medicine, and sometimes I would still get anxiety attacks. At around 15, it started to help, including my weekly therapy appointments. Gabapentin used to sometimes make me jittery if I didn't eat before I took them. I also don't like going a day without them. They have helped now after 2 years of taking them, and I'm used to them, but the beginning side effects really kicked in for me. I don't think I will be able to stop taking them either. I don't know, but for now, I will continue going to therapy and taking them."

• Jer...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 29, 2015

For Hot Flashes "I was having bad hot flashes, and I was taking estrogen. It helps, but not much. I did some research, hot flashes are neurological, that's why they work so well! I'm so happy with how they work for me. I hope all women can be helped by this medicine. I don't take that new medicine called Brisdelle, it's basically just an 8 mg Paxil. Neurontin helps with my pain and anxiety also. Do research, you'll be surprised what meds could help besides estrogen."

• 13b...
• February 7, 2019

For Insomnia "I have to say this drug saved my life. I had extreme anxiety and insomnia from an ear issue in May, and nothing was working. I finally started 400 mg of gabapentin 5 months ago. All is going well with anxiety and sleep, but recently my sleep is a little unpredictable. My doctor says I can take up to 600 mg per day. I take 100 mg at 10:00 am, 100 mg at 4:00, 100 mg at 9:00 pm, and 100 mg at 1:00 or 2:00 am. I'm thinking I need to up my sleep time doses. Does anyone have experience with this?"

• Nur...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2018

For Insomnia "I was recently prescribed Gabapentin for horrible nerve pain that I’ve had since my 360 back surgery. It did eventually help the pain somewhat, but I am unable to sleep at bedtime. I take it twice a day, 100 mg. I don’t feel anxious or jittery or euphoric taking it at bedtime, but cannot sleep!! Does anyone else have this problem?"

• Nur...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2018

For Insomnia "I was recently prescribed Gabapentin for horrible nerve pain that I’ve had since my 360 back surgery. It did eventually help the pain somewhat, but I am unable to sleep at bedtime. I take it twice a day, 100 mg. I don’t feel anxious or jittery or euphoric taking it at bedtime, but cannot sleep!! Does anyone else have this problem?"

• Fre...
• August 5, 2021

For Alcohol Withdrawal "I was drinking about a 750ml a night and then a couple quarts on the weekend. I had 4 seizures due to alcohol withdrawal, have been in detox 4 times, hospitalized a bunch, and had severe liver cirrhosis and kidney failure. I tried naltrexone but just kept drinking, tried therapy, anti-depressants, and some AA meetings, but nothing helped. When not intoxicated, I had horrible anxiety, insomnia, depression, and thought about killing myself. I drank not to feel happy but to basically survive. I finally saw an amazing, compassionate doctor during my latest hospitalization from withdrawal. He prescribed me gabapentin and I have been sober 6 months. Gabapentin has changed my life. I never thought I could go this long without drinking. I take it 3 times a day at 300mg, and I’m ridiculously happy. My anxiety is basically gone, and I can sleep again. I feel almost normal in social situations. Gone is the feeling of impending doom. I would highly recommend this to anyone, it was a miracle drug for me."

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

For Insomnia "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."

• Mmm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2022

For Migraine "Okay y’all. I was diagnosed with post-Covid lingering headaches that won’t give. I’ve been in constant pain and discomfort since my Covid diagnosis (3+ months ago). I tried a plethora of different migraine meds, and NONE worked (likely because I didn’t have a “traditional” migraine). Gabapentin was recommended by a neurologist on the East Coast for lingering Covid headaches, so my neurologist said let’s give it a try, and I’m so glad we did! 10/10 recommend if you are looking for lingering Covid headache relief! I also experience severe anxiety and depression (I’m on Celexa as well), and this has helped supplement that tremendously."

• CBA...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 29, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I was initially diagnosed with simple but very serious depression. My psychiatrist tried numerous SSRIs and SNRIs with no impact on my depression, and each of these types of drugs caused a severe anxiety disorder to manifest itself. I did extensive research on my own and found that for some people, gabapentin works for depression. I suggested this to my doctor, and he was open to it. At first, he started me on a very low dose of 300 mg daily. This had zero impact. We began titrating up until my current dose of 800 mg 3x daily. He was initially resistant to prescribe this dose of gabapentin, but I really pushed to try this high dose. Lo and behold, gabapentin at this dose has made a MAJOR difference in my depression. The only warning I would give is that if I miss even 24 hours of my daily dose of gabapentin, my depression immediately begins to return, and if I miss two days, I’m a total mess."

• Sma...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2017

For Anxiety "In 2009, I was nearly crippled by severe general anxiety disorder and have taken Xanax every single day of my life since. In the past year, through the use of regular yoga and meditation, I have weaned back to 1 mg/day. However, I could never really sleep deeply, and I could not go a night without Xanax. I would basically get no sleep at all. Even with it, I would often wake up at 4 am and need to take more. Two months ago, I was prescribed duloxetine. I take it at bedtime, and it helps, but it never really shut off that buzzing anxiety in the background of my brain. So, the doctor started me on gabapentin, and I have been sleeping like a baby and slowly reducing the Xanax. It's even helped some with my fibromyalgia."

• She...
• January 27, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I first started experiencing restless leg when I was 17. I'm 23 now. I immediately went to the doctor as I was wanting to literally claw my face off and stab my leg multiple times. I was put on ropinirole 0.5, then 1, then 2. It began making me very anxious at night to the point I was extremely agitated. It increased my anxiety tremendously right before I was prescribed gabapentin. I have dexter scoliosis and osteoarthritis in my back affecting my sciatic nerve. It sucks for my nerve pain but works WONDERS for my restless leg. I love it. I currently take 600 mg in the AM and 900 mg in the PM. The drowsiness is more at night vs. in the AM, but it still makes me quite drowsy. I don't care. As long as the RLS is gone!!"