Gabapentin and Brain Fog: What Users Say (Page 2)

• cas...
• November 2, 2016

For Insomnia "I've tried different medications for over two years. This is the only medication that has worked for more than two months. Puts me to sleep and keeps me asleep. All other medications made me a zombie in the morning, or I woke up at 3 am."

• ski...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 28, 2012

For Pain "I have a herniated disc at C6 and a pinched nerve that shoots pain down my left arm. I started taking Neurontin 300 mg once a day for a week, then two a day the 2nd week, and now 3 a day. I'm a local truck driver, so reading your reviews had me worried. When I started this medicine, my doc also started me on Robaxin. Everything was okay until the 2nd week. I got the high feeling for about that whole day. Then the third week, same thing. I stopped taking the Robaxin cause it leaves me groggy and unfocused. I have ALMOST no pain in my arm after 3 weeks on Neurontin, even after I stopped taking the Robaxin. This medicine is awesome. I had doubts about its effectiveness until reading your comments. Thank you everyone. It doesn't affect my driving ability after I stopped the Robaxin."

• Hln...
• April 4, 2017

For Fibromyalgia "For all of you that speak of brain fog and dizzy lightheadedness with gabapentin. In my experience, gabapentin depletes B12. I am getting B12 injections monthly. And 3 days after the first injection, all the dizziness and brain fog was gone."

• 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."

• Dis...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 28, 2021

For Pain "Not only did this medication (600 mg once a day, not before bed) not help my pain as much as hoped, but it actually caused other problems, like burning eyes, burning skin on my arms, legs, and face, blue fingernails, swollen hands and legs, pain on washing and drying hands and wearing clothes that I have worn for years, and waking up with and spending all day with an intractable headache so bad I thought I was having a mini-stroke, plus brain fog, walking instability, memory loss, feeling super cold. I finally realized that gabapentin must be behind all this and tapered to half on the advice of my provider. Been only 2 days of tapering and many of the side effects, e.g., burning eyes, handwashing pain, dizziness, and headache have gone, plus my brain is so clear, something I haven't felt in the 2.5 months on this medication. Was told to do a week to 10 days on 300 mg and then stop, which I will definitely do. WILL NEVER TAKE THIS MEDICATION AGAIN!"

• jee...
• March 30, 2011

Gabapentin for Anxiety "I have had general anxiety most of my life, and occasional panic attacks. About a month ago, some personal issues tossed me into a week-long panic attack. I fell into a deep depression that made me have horrible physical pain. I started Neurontin 4 days ago and hours later, I was able to get up and move around. The panic attack stopped and I could feel it lifting. I'm still 'down' but I have things to be genuinely sad about. Today I am starting trazodone to help with sleep. I don't get drowsy on Neurontin. But for me, it worked immediately for the massive anxiety with no side effects except a foggy feeling which I no longer have with doses. The myalgia and pain from the depression is also nearly gone. I'm thrilled."

• cms...
• August 13, 2010

Gabapentin for Anxiety "My husband is on a 'light' dose of Neurontin (Gabapentin) and the medicine really works to relieve his anxiety. He has Parkinson's Disease and mild cognitive disorder, as well as Parkinson's depression. Neurontin works well on his tremor and his anxiety, but higher doses make him 'foggy.' His dosage is 800mg spread over 12-16 hours, with the option to increase the dose to 1000mg per day, depending on his anxiety level. He has been on Neurontin for many years and it continues to work well for him."

• Kha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2019

For Anxiety "My doctor tried gabapentin along with 60 mg Cymbalta for my severe anxiety/panic disorder. On 300 mg per day, I could not keep my eyes open and kept nodding off. It did not help my anxiety, it just made me feel sleepy and spaced out, like I was on morphine or heroin. I could not work, drive, or function at all on this drug. I nearly wrecked my car, and people thought I was on drugs. However, the same combination helped my mom tremendously with her depression and neuropathy. She had no side effects."

• Fib...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 2, 2021

For Fibromyalgia "I just started gabapentin, 400 mg 3x/day for fibromyalgia, and this drug is like a miracle. My pain was excruciating, and even something as simple as getting up from the couch hurt like anything, and walking was torturous due to the pain and stiffness in my upper, middle, and lower back. I was a slave to my heating pad and ice packs and was taking Tylenol and ibuprofen daily. It was hard to shower, clean, do laundry, or cook. This medication has brought my pain down from 8 to a 3! Side effects were tolerable. I was very loopy and mentally foggy the first few days, but that resolved quickly. This medication cost me a whopping 94 cents for a 30-day supply! I hope and pray that this medication keeps working!"

• Luc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 29, 2017

For Peripheral Neuropathy "I was prescribed gabapentin for mild peripheral neuropathy. Doc had me build up from 100 mg week 1, 200 mg week 2, then 100 mg 3 times per day thereafter. Severe side effects even with this low dose! Losing balance, dizzy, memory problems, coordination problems, foggy. I hate it, and weaning down, I take it twice a day now and will go down to once a day for a week, then stop."

• Jud...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 31, 2017

For Peripheral Neuropathy "This was prescribed for peripheral neuropathic pain from Lovastatin. It seemed to help with the pain but did not realize how it was affecting my memory and that it actually caused more pain that disappeared when I quit it. It was developed for seizures, not approved by FDA for off-label use like pain. Known since 2009, interferes with the brain making new synapses and can shrink the brain. It interferes with memory, recall of words/names was repeating myself and balance impaired. Drained energy. Causes mental fog. It damages mitochondria and is now considered one of the most deadly drugs. I feel so much better. I hope my brain will recover. Relative Lyrica has the same risks."

• JJ9...
• July 22, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "Without going into excessive detail, I've been on Lamictal for about 5 years. Tried anti-psychotics (almost all) but could not handle the weight gain from them. Recently, I realized that as great as Lamictal is, I needed to add an anti-psychotic and just deal with weight gain. But my psychiatrist suggested I try Gabapentin before anything else. I'm only on 600 mg a day (been on it for 4 days), and I know my body is still adjusting to it, so this might be a hasty review... but it's given me a calming feel, helped a little with racing thoughts, but I feel 'high' at times, like I'd drank a lot of codeine. It definitely makes you loopy, but I'm just gonna see how it goes. Just give it a try if you're Bipolar I and don't want the anti-psychotics."

• Pre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 10, 2016

For Pruritus "Prescribed for intense itching of the forearms caused by nerve damage at the C5-6 level. 300 mg 3x per day for 3 months. Took approximately two weeks to reach maximum effectiveness and completely blocks the itch that nothing else could stop. Only drawback is possibly some unknown mild brain fog/mental fatigue: difficulty expressing a thought because the appropriate (common) word escapes me, difficulty with information recall (short-term memory), 'spacing out.' The initial sleepiness experienced when taking a dose passed within a few weeks. Other than appearing as, and feeling like, an occasional 'airhead', this medication has been a tremendous asset."

• DBG...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 1, 2019

For Anxiety "At first, I thought gabapentin was great; it seemed like it was helping with my anxiety, and I had zero urge to drink alcohol for the first time in forever. Only problem is that after a few months, I turned into a ZOMBIE! I felt foggy all the time. I had trouble waking up in the morning and always felt like I had this nasty headache. It got hard for me to remember things; I could have a conversation with someone and not remember what it was about an hour later. I had to stop taking it because it was affecting my work; I was constantly spacing things and forgetting to, y'know, do my job. The withdrawal was BAD. I experienced increased anxiety and a creepy-crawly sensation on my skin for several days. Wish it worked out better for me because the original effects were great."

• Los...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 19, 2016

For Anxiety "Gabapentin has been working wonders for my anxiety and fibromyalgia, or maybe it's just because I can't stay awake long enough to feel a damn thing. I hate the living hell out of this pill. I have been trying to taper off of it for weeks now, and I'm in hell. Extreme abdominal pain. Can't actually sleep longer than 2 hours at a time, and when I'm awake, I feel like death. I can't focus or remember anything at all. This is truly hell."

• Red...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 27, 2018

For Fibromyalgia "I’ve been using gabapentin for 15 years. I was on 1200 mg, all I did was sleep and lived in a brain fog. I am on 900 mg now, and I can’t sleep. Of course, still brain fog and in pain. Not quite sure what medication is good for fibromyalgia. I have tried several other medications, for me, nothing has really helped - unless I want to sleep all the time, in which case the gabapentin is fantastic."

• Xan...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 24, 2019

Gabapentin "Gralise is horrible! 900 mg per day for nerve damage from thoracotomy and several spine surgeries - I have failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). I hate Gralise! Docs don’t understand/care how difficult it is to stop. They give it to reduce excited nerve impulses to the brain and change reactions or dull them. Don’t get on it because it’s almost impossible to discontinue and not worth the side effects! I’m a 66-year-old who was given Gab 9 years ago, then on Gralise. I can’t get off it, hate every pill I ingest. Gralise only comes in 300 mg/600 mg, and you can’t cut the pills as they are slow release, which makes slow withdrawal difficult. They tell you it’s a pain pill but really a brain pill! It changes emotional reaction to pain. It wreaks havoc with my complexion if I try to reduce the 900 mg. (I'm 66, not 16.) Never had blemishes until I tried to reduce the 900 mg. Causes weight gain, fatigue, and mental fog. I have a master's degree but have been reduced to an idiot. Don’t do it, you never know if you will be the lucky ones for whom it works or sorry you took the first pill!"

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

For Insomnia "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."

• SJa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 25, 2019

For Anxiety "After several years of taking increasing doses of several other antidepressants with diminishing results, my psychiatrist diagnosed me with treatment-resistant/atypical depression (along with the anxiety). I was kept on Wellbutrin, and gabapentin and Remeron were added in. It was one wild ride. I felt so loopy and out of it, but I felt completely emotionally dead and empty. It was quite scary. I spent an hour once just slowly pacing my hallway and then staring into space. They cut my dosage, but the side effects were still just too much. Once I cut the gabapentin completely, the side effects were gone."

• Anonymous
• April 18, 2011

For Anxiety "I love this medicine. I have moderate anxiety and sleeping problems. I get the 100 mg tablets and take a couple if I'm feeling anxious during the day and up it at night if I can't sleep. I love the ability to determine how many mg I am taking, and since I weigh only 100 lbs, most prescriptions do make me sick. I highly recommend this medicine. It has not made me feel drowsy or foggy at all. It simply calms everything down."

• Bev...
• February 11, 2017

For Fibromyalgia "I was prescribed Gabapentin this past September for sciatica caused by a herniated disc. It worked incredibly well for about three months, with no real noticeable side effects. After that, they got crazy. Body zaps, foggy brain, numbness in extremities, etc. Now I hurt from head to toe ALL the time and have every single one of the listed symptoms of fibro. I wonder if the gaba is actually either causing or amplifying low-key symptoms that I didn't realize I had? If anyone has any feedback, it would be appreciated. :)"

• Noo...
• January 14, 2017

For Neuropathic Pain "I have been having back pain for years, maybe 6+, I also have mild scoliosis and sciatic nerve pain. Usually, prednisone for a short period will work for a year or so. My back started at a 9 pain level on a 1 to 10 scale. My pain was so bad I could only stand for 5 minutes. My husband got me a nice bar stool with a back while I cooked. It helped. My GP then prescribed Gabapentin Capsules, starting at 100 MG, 1 cap at night for 2 nights, then added in the AM. I have had immediate relief. I can stand to cook, do dishes, etc. Today I have added a 100 MG midday. That puts me on 100 MG 3 times a day. I see that others are taking 300 MG or more 3 times a day? The first time I took 2 by mistake, I was supposed to take one for 2 days. I woke up druggy and loopy."

• Gab...
• May 13, 2018

For Peripheral Neuropathy "I've been on it for over a year, and here's the scoop: I was doing 300 mg 3x a day, but taking it in the morning made me 'uhhhhhh' at about noon. Since I have intermittent insomnia, the doc said it's okay to take all 3 (900 mg) in the evening. You can bet that helps me sleep! About 3 hours after I take it, I can feel it kicking in. I start to feel spacey, and by about 4 hours after I've taken it, my thoughts get more disconnected, and my speech can on occasion get slurred. Some nights it seems to hit me much harder than others, and I'm not sure the determining factor. I think if you don't have as much in your stomach, maybe? Some nights, wow, I get so loopy that it's home and straight to bed. An interesting side effect, too, is that I've found myself getting a vague compulsion-like thing if I don't make myself power down when I'm really feeling sleepy. I do want to add that also -- I have severe cervical spine stenosis, and this also helps for that pain, like a lot. A lot."

• pan...
• November 8, 2016

For Fibromyalgia "I have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome for 30 yrs. I have, like most, tried every drug under the sun, and none have really worked. Even at very high doses, pain meds do nothing for my pain. I decided to try gabapentin because I read it would help with the insomnia and hopefully stop some of the pain. I stopped all pain meds and started at 100 mg at night. Yes, I have slept, yes, it has relieved some of the pain, yes, I am like a zombie during the day, no, I will not continue it. But I feel it is worth a shot for everyone with FMS or CFS, as I see it has helped many."

• fog...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 10, 2021

For Neuropathic Pain "Worse medicine ever. Nine years ago, went to the ER with symmetrical, extreme burning pain going from both elbows to middle fingertips. MRI revealed a bulging disk between C5-C6. Doctor discharged me the next day with 30 days' worth of gabapentin. RUINED MY LIFE. It did nothing for the pain; I could only sleep 3-4 hours per night in 1-2 hour spurts; extreme confusion, forgetfulness, and 'brain fog' during all waking hours; and brought on extreme depression and anxiety. It was so bad I had to drop out of college my senior year because my mind was not functioning (I had a very demanding degree). Here it is 9 years later, and I am still dealing with issues and the fallout. Only 30 days on this 'medicine' 9 years ago... Stay away from this chemical. P.S. Lyrica is not much better."