Gabapentin and Dizziness: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Fre...
• July 27, 2017

For Fibromyalgia "Amazing. Have severe fibromyalgia pain as well as chronic cervical spondylosis, following a failed neck surgery. Tried everything, was put on pregabalin but it stopped working & so expensive. Dr. switched to Gabapentin (dirt cheap) at low doses below 600mg just caused sedation did nothing, but at higher doses 900 mg (at night only) my pain melted away from 9 to 1. No longer sedates me but clears brain fog and restores energy and motivation. It's also done wonders for uplifting my depressed mood (a real happy pill). Some insomnia, but I need far less sleep & no longer fatigued. Side effects are some occasional tremors & dizziness, myoclonus, when it's time to re-dose, but nothing bad. A miracle medicine. Great for chronic fatigue."

• Jay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 29, 2017

For Peripheral Neuropathy "I was prescribed Gabapentin for nerve entrapment-related pain. I'm 31, slightly overweight, but otherwise healthy according to my last round of physicals. I also am not diabetic. My doctor recommended 300 mg, three times per day. Gabapentin made me tired, forgetful, imbalanced, temperamental, emotional, dizzy, decreased my short-term memory, and ultimately made me sluggish in thought. The only thing Gabapentin did not do was relieve pain. I gave it 30 days before discontinuing. It took two months before my thoughts and memory were no longer sluggish. (I literally had delayed speech, slurred speech, and developed a stutter.)"

• you...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 30, 2013

For Peripheral Neuropathy "I found out I have a pre-cancer which is damaging my nerves. I'm 37. I could barely walk due to pain in my legs, mostly hips and knees. I also have intense shooting pains in my legs, wrists, and sometimes back. I was having to take Vicodin. The doctor started me on 300 mg 1/day and to increase by 300 mg every week for the next 3 weeks. When I first took it, I got extremely ill with severe nausea, vertigo, dizziness. I stuck it out and every time I went up on the dose, it would take 3 days to feel better. It paid off. It gave me a lot of life back. I stopped limping, I stopped having shooting pains. My numb areas got smaller. As a plus, I have dealt with migraines for 25 years and they're better. Also off Vicodin! Give it a month to really feel better!"

• you...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 30, 2013

For Peripheral Neuropathy "I found out I have a pre-cancer which is damaging my nerves. I'm 37. I could barely walk due to pain in my legs, mostly hips and knees. I also have intense shooting pains in my legs, wrists, and sometimes back. I was having to take Vicodin. The doctor started me on 300 mg 1/day and to increase by 300 mg every week for the next 3 weeks. When I first took it, I got extremely ill with severe nausea, vertigo, dizziness. I stuck it out and every time I went up on the dose, it would take 3 days to feel better. It paid off. It gave me a lot of life back. I stopped limping, I stopped having shooting pains. My numb areas got smaller. As a plus, I have dealt with migraines for 25 years and they're better. Also off Vicodin! Give it a month to really feel better!"

• com...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 8, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I have neuropathic pain, seizures, and bipolar disorder, all of which can be treated by Gabapentin. At first, it seemed like I wasn't taking anything, but after getting on 3600mg/day, it has really improved my life. My pain is tolerable, the simple-partial seizures are well managed, and I am calm all the time. It took a large dose to work for me, but I am glad I tried it. My only complaint is that if I stand up quickly, I get dizzy. But relative to everything else, I don't mind."

• ben...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 23, 2019

For Insomnia "I have had profound insomnia for many years. Last night, finally I slept 7 hours with gabapentin. Dosage was 300 mg in the morning, and 600 mg at night before bed. The first two nights, I had zero sleep. The third night, BINGO! I slept 7 hours. The side effects seem to be less now. In the beginning, a person can be quite dizzy, feel tingly, and have a slight loss of coordination. Those side effects seem less than in the very beginning. My hope is to not be on this medication a long, long time but to eventually wean off. I must work with my doctor. All these psyche meds a person MUST, MUST wean slowly off. All of them. Especially the benzodiazepines. Some of the short-acting benzos like Xanax should be taken off the market. Very dangerous drug. VERY, VERY addictive."

• ben...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 23, 2019

For Insomnia "I have had profound insomnia for many years. Last night, finally I slept 7 hours with gabapentin. Dosage was 300 mg in the morning, and 600 mg at night before bed. The first two nights, I had zero sleep. The third night, BINGO! I slept 7 hours. The side effects seem to be less now. In the beginning, a person can be quite dizzy, feel tingly, and have a slight loss of coordination. Those side effects seem less than in the very beginning. My hope is to not be on this medication a long, long time but to eventually wean off. I must work with my doctor. All these psyche meds a person MUST, MUST wean slowly off. All of them. Especially the benzodiazepines. Some of the short-acting benzos like Xanax should be taken off the market. Very dangerous drug. VERY, VERY addictive."

• Dou...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 20, 2017

For Insomnia "I am a 67-year-old male. I had shingles about 2 years ago, and my doctor prescribed gabapentin. It provided only minimal pain relief. I've had insomnia for years but never sought treatment. I had tried Benadryl, which made me sleepy, but I would awake after 2-3 hours. So, I tried one 100 mg gabapentin and 25 mg of Benadryl in the evening. Fantastic! I sleep 7-8 hours of restful sleep with no noticeable side effects. The normal higher dose had no added benefit for me and tended to make me slightly dizzy."

• Kno...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2020

For Neuropathic Pain "I was prescribed 100 mg a day for tendonitis. At first, it was great, but then I had dizzy spells and blurred vision. After a few days, I broke the capsule open and removed half and took it in the morning. I had been quite short-tempered due to stress at work, and that immediately went away. My tendonitis is gone due to physical therapy and rest, but amazingly, this low dose has completely changed me into a person who isn't irritable all day. I can still focus on work, and I'm sleeping well."

• Bha...
• October 13, 2016

For Anxiety "I was on a low dose of Xanax for 12 years. When coming off it, I had terrible withdrawals and my old doctor wouldn't do anything for me so I was drinking 2-3 times a week and craving it the other 4-5 days. I got a new doctor and he gave me Baclofen and Gabapentin. Other than blurred vision and general dizziness, they have taken away the withdrawals and I have no anxiety or RLS. I no longer drink and have determined that doing so makes the RLS worse. I no longer crave alcohol. I was able to cold turkey stop the Xanax. I presume the Gabapentin is for RLS and anxiety. I take 400mg 3-4 times a day (220 pound male). I have been on them for about 5 months now. I forget the exact cost, but I'm guessing about $18 for 3 months' worth (generic)."

• Cur...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 5, 2017

For Pain "I started taking this medicine 3 days ago for back pain. So far it has been helping a lot. I'm taking three 300 mg pills a day. Before this, I had been in terrible pain for about 2 months. I've been trying everything I can to get rid of it. Opiates had been the only thing that helped, but I don't like to take addictive drugs if I can avoid it. I literally would just wait until I couldn't bear it any longer and then take one. But so far with these, I'm feeling quite a bit better. The only negative is they definitely have some side effects. They made me a bit dizzy and queasy the first 2 days. I didn't get drowsy from them, though. Now that I'm on the 3rd day, the side effects seem to be milder. I'm hoping this will last along with the pain relief!"

• you...
• August 26, 2016

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I started having restless legs at 15. Then I kept it to myself even when I would be up all night sometimes taking 5 hot baths because I thought it was in my head. My psychiatrist actually prescribed it because she had prescribed me Adderall for ADD and it got so bad. When mine hits, it's literally like I want to claw/cut my legs off, kick them front to back, left to right, scratch them, hit them. Nothing helped. Gabapentin helped me immediately. To those of you who said it didn't help or it made you too sleepy... I was told to take mine at bedtime. Normally, I take it 2-3 hours before. 900 mg. I gave it a 9 because I do have breakthrough spells and bad clumsiness. Taking it 2-3 hours before makes me only be dizzy and clumsy before bed and not the next morning."

• 25...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 21, 2017

For Pain "This drug has multiple uses. I was prescribed it for social anxiety, as a replacement for the clonazepam (Klonopin) I had been taking for several years. It has very mild but noticeable effects. It sort of grounds you and keeps you calm, but not in a drugged-out way. It also helps you sleep soundly. And for me, it gives my lower back a break of sorts from the constant spectrum of pain and discomfort. This is a kind of miracle drug in a way. I would suggest not drinking more than one alcoholic beverage if taking more than 300 mg at a time, because you might get a little loopy. But it won't make you dizzy and want to vomit like oxycontin or percocet. The potential for abuse exists in my opinion, so talk with your doctor about a treatment regimen."

• Der...
• June 18, 2015

For Fibromyalgia "I have been taking Gabapentin for about 3 months. It has decreased my pain tremendously. I take 600mg twice a day for fibromyalgia. But some of the side effects are bothersome. If I take it on an empty stomach, I am okay. But if I eat within 5 hours of taking it, I become dizzy and feel drunk. Because of my family and work obligations sometimes I have to skip a dose so I can function properly. Also, I have trouble with my memory. I am a huge trivia buff, but right now it is hard for me to remember anything. I have not put on much weight, but it does seem that after I take a dose and eat, then I am hungry and cannot get full. So I have to choose, pain and no side effects, or no pain and feeling and acting drunk. I choose no pain."

• Dzi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 1, 2017

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Gabapentin has saved my sanity. I have severe RLS 24/7, all day, every day, no exception. I was put on Requip, which did nothing. I was then prescribed gabapentin, and my legs immediately calmed down. I couldn't believe it! I was ecstatic! I feel like a normal person again. It has caused some dizziness, balance issues here and there, and cognitive issues as well. But nothing I can't live with. I'm sure the symptoms will subside since I've only been on this medication for about a week. But it's worth it to stop that horrible feeling in my legs. I literally felt like I was going to lose my mind. This has been a miracle drug for me."

• Dzi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 1, 2017

For Restless Legs Syndrome "Gabapentin has saved my sanity. I have severe RLS 24/7, all day, every day, no exception. I was put on Requip, which did nothing. I was then prescribed gabapentin, and my legs immediately calmed down. I couldn't believe it! I was ecstatic! I feel like a normal person again. It has caused some dizziness, balance issues here and there, and cognitive issues as well. But nothing I can't live with. I'm sure the symptoms will subside since I've only been on this medication for about a week. But it's worth it to stop that horrible feeling in my legs. I literally felt like I was going to lose my mind. This has been a miracle drug for me."

• Don...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 7, 2017

For Hot Flashes "This medication is a godsend. I take 300 mg at bedtime, and it has completely cured both my hot flashes and sleep issues. It works every time. If I don't take it, within 24 hours, both issues recur. I have been told that because I am on such a low dose and only once daily, I should have no problems. I have taken it nightly for almost a year with no side effects other than slight dizziness upon waking the first couple of weeks I was taking it. I cannot imagine ever being without it. I now sleep 7-8 hours continuously, and it is quality sleep without restlessness."

• ped...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 10, 2013

For Peripheral Neuropathy "My leg pain was beyond #10. 2 days of 300mg 4 times a day I felt SUCH a relief from the pain. I told my Dr. it is a miracle. A few minor side effects like dizziness and weird feelings in the feet. BUT I would not want to live without gabapentin."

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

For Insomnia "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."

• slo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 11, 2019

For Peripheral Neuropathy "Gabapentin made me feel drunk when I started taking it, became incontinent at night, and also lost sense of balance and coordination. I have stopped using it and now seek other remedies for my feet, legs, and hands neuropathy. Herbal remedies are next to be tried."

• slo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 11, 2019

For Peripheral Neuropathy "Gabapentin made me feel drunk when I started taking it, became incontinent at night, and also lost sense of balance and coordination. I have stopped using it and now seek other remedies for my feet, legs, and hands neuropathy. Herbal remedies are next to be tried."

• Jud...
• January 15, 2020

For Neuropathic Pain "I had a case of shingles on my head and face and was given 300 mg of Gabapentin to take for the awful pain. It didn’t seem to help much, but the nerve pain down my arm from a spinal injury that I'd had for a while was gone. So my doctor kept me on it. No more migraines, very little nerve pain, muscles less inflamed, and blood pressure down. I sleep well but feel very tired ALL the time. At 300 mg dose, I was dizzy, stumbling, blurred vision, and nauseated. Gained 14 pounds. So I have dropped back to 100 mg dose at night. I’ve been concerned about my driving because I do not feel as alert and my response time is slow. What has been really frightening, however, is that I have stopped breathing during the night and wake up in complete panic. I’m scared and trying to step back my usage. Already my shoulder muscles hurt and the nerve pain down my arm and in my hand is coming back."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 19, 2012

Gabapentin for Postherpetic Neuralgia "I have nerve damage caused by surgery for removal of a Bartholin's Gland cyst. The nerve damage causes me constant pain, when untreated, from a scale of 8-10. The Gralise (along with Norco) makes it tolerable and in the mornings, sometimes my pain goes all the way down to a 4 (not every morning). The side effects I have are dizziness, inability to find words, blurred vision, and, strangely (because of where my pain is), increased libido. I can't even sit in a chair, yet all I think about all day is sex. The Gralise has helped a lot with my pain, but I only rated it an eight because of all of the potential side effects. As soon as my doctor finds another treatment (like a nerve block), I'm going to get off of it."

• Anx...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 8, 2017

For Anxiety "I suffered from extreme anxiety and depression for years. Now, I am taking 900mg of gabapentin daily, and my anxiety has disappeared. The side effects are dizziness and unpleasant-tasting food, but it is worth it as my anxiety is gone."

• Old...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 2, 2018

For Anxiety "I absolutely love gabapentin. I was originally prescribed this for generalized anxiety disorder, but actually, it hits a few things on me at once. It calms my anxiety, helps my essential tremor, and soothes my restless legs syndrome. It's an essential and beneficial CNS med that I will happily take forever if need be. I do not experience any side effects whatsoever, although there was some dizziness when I first started taking it. I take 1800 mg per day."