Gabapentin and Weight Gain: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Klo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 3, 2015

For Anxiety "Ok, Gabapentin worked fine for me for anxiety. But I was unaware of the ridiculous side effects it comes with. I was a 160 lb male, which I was happy with. Unexpectedly, I kept gaining weight that I was unaware of. From 160 lbs, now I'm 245 lbs!!! That's 85 lbs I gained within just 8 months!! I tried to stop taking it for just 1 day, and I went into SEVERE withdrawal. It felt worse than both opiate and benzo withdrawal!! Stay away from this drug!"

• jul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 14, 2016

For Pain "I was taking gabapentin for about 4 months, and it really helped with the side effects and pain from stenosis in my lower back, which is trapping my sciatic nerve. However, due to my ankles swelling and weight gain, my doctor has switched me to Lyrica, and OMG, I'm only on day 3, and I want off it. I have decided to return to taking gabapentin, as the side effects are nothing like I am experiencing now."

• tec...
• September 7, 2015

For Peripheral Neuropathy "It reduced the nerve pain by 30 percent, but I had to take 1800 mg a day to do it. The side effects seemed to increase the longer I was taking it. The main side effects I had were fatigue, weight gain, sexual dysfunction, excessive hunger. After taking it for a few years, I decided it wasn't worth it and used massage therapy instead, which improved my circulation without the side effects and reduced the pain just as much or more."

• Rep...
• November 3, 2014

For Hot Flashes "I was prescribed 100 mg x 3 Gabapentin, increased to 300 mg x 3. Worked a little on sweating, but after a few months, I noticed I had gained weight. Soon, it was spiraling out of control, and before I knew it, I had gained almost 20 lbs! Discontinued use (I had no withdrawal). Went back to my normal size in a few weeks and tried to take the Gabapentin again. Seemed okay at first, then the weight came back again. I am also on Amitriptyline, which I saw someone mention earlier. Also had dizziness and difficulty urinating. Nothing is worth the weight gain."

• 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."

• Les...
• November 30, 2016

For Anxiety "I found a huge difference just from day 1. I have noticed a huge difference in my depression. I had gained a lot of weight, though I don't know if that's from getting clean or not. It really does help, though."

• Mik...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 4, 2019

For Peripheral Neuropathy "I take gabapentin 3 times each day at 300 mg. I feel so much better since taking gabapentin. I take 300 mg in the morning and double dose after dinner and double dose before bed. But I have gained over 1 stone of weight, also, I find in the hot weather we have had, I feel more fuzzy and tired. But it is worth it. Before I started taking gabapentin, the nerve damage after a treble spine decompression was unbearable at night, my feet hurt so much sometimes I did not know what to do with the pain. I still get some pain and stabbing pain, but it's more manageable. Thank you, gabapentin."

• Bai...
• December 30, 2011

For Pain "I have degenerative disc disease and recently blew a disc in my neck, which was excruciating. I've dealt with lower back disc-related issues for 30 years, but this pain in my neck, left shoulder, and arm was beyond anything I could cope with. I wasn't sleeping, and functioning was near impossible. The doctors tried me on Lyrica, which was bad for me, then Cymbalta, which made me lose a lot of hair and extreme muscle cramps (not to mention the really bad withdrawals), but just a week into taking 200 mg of gabapentin before bed, I am virtually pain-free! I've gained a little weight, but that's about it. My fingers and hands are still tingling, but the pain associated is almost gone and most definitely tolerable. I LOVE this stuff so far."

• Ang...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 28, 2022

For Anxiety "I started this med for panic attacks and found it was helpful for a ton of other unexpected things I was struggling with as well (hot flashes, migraines, pain...). I chose not to continue taking it multiple times a day like many others do because it made me feel like I was hungry all day, every day, but taking 200-300 mg at night for sleep/anxiety when needed has been really effective. I sleep like a baby when I take it. The only single downside to this med for me is feeling hungry/weight gain."

• kma...
• April 6, 2012

For Peripheral Neuropathy "I suffer from paresthesia in both arms, sciatica, and anxiety/PTSD. I am currently taking 1500 mg gabapentin/day. Results have been amazing. Numbness and tingling in arms reduced by 70%, sciatica pain gone, and as a bonus, the sedating effects are incredibly effective for my anxiety. Also has improved the quality and quantity of my sleep. The biggest side effect, which if it gets worse, I will discontinue gabapentin, is the weight gain. I gained 15 pounds in 8 weeks. Slight blurry vision. Great medicine overall with some mitigating side effects."

• Ter...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 19, 2019

For Anxiety "I started taking gabapentin, 300 mg 3 times a day, about a month ago. At first, it did a lot for my anxiety, although I experienced a lot of side effects: dizziness, bloating, weight gain. I was able to cut way back on my Ativan use. However, the last week, my anxiety has shot through the roof, and I have had to take gabapentin about every two hours instead of four. The side effects have subsided, though. I am going to ask my therapist this Friday whether I should increase my dose or try to get off this drug."

• 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!"

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

For Insomnia "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."

• Clo...
• January 14, 2013

For Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy "The medicine was prescribed for diabetic neuropathy of the feet, it worked in alleviating the pain in my feet. I gained weight while taking it but did not know why. About 3 months ago, I stopped it, and since then I have lost 25 lbs not trying to lose weight. I do have a little problem of insomnia since stopping, but not enough to take a sleeping pill. I wish I had known about the weight loss from stopping the medicine before now, as I thought there was really something wrong with me while dropping the weight."

• bea...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 26, 2016

For Hot Flashes "Started taking gabapentin about a year ago for night sweats. Doctor told me to start with 100 mg and can increase to 300 mg if needed. I found the sweet spot to be right at 200 mg every night around 7:30 pm. Night sweats have literally diminished. BUT, I just had lunch with a friend who I hadn't seen in a while, and she tells me about a nerve issue she was having and her doctor put her on this drug. Within a month, she was gaining weight and experiencing horrible bloating. This was my 'ah ha' moment of 'is that my problem?'. I have slowly gained about 20 pounds in the last year and work out like a dog, eat well, and cannot figure out what is wrong with me, other than the fact that I am now 50!"

• tca...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 23, 2016

For Hot Flashes "After surgical menopause a year ago, I had the hot flashes from hell, at least every 20-30 minutes, plus night sweats and no sleep because of night sweats, so I started taking estradiol, and that eliminated all of it. But I was getting really bad headaches, and I gained some lbs, so I stopped that and read up on other medications that could reduce or eliminate hot flashes and came upon gabapentin. It helps a lot, I still get hot flashes but only a couple times a day and no more night sweats. The only thing is I'm afraid of weight gain, but sometimes you have to take the lesser of the two evils. I take 200 mg at night, and that seems to do the job. Love it!"

• Ksk...
• September 25, 2017

For Fibromyalgia "I was prescribed gabapentin for pain due to fibromyalgia. I was in severe pain. My pain doctor told me she thought I should try gabapentin for relief for the fibromyalgia. It actually worked very well. The problem was that before I started taking it I had no problems with breathing or water weight gain. After only a month of being on that medication, I had to go to my normal PCP because I felt like I couldn't breathe. I could feel water all the way up my thighs and into my belly. I had gained 30 pounds in one month due to water weight. I ended up being diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension because, I believe, of gabapentin. I will never use it again. I'm still on oxygen 5 years later."

• sea...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 22, 2020

For Migraine "Helps with migraine and anxiety. I was on 600 mg at night. I quit taking it because of side effects. Unfortunately, my headaches and anxiety have come back since I quit. I'm going to see if my doctor can give me a lower dose this time, maybe the side effects won't be so bad. Side effects were dry mouth, blurry vision, eye pain, memory issues, dizziness, and weight gain."

• Ind...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 12, 2019

For Pain "I was taking 1200 mg gabapentin daily for pain, but the more I took, the more my body became used to it, and it slowed down in effectiveness. It wasn't until later I discovered that it also can cause weight gain. Along with another medication I was taking for anxiety, which also had the side effect of weight gain, I had gained 60 lbs. I stopped both of them."

• ydr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2015

For Pain "300 mg Gabapentin - It definitely got rid of my depression and fibromyalgia pain, but after 6 weeks, I gained 30 lbs. I discontinued the drug after 6 weeks, but my weight continues to increase after a year."

• Gyp...
• June 9, 2016

For Fibromyalgia "I have a love-hate relationship with this drug! I have been on and off this medicine multiple times in the past 5 years. At the beginning, I saw tremendous relief in my FM symptoms that only lasted about 3 years. It was up and down with changing the dosage because, for me, weight gain on this pill is ridiculous, so my doctor kept me on the lowest dose until I needed a little more. So my dosage was anywhere from 300 mg x 2 or x 3 daily. All this changed in year 4 when I went into a horrible flare-up during winter, and not even gabapentin could fix it. I noticed that it just stopped working for me. P.S. Withdrawals are horrible: anxiety, insomnia, hot/cold spells, stomach issues, fatigue, nausea, muscle cramps. Best wishes to all withdrawing, hang in there, it gets better!"

• che...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2016

For Fibromyalgia "I have been taking gabapentin 100mg, 6 pills a day, and my pain has gotten worse. I'm so sore and stiff, barely wanting to move because it hurts too bad and gaining weight like crazy. Please help, I have been so depressed. The pain, at times, is unbelievable. Can't handle much more."

• Kat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 2, 2013

For Anxiety "600 mg three times a day. I was taking Gabapentin for 3 years, but I stopped it because it has too many side effects, including numbness on my whole body, weight gain is a major fact, more headaches than usual, sleepy, tired, active but with a tingling sensation on my tongue, and so on, depression when I didn't take it, intolerable, anxiety, sweats, withdrawal symptoms, but it does help with pain and many things, but the consequences of it are horrible. Memory loss is another fact, definitely, it is a very dangerous medication."

• Cha...
• May 9, 2015

For Migraine "I had been taking Topamax and Botox injections. They helped initially, the Botox helps within one week, sometimes two. I got injections every three months. Quit working after a while. Now on gabapentin. Seems to be helping somewhat on a higher dose, but weight gain is horrible! I do not have increased appetite nor eat more either. Not sure what to do about it. Can't keep increasing weight."

• Suz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2020

For Migraine "I started on Gabapentin for my migraines because Amitriptyline made me a bit of a slow thinker, and I still had pain. I had a lot of energy on the Gabapentin, but was easily agitated. My migraine was not a typical headache, but more of a head sensitivity, which made wearing glasses really hard. On the Gabapentin medication, I started getting regular headaches along with my other pain. I also had stomach bloating and gained 6 pounds in a month. I had high hopes for this medication, but unfortunately for me, it didn’t help."