So I've been on gabapentin since November, 2013. It does a pretty good job of controlling the pain and I've had only a couple days of breakthrough pain since I started taking it.
This past week or so, I just have no energy or motivation to do anything. I have literally spent most of the day in bed, sleeping. I know depression is a side effect of gabapentin, and I have a history of severe depression, but this doesn't feel like any depression I've had. I just feel LAZY with no motivation.
Could this be a side effect or do you think it's just me?
I have been on Gabapentin for a long time. Depression set in after . I sleep late and no engery. It dosen't help when the Dr. increases the dose. I went from a small dose. now to 1200mg a day. During my Trigeminal sugery I had a mini stroke.
Gabapentin is the one drug, of all of those that I have tried, that left me feeling very hollow and depressed. It worked well for the type I pain that I had before my MVD but I could not handle the lack of motivation and depression that it caused. I gained weight, wanted to sleep all the time and found myselft in tears at the drop of a hat. I am although desperate enough right now to be trying it for a third time. This time taking it only at night, along with Cymbalta. We'll see where the journey takes me. I would suggest that you talk to your doctor about your feelings. Wishing you pain free days.
Gabapentin made me a total slug. "Hollow" is a great term for what I felt, too. I felt like I was in a thick, dull fog. It dulled me mentally, emotionally and physically. Even my arms felt heavy and I gained a lot of weight. It did help with the pain in combination with steroid nerve blocks. After nerve blocks stopped working, I switched to Lamictal (Lamotrigine). Way less side effects and works as well or better than Gabapentin for my pain. I feel much more awake, happier and more energetic, plus I lost the weight I had gained. I still take an antidepressant (been on antidepressants for years).
I finally got off the anti-depressants and really don't want to go back on. I just wish I could find a way to have some energy and motivation these days. This isn't like any depression I've had in the past, just more lack of energy and no motivation to do things. Next time I go to my doctor I'll have to discuss it with her if it's still an issue.
a few years back my neuro had me check into a clinic to see why i was sleeping so much (i was on gabapentin at the time, prescribed by this same neuro) ... they could find no reason for what was causing me to sleep so much ... he put me on a pill called provigil to keep me awake ... it worked for me ... but after a few months i quit because it was too much of a hassle to have the prescription filled ... my insurance company would refuse the refill each month unless they talked to the prescribing doctor and have him explain why i needed this medication ... my co-pay for this medication was $50 each month, another reason i stopped taking it ... doesnt really matter to me if i sleep a lot anymore ... on another note, it gets me out of jury duty, the excessive sleeping ... *shrugs*
I also take Gabapentin but take equal doses 3x daily. It was my understanding that it is best to keep it steady/consistent in our system and it seems to lose effectiveness after 5-7 hours. Some on here spread it over 4 doses a day which I suspect might be ideal.
At my last neuro appt. I told my dr. that I was having rough patches during the day. He asked when they seemed to happen. I told him it was usually in the mid/late afternoon. At the time I was taking 200 mg AM, 100 mg mid day and 300 mg PM. Doh! I felt a little silly but had never made the connection before.
Jenna said:
Morning studentNpain!
I also take Gabapentin (Gralise) 300mg - 7 pills, once a day. It is now becoming inaffective, it's been 16 yrs with TN, my neurologist is now suggesting MVD. I have the same HALLOW feelings, I just don't enjoy things like I used too. I'm tired all the time, yet I have trouble sleeping. It really didn't dawn on me that it could be the meds, stupid huh, I was just happy they kept the pain at bay. So I now have another incentive for having the surgery. From some of the others that have responded, it's not just you, hang in there, I hoping you find something that works for you.
I, too, am on Gabapentin and feel tired all the time. I even take Melatonin to get to sleep at a fairly decent hour at night. Then I have weird dreams. I'm up for an hour or two and then I'm ready to fall asleep again. I take 600 a.m. 300 mid day and 600 p.m. I'm fighting upping the mid day to 600 because that will max me out, but, I'm having a lot of headaches, ear and jaw pain, that comes and goes (except headache, that's pretty constant). I have a history of depression, so I take 100mg Zoloft. I don't want to up that either. I've gained some weight and I wasn't thin to begin with.