Upping Gabapentin - Side Effect Increase?

[SjoGirl]

For those taking Gabapentin, I am going to be upping my dose from two hundred MG per day to six hundred. When you upped your dose (or started taking at least 600 mg) did it have any impact such as making you more tired, wired, or otherwise unable to function? I am still working and driving and wondering if this will affect my ability to do those things.

[Bobbie]

Hi SjoGirl,

I have been on 600 for quite awhile.  I have noticed no big change.

Bobbie

[quietdynamics]

Whenever I have introduced or needed to increased a dose of a medication I had done so at night during the weekend, starting Friday night.

We are all different.
Increasing Gabapentin helped me. Later another med was added and I could lower dose to now 600mg x 2 for over two years now. Prior it was much higher. For myself it helps manage both SJS and Fibro symptoms so I get a two-few with one med combo.. 
https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00996

[SjoGirl]

Thanks Bobbie and QuietDynamics. I started upping today and will do so slowly, with more focus on doing so over the weekend.

I do hope that side effects will be few, but that the increased dose will help with nerve pain. When I told him about the current situation my rhuemy said he sees no benefit in putting me on an immuno suppresant (which is an option the neurologist said might be considered).

The rheumy also noted that there is no one drug for SjS, which we all know and lament. Onward!

[bloodless]

600 mg morning, noon and night. No problemo at all. I feel like little ants are biting me if I don't.

[Carolina]

Hi SjoGirl:

I took 3600mg/day with no increase in side effects.  In fact, I never felt any side effects.

I am so disabled by profound PN that I cannot walk easily, but the dose of Gabapentin didn't make me sleepy or 'dopey' which I think are the most common side effects.

Right now I take 1800mg/day along with 1500mg/day of another neuroleptic, Depakote.

No side effects.  But the Depakote is for my seizures/tremors, and isn't helping.  I don't know if I need more, or another medication: Keppra most likely.  I see a specialist is epilepsy, so I will get advice.

The Gabapentin frees me from the horror of SFN.  Without it my skin becomes a cage of pain, itching, burning, stinging.  With it I have immediate relief and joy.

What was life for people with SFN BEFORE Gabapentin?

I wish you well.

Hugs, Elaine

[Madison Granny]

I upped my Gabapentin dose from 100 to 300 with not ill effects.  When I see my rheumy in March I am going to ask him about adding at least one does durning the day.

[Princess Tusi]

I'm struggling to increase past 2 2x a day, I get very tired and "off my face"! I've had to remove Diclofenac and reduce my paracetamol (Tylenol) due to an unhappy liver so increasing this would help me, but I'm too disconnected. We have a long weekend this weekend, so I may try again...

[sixty]

I have increased my dosage with absolutely no problem, but reducing it can be another story.