Get help right away if breathing problems occur. What are gabapentin tablets? Gabapentin tablets are a prescription medicine used to treat:. Pain from damaged nerves postherpetic pain that follows healing of shingles a painful rash that comes after a herpes zoster infection in adults.
Partial seizures when taken together with other medicines in adults and children 3 years of age and older with seizures. Who should not take gabapentin tablets? Do not take gabapentin tablets if you are allergic to gabapentin or any of the other ingredients in gabapentin tablets.
See the end of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in gabapentin tablets. What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking gabapentin tablets? Before taking gabapentin tablets, tell your healthcare provider if you:. It is not known if gabapentin tablets can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant while taking gabapentin tablets. You and your healthcare provider will decide if you should take gabapentin tablets while you are pregnant.
The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the safety of antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy. You can enroll in this registry by calling Gabapentin can pass into breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide how you will feed your baby while you take gabapentin tablets.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take any opioid pain medicine such as oxycodone , any medicines for anxiety such as lorazepam or insomnia such as zolpidem , or any medicines that make you sleepy. You may have a higher chance for dizziness, sleepiness, or breathing problems if these medicines are taken with gabapentin tablets.
Taking gabapentin tablets with certain other medicines can cause side effects or affect how well they work. Do not start or stop other medicines without talking to your healthcare provider. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.
How should I take gabapentin tablets? Take gabapentin tablets exactly as prescribed. Your healthcare provider will tell you how much gabapentin to take. Do not change your dose of gabapentin tablets without talking to your healthcare provider. If you take gabapentin tablets and break a tablet in half, the unused half of the tablet should be taken at your next scheduled dose. Half tablets not used within 28 days of breaking should be thrown away. Gabapentin tablets can be taken with or without food.
If you take too much gabapentin, call your healthcare provider or your local Poison Control Center right away at What should I avoid while taking gabapentin tablets? Do not drink alcohol or take other medicines that make you sleepy or dizzy while taking gabapentin tablets without first talking with your healthcare provider.
Taking gabapentin tablets with alcohol or drugs that cause sleepiness or dizziness may make your sleepiness or dizziness worse. For postherpetic neuralgia, it seems to prevent the increase in sensitivity to pain that occurs. For seizures, it may alter the effect of calcium low levels of calcium may cause seizures.
Gabapentin oral capsule causes dizziness and drowsiness. Avoid driving or using heavy machinery while taking this drug until you know how it affects you. Gabapentin oral capsule can cause mild or serious side effects. The following list contains some of the key side effects that may occur while taking gabapentin.
This list does not include all possible side effects. For more information on the possible side effects of gabapentin, or tips on how to deal with a troubling side effect, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Some of the more common side effects that can occur with use of gabapentin are listed below, along with their rates:. The side effect rates are based on patients over 12 years old, as reported in clinical trials for the brand equivalent, Neurontin. Certain rates vary by age. There were no clinically significant differences in rates between men and women.
For more information, see the FDA package insert. If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:.
Gabapentin oral capsule can interact with several other medications. Different interactions can cause different effects. For instance, some can interfere with how well a drug works, while others can cause increased side effects. Below is a list of medications that can interact with gabapentin.
This list does not contain all drugs that may interact with gabapentin. Before taking gabapentin, be sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take.
Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist. When used with gabapentin, opioids can cause dangerous effects in the body.
Some examples of these drugs include morphine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone. Taking gabapentin with an opioid increases your risk for severe sleepiness, respiratory depression, coma, and even death. When used with gabapentin, certain drugs used to treat stomach acid problems can reduce the amount of gabapentin in your body. This can make it less effective. Taking gabapentin 2 hours after taking these drugs can help prevent this problem. Examples of these drugs include:. The following information describes dosages that are commonly used or recommended.
However, be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. Your doctor will determine the best dosage to suit your needs. Your kidney function may decrease with age. Your body may get rid of this drug more slowly. Your doctor may start you on a lower dose so that too much of this drug does not build up in your body. Too much of the drug in your body can be dangerous. Your doctor may change your dose based on how well your kidneys are working. Typical starting dosage: mg per day mg, three times per day, spaced evenly throughout the day.
Your doctor may increase your dose to 2,—3, mg per day. The usual maintenance dose is —1, mg per day, divided into three doses daily. Your doctor may increase this dose to 2,—3, mg per day.
Kidney problems: If you are older than 12 years and have kidney problems or are on hemodialysis, your dose of gabapentin will need to be changed. This will be based on how well your kidneys are working.
Gabapentin oral capsule comes with several warnings. Call your doctor if you start having more seizures or a different kind of seizure while taking this drug. Gabapentin can slow your thinking and motor skills and cause drowsiness and dizziness.
You should not drive or use heavy machinery while taking this drug until you know how it affects you. Using this drug increases your risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior.
Talk to your doctor if you feel depressed or notice any changes in your mood or behavior. Also talk to your doctor if you are having thoughts of harming yourself, including suicide. This medication can cause multiorgan hypersensitivity. This syndrome can be life-threatening. Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms such as a rash, a fever, or swollen lymph nodes. Taking it a second time after any allergic reaction to it could be fatal cause death.
If your doctor tells you to take one-half of a regular tablet as part of your dose, carefully split the tablet along the score mark. Use the other half-tablet as part of your next dose. Properly dispose of any half-tablets that you have not used within several days of breaking them. If you are taking gabapentin to control seizures or PHN, your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of gabapentin and gradually increase your dose as needed to treat your condition.
If you are taking gabapentin to treat PHN, tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve during your treatment. Gabapentin may help to control your condition but will not cure it. Continue to take gabapentin even if you feel well. Do not stop taking gabapentin without talking to your doctor, even if you experience side effects such as unusual changes in behavior or mood.
If you suddenly stop taking gabapentin tablets, capsules, or oral solution, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, nausea, pain, and sweating.
If you are taking gabapentin to treat seizures and you suddenly stop taking the medication, you may experience seizures more often. Your doctor may decrease your dose gradually over at least a week. Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet Medication Guide when you begin treatment with gabapentin and each time you refill your prescription.
Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. Gabapentin is also sometimes used to relieve the pain of diabetic neuropathy numbness or tingling due to nerve damage in people who have diabetes , and to treat and prevent hot flashes sudden strong feelings of heat and sweating in women who are being treated for breast cancer or who have experienced menopause ''change of life'', the end of monthly menstrual periods.
Talk to your doctor about the risks of using this medication for your condition. This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. If you forget to take gabapentin capsules, tablets, or oral solution, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it.
However, if it is almost time for the next dose or if you forget to take gabapentin extended-release tablets, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. Gabapentin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store the tablets, extended-release tablets, and capsules at room temperature, away from excess heat and moisture not in the bathroom. Store the oral solution in the refrigerator.
It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location — one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.
Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at
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