Gabapentin is used for nerve pain and epilepsy. It works differently from ordinary painkillers, which is why it helps burning, shooting or electric-shock type pain that paracetamol and ibuprofen do not touch. It is a controlled drug, and both starting and stopping it are done gradually.
Nerve pain — including diabetic neuropathy, sciatica, and the lasting nerve pain that can follow shingles — and as an add-on treatment for some types of epilepsy. It is sometimes used for restless legs syndrome.
It does not work like a painkiller taken as needed. It has to be taken regularly to build up an effect.
Doses are started low and increased in steps over days or weeks. That build-up is to let side effects settle, not a formality — starting at a full dose usually makes people too drowsy to continue.
Take it at regular intervals through the day, with or without food. Swallow capsules whole.
It can take several weeks at an effective dose before you know whether it is helping. If it is not, it should be reduced and stopped rather than continued indefinitely.
Drowsiness, dizziness, unsteadiness, tiredness, weight gain and swollen ankles are the common ones. Do not drive or use machinery until you know how it affects you — driving while impaired is an offence.
Get medical advice for:
Gabapentin and opioid painkillers together significantly increase the risk of serious breathing problems, particularly in older people and those with lung disease. Tell your prescriber everything you take.
Alcohol adds substantially to drowsiness. Gabapentin is a controlled drug, so there are rules around prescription validity and travelling abroad with it — ask us before a trip.
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