Insomnia While Taking Gabapentin
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Have been taking gabapentin for a week and am having trouble sleeping anyone having the same problem.

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Re: Carla (# 8)

You should be taking Requip for restless leg. I take this and it worked wonders. There is a generic for this.

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Re: Lou (# 10)

I started taking gabapentin 300mg last night, I was so sleepy before taking the meds, the meds woke me up and I couldn’t go to sleep

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Re: M (# 47)

Hi, I have been on gabapentin 900 mg at night 600 mg in the morning. It has definitely helped with my neuropathy due to chemo. I've been on it for about a year but only in the last 2 months has it started keeping me awake at night, my lips feel cold and I have anxiety. I was then given Klonopin 0.5 mg to take at night and it does help. It's now almost 3 a.m. and I didn't take the Klonopin so I'm wide awake and fidgety. I hate the way it makes me feel but it helps so much with the neuropathy.

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Re: Alex (# 45)

Hi, I have been on gabapentin 900 mg at night 600 mg in the morning. It has definitely helped with my neuropathy due to chemo. I've been on it for about a year but only in the last 2 months has it started keeping me awake at night, my lips feel cold and I have anxiety. I was then given Klonopin 0.5 mg to take at night and it does help. It's now almost 3 a.m. and I didn't take the Klonopin so I'm wide awake and fidgety. I hate the way it makes me feel but it helps so much with the nerve pain.

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I'm glad that i'm not the only one. It helps my husband sleep, but I've on it a week and haven't gotten a good night's sleep since.

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I take 900mg at night and will go for days with minimal sleep. It’s suppposed to make you drowsy but seems to have the opposite effect on me. When I do sleep, it’s up and down all night. Not really willing to stop taking it because it’s the only thing that’s ever helped with neuropathy in my arm. Before, neuropathy was so bad I was digging holes in my arm from scratching. I don’t know if they could prescribe sleep meds with it or what but somethings gotta give.

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Dr prescribed gabapentin for insomnia (100 mg) and slept very well. Very tired next day. Now that I’m trying to stop taking this drug, can’t sleep.

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I was put on Gabapentin again (I was previously taking it months ago for over a year to help treat anxiety) to help deal with severe nerve pain post surgery. I'm on 300mg 3x daily since I was used to it after taking it before. Since I started it a couple of days ago I have not been able to sleep at all. I lie in bed for hours until I give up and just stay awake. In the last day (maybe a little longer) I have slept maybe four hours. I am wide awake, not tired at all, and can not fall asleep no matter how many times I try. It is helping with my nerve pain but the lack of sleeping is starting to make me question if I am having just a bad bought of insomnia or if it in fact a reverse reaction to the medication happening to me and what was giving me sleeping issues back when I was prescribed to me before.

Has anybody, that is also having this issue, found anything that works to fight the insomnia issue? I can not move around or exercise very much due to the nerve pain and my spinal surgery. Melatonin has never worked for me either. Has anything other than just being awake forever until finally passing out helped anybody. I don't know if it is better at this point to be in constant pain or to be able to sleep.

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Re: ED (# 31)

I take 300 mg Gabapentin at night plus half a 3 mg tablet of Melatonin. The insomnia problem is gone.

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I definitely have insomnia since I’ve been taking gabapentin

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I have been on 800 mg. gabapentin for over ten years as treatment for CRP/RSD.
At first I thought that my leg injury and pain was causing insomnia. I recently had a spinal stimulation implant and am able to get comfortable. However, I still am only able to average 4 - 6 hours of sleep every 3rd or 4th day I go without sleep. Neither Mirtazapine or Lunesta did not even make me sleepy even though I feel like my eyes are going to fall out of my head and constant fatigue. Going to see if doctor can ween me off. I thought I was wierd because research says gabapentin makes you sleepy. Maybe there is something drug companies are not telling us.

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I have been taking 1600mg gabapentin daily for 5 yrs., no trouble sleeping

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Re: Insomniac (# 38)

Wow I dont get the whole not being able to sleep thing. Ive been taking 300mg 3-4 times a day and most of the time they give me energy. I notice when i take to much I get all fumbly bumbly like my hands don't work the way I want them to. Also ive ran out a few times n got REALLY bad vertigo. Now im not saying that the gabbys are the cause of it but now im super scared to come off this drug witch I heard is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to come off of. I've been taking these for 4yrs so I know im in for it when the time comes. I guess I should try weening myself off these things. And yes horrible depression when I run out or try n taper down some. Its a lose lose situation and to be honest its does not even help with the nerve pain. If you dig and do some research on this drug I guarantee you would be shocked and would want to stop right away. The things it does to your brain is crazy. Please take some time and get back to me after you research it n yell me if im wrong or not. Wish you all the best of luck

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My experience with this drug was absolutely terrible. Had trouble sleeping when started on it. Got up to 300 3X a day. DID help pain to some degree, but didn't like how I was feeling otherwise. Decided to get off of it. That was equally terrible -- even moreso. Went into a three (3) week period of almost complete inability to sleep at night. Also had terrible, frightening, strange and disturbing dreams when I was able to doze. I realize every person may react differently/individually to ANY drug given, but I would never never never never recommend this drug to anyone .....even my worst enemy!

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Re: Lou (# 10)

I hear you. I have been unable to sleep until I am so exhausted that I get MAYBE 2-4 hours. Here I am,wide awake in my nice comfortable water bed, but unable to drift off. I am taking it for reducing nerve pain, but frankly I would rather put up with nerve irritability than lack of sleep.

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Re: Tuesday101464 (# 3)

I have the same issue. At around day 5 I found it increased my insomnia and while I've always had vivid dreams, this drug is giving me vivid nightmares (when I do fall asleep).

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Re: Amy (# 20)

Same... I just started yesterday but last night was so f***ed up... I had tons of extremely vivid & stressful dreams, half awake, like more than normal, and I feel like I just went through rigorous test taking or something. My brain is sore and that was only for like 2 hours, the rest was just worse than normal insomnia.

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Doc just upped my dosage of gabapentin to 600mg, 3 x's a day. This is day 3 and I'm up after having gone to bed an hour ago. 2nd night in a row this has happened. Relieved to know I'm not the only one that seems to have this adverse reaction. The nerve pain is better so for now I will continue the meds. Honestly would rather sleep in intervals than be in pain. I have multiple pain issues, including SI joint dysfunction, fibromyalgia, neuropathy.

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Yes. I cannot sleep and when I do sleep for a while I'm experiencing weird dreams. Been on for a few weeks for nerve pain.

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Re: Becky (# 18)

I have just started taking 300 mg 3x daily and I've slept 1 hour tonight. I started taking it for my diabetic nerve pain but its just making me not being able to sleep worse. I'm desperate for some rest.

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