Severe Weight Gain From Gabapentin

[Ed Norton]

I also need klonopin for my panic attacks but I do not take it every day just when my anxiety is extreme. I also require an antidepressant. for my general anxiety I take Buspar and it seems to work out. My eventual goal is to be pill free but right now I can not do that.

 

[BLHutch]

I take Lyrica for my back pain. They say that is causes weight gain but I have actually lost weight on it. Go figure.

But I have heard of others who have gained a lot of weight on Gabapentin.

 

[Barberian]

@Cactusgirl, The withdrawal for me was like someone was using a cattle prod or tazor on my back, buttocks and back of thighs. It was considerably worse when I tried to disengage my mind to relax to go to sleep. Awake it was a couple times an hour, trying to sleep or sleeping was every 5-10 min a strong electrical shocking feeling. (how could I sleep with this affect? I'd fall asleep and then ZAAPPP! Ok, I'm awake now).

 

[Cactusgirl]

Barbarian, that's terrible!!

 

[DharmaGirl]

I never had withdrawal from Gabapentin. I gained about 12 lbs in a week. If you looked at my legs you could see why. I went off it after a year and except for losing the water weight, I didn't have any problems. I didn't really have much of a withdrawal from Paxil either. I've heard that antidepressants only work for 20% of the people on them. The other 80% is the placebo effect. I wonder if that is true for me since I didn't withdrawal.

Ativan, however, gives me those zaps that Barbarian is talking about. That is just like torture. How long did yours last, Barbarian?

 

[Barberian]

Every time I'd forget or talk myself out of taking it (self denial). It would take 2 days off for it to start, 3rd day it would get bad enough I'd have to restart it. About 4-6 hours after I restarted the Gaba, the withdrawal symptoms would stop. When I finally got to doc to take me off of it, I was in the psych ward, and they had me on some other med to ease the withdrawal. I have no idea what it was because I was pretty "relaxed" with the meds I was on while in the ward.

The Gabapentin didn't really do anything for me that I noticed, that's why I tried so hard, for so long to get the doc to take me off of it. The only thing I noticed was the withdrawal symptoms. I was on it for both a psych med (anxiety), and pain relief from Fibromyalgia (or so they said).

 

[sarafrye]

I am on Gabapentin 600mg 3x daily and gained weight quickly putting on a stone. I am happy with Ganapentin because my pain is reduced although not totally gone. I keep as active as possible like you but that on it's own didn't help me to loose weight. I lost weight by diet, Not a diet to make me miserable!! I just cut out on all the naughties like cake, crisps and reduced my fat intake.If you want to know more details visit Internationaldrugmart website

 

[DharmaGirl]

I am on Gabapentin 100mg 3x daily, and I am on Weight Watchers since I found it keeps my blood sugar at a normal level. I tried to go up on the gabapentin, but I gained too much water weight -15 lbs. (That's a stone, isn't it?) My Klonopin was cut off for a week due to pharmacy screw up, and I was in serious withdraw. Worse than when I stopped my pain meds cold turkey. I no longer have any pain meds since I told the doctor I would no longer take narcotics, but I still need the Klonopin since I really panic, and have lots and lots of flashbacks without it. Gabapentin made a HUGE difference in my pain. The small amount I am on seems to work. Plus the meditation and the pain psychologist.