Anyone ever take gabapentin as a sleep aid? Just got it prescribed by my dr.
Aliya
I had it for nerve pain....BE CAREFUL. It does make you sleepy but I had nightmares.
Lindz
Yes. I take it for for migraines and supposed to help with restless legs.. And I take it at night with my other stuff.. It doesn't make me dizzy or anything weird.. I still function just fine.. I take it in the daytime too
Stacey
I was taking 1300 mg a day. Did not make me sleepy at all. I had to quit taking because it caused edema. My legs ,feet & ankles would hurt so bad by end of work. I take Requip for my RLS & PLMD.
Sacha
Well...if it helps, by all means, use it. THIS LINK IS OLD. However, I was prescribed this before N diagnosis and when it didn't work and the side effects were troubling and I wanted off the docs kept pushing it. Later this came out and it all made sense and so, as with anything, be proactive in your care. I would like to think now it's only prescribed appropriately (since it's generic and not making them money) but I'd also feel remiss if I didn't at least mention it. I'm not saying it's a bad drug or that you shouldn't try it. My dog takes it as sleep id, too. But I still cringe every time I fill the prescription
Brian
I take it and lyrica for nerve pain, they made me sleep for 3 weeks, almost not even waking up to eat but once a day. After that they stopped helping me with sleep, before I started on lyrica I was on 3600 mg gabapentin and still in agony.
Erin
I take it to help keep my shaky hands down to a minimum and keep my heart rate down; the shaky hands come from the stimulants and antidepressants I'm on.
Larger doses knock me out like horse tranqs, so I break it up and take 300 mg twice a day. Once upon waking, once before bed.
hayyy
Yeah I take it, it rocks it worked well for me. I used to not be able to sleep on modafinil and now I can have my normal day time awake with modafinil and actually go to sleep at night with gabepentin before on just modafinil I couldn't sleep till 3-4am. Gabrpentin doesn't fix my quality of sleep, like I still wake up feeling dead but I take modafinil and that'll wake me up. So it just at least makes me seem like a normal sleep wake cycle ! Helps with like nerves if I had a hard day at work as well :) good luck !
hayyy
Gabepentin just makes me feel like I have had a big glass of wine, makes me feel drunk. I got it prescribed for sleep not for nerve pain or migraines. :)
Rachelle
I was originally prescribed it for migraines, but it made me too sleepy to take during the day. I still take it at night for sleep and reduction of nightmares.
Tammy
I take it for here and there for nerve pain and it does make me tired. It is also used as a mood stabilizer. I was not aloud to take it while on Xyrem. I hate taking pills so I don't take it like I should. I feel groggy when I take it even after getting a good amount of sleep. I have a hard time getting up after taking it.
M
I have taken gabapentin for three years. My doctor said it shouldn't make me drowsy at all but it does. Not bad but it definitely helps when I take it at night. I take it to help with pain.
Laurie
I took Cymbalta for several years. I don't know that it helped my narcolepsy much except for the REM suppression. I will say that it was a complete NIGHTMARE to wean off of. I'd rather be depressed and in pain than ever have to go through that again!
Have you tried xyrem? Before I was diagnosed with narcolepsy, I had horrible all over body pain ALL OF THE TIME! I was treated like a hypochondriac, and several doctors mentioned fibromyalgia, but that was back many years ago when fibromyalgia and hypochondria were interchangeable words. :( I used to have to get up slowly and take 800mg ibuprofen, then lay on the couch for an hour before I could function. After a couple of months on xyrem, I didn't think it was making much of a difference, so I took one night off to see. The next morning, I saw how huge the difference was. I realized that I hadn't taken ibuprofen since I had started taking xyrem, and that one night without, I had to start again!
I actually read a couple of studies about using xyrem off label for fibromyalgia and that it really made a huge difference. So, since you have narcolepsy, ask to try xyrem! It may make a difference for your fibromyalgia too!
Larger doses knock me out like horse tranqs, so I break it up and take 300 mg twice a day. Once upon waking, once before bed.
Have you tried xyrem? Before I was diagnosed with narcolepsy, I had horrible all over body pain ALL OF THE TIME! I was treated like a hypochondriac, and several doctors mentioned fibromyalgia, but that was back many years ago when fibromyalgia and hypochondria were interchangeable words. :( I used to have to get up slowly and take 800mg ibuprofen, then lay on the couch for an hour before I could function. After a couple of months on xyrem, I didn't think it was making much of a difference, so I took one night off to see. The next morning, I saw how huge the difference was. I realized that I hadn't taken ibuprofen since I had started taking xyrem, and that one night without, I had to start again!
I actually read a couple of studies about using xyrem off label for fibromyalgia and that it really made a huge difference. So, since you have narcolepsy, ask to try xyrem! It may make a difference for your fibromyalgia too!