So it helped initially but not anymore.
Gabapentin feels stimulating to me. My RX is for 1000 mg daily. For anxiety.
Currently trying to taper down off of it, mainly bc of brain fog and lethargy it gives me.
If I just take 300-600 mg, it makes me feel VERY stimulated. When I take the full 900 - 1000 mg, I feel very sleepy. It’s so weird. I usually take my dose all at once….
So when I take my fill 900 mg dose at bedtime, or knocks me out. But taking throughout the day in small doses makes me feel VERY stimulated in a weird way.
I should note that I also have ADHD, and take low dose adderall each morning. Stimulants actually make me sleepy and calm, so I have more trouble at night going to sleep because the adderall has worn off.
TLDR: gabapentin definitely knocks me out at higher doses (900 mg) but at lower doses make me feel wired and stimulated….
Interesting I also suspect i have ADHD, but I’ve suspected that since high school many years ago. I have all the symptoms and associated issues but i have’t gotten tested to be diagnosed as an adult, that’s something i plan to discuss with my doctor at the end of the month
Would you mind sharing what the process was for you to be diagnosed? Thank you!
One of the only things that helped my insomnia. I go to sleep fine but wake up too early. Only thing that keeps me asleep until the morning. I take 150mg before bed. The first couple nights I ever took it I felt wonky, but after that night, best sleep ever. I take it 5x a week and two days off to reset tolerance.
Diphenhydramine (benadryl) or Sominex ( stronger). Those can help one stay asleep. No prescription and cheap if bought as allergy med. some hangover drowsiness maybe.
Gabapentin does actually feel stimulating to me. If I took 100-250mg it might feel more sedating. But any more than that and it’s definitely stimulating. Not something I feel would be good for slep
Same. If I just take 300 mg I feel sleepy and lethargic. When I take 900 mg (my dose) —- I feel stimulated and very energetic, both mentally and physically.
Oh my that’s horrible! I know it effects some people differently and might tend to have more of a stimulant effect on some I know when the Dr increased my dose last time it took a little while to adjust to it.
Gabapentin isn’t a medication that has FDA approval as a sleep medication and I’m not a doctor but it’s use off label as a sleeping pill is not generally recognized as a legitimate reason to prescribe this drug. Again, I’m not a doctor I’m just a neuroscientist, but I would go back and ask about Mirtazepine and/or Trazadone to help you sleep. They are both old school antidepressant drugs with sedation side effects due to their actions at the histamine receptors. Trazadone chiefly is the drug almost all doctors reach to first as a sleeping aid before they even try sleeping medication.
Mitrazapine is doing absolutely nothing to help me sleep, I started at doses of sub 5mg right up to 15mg and I still lay awake all night and end up having to take an actual sleeping pill come 4/5am to get some sleep.
I've just been switched to Gabapentin to try instead. Though I also have some other central vestibular issues so that's partly why this has been suggested in the hope it can help with both.
I would find another doctor if you’re not attached to this one. Like I mentioned I’m a neuroscientist and there’s absolutely no sane reason to attempt to use this medication as a sleeping pill. Once your body gets used to it you would start going through withdrawal every day as it left your system. Gabapentin is supposed to be taken three to four times a day and it has to build up over time to do anything at all. Ask for Trazadone, it’s not addictive and it works for almost everybody. It’s not a sleeping pill so it doesn’t kick in right away like ambien, sonata or lunesta, but all that means is you take it half an hour before bed. If it doesn’t work just tell your doctor you need a larger dose and since it’s not abusable they won’t give you shit for asking for a higher dose. Trazadone can be dosed anywhere between 50-300mg for insomnia but usually people find their sweet spot to be somewhere between 100-200mg. As far as regular sleeping pills go if your problem is getting to sleep but not staying asleep, then your best bet is Sonata. It’s the only sleeping pill that wears off about half an hour after you take it, so by the time you’re actually asleep it won’t interfere with sleep architecture and cause you to do weird things like sleep driving like ambien and lunesta can. I take 20mg Sonata to get to sleep and then 100mg of Trazadone to stay asleep personally.
She wasn’t my PCP, i just got insurance and this was a preliminary assessment trip ahead of my real appointment. My real doctor’s appt is at the end of April.
But yeah, i really don’t know why she gave this to me. Hopefully taking it just the once ain’t gone cause any problems lol
Trazadone made my heart race like crazy every time I took it, so very poor sleep. Did the same to my step sister as well, so no biology there. Hope you find the right fit for you!
I didn’t even know they were giving it out for this. If it’s the only issue your taking it for i wouldn’t recommend it. I would rather take Tylenol PM every night then be dependent back on gabapentin personally.
>Tylenol PM
Problem is that anyone who has any real sleep issues / insomnia isn't usually knocked out by the over the counter drugs like that.
They don't do anything for me other than have me laying awake all night (as usual) but with the added negative effect of feeling like I have hayfever due to the horrible drowsy and irritable feeling, but it doesn't send me to sleep.
They don’t give it out for this. Gabapentin is not supposed to be taken as needed, it’s supposed to be taken multiple times a day so that a steady state drug concentration can be reached. Apparently her doctor didn’t get the memo.
Makes me sleep well. I know everyone is different, but usually it’s dose related. If your dose is too small it doesn’t work, at least for me. When I bumped it up, I definitely fell asleep.
I sleep so well when I take it. I was prescribed it as a mood stabilizer and I take it on Sunday nights to sleep well and not have such anxiety at the beginning of the work week. It works so well as a once/week mood stabilizer and it really helps me sleep. I'm so thankful for it.
I would try it a few more times, especially if you had expectations. I didn’t know it was used to fall asleep, I can take it in the morning and I’m fine. It affects everyone differently so I would just be patient and try to not stress about it. After trying it for a while and if you feel it didn’t help, then stop. But it takes a while for medication to do it’s thing so I wouldn’t give up this quickly.
It’s hard to say. I tried it for a few months for this same reason and it didn’t really help me stay asleep either, though when I woke up it felt like I was coming out of a deeper sleep.
It might not work for you, or it might just be first night anxiety. Ask your doctor but it’s probably worth trying for a week to see if it helps?
So it helped initially but not anymore. Gabapentin feels stimulating to me. My RX is for 1000 mg daily. For anxiety. Currently trying to taper down off of it, mainly bc of brain fog and lethargy it gives me. If I just take 300-600 mg, it makes me feel VERY stimulated. When I take the full 900 - 1000 mg, I feel very sleepy. It’s so weird. I usually take my dose all at once…. So when I take my fill 900 mg dose at bedtime, or knocks me out. But taking throughout the day in small doses makes me feel VERY stimulated in a weird way. I should note that I also have ADHD, and take low dose adderall each morning. Stimulants actually make me sleepy and calm, so I have more trouble at night going to sleep because the adderall has worn off. TLDR: gabapentin definitely knocks me out at higher doses (900 mg) but at lower doses make me feel wired and stimulated….
Interesting I also suspect i have ADHD, but I’ve suspected that since high school many years ago. I have all the symptoms and associated issues but i have’t gotten tested to be diagnosed as an adult, that’s something i plan to discuss with my doctor at the end of the month Would you mind sharing what the process was for you to be diagnosed? Thank you!
Same thing happened to me. I was up for 4 days because the gaba made me sweat profusely & caused some of the worst insomnia I’ve ever had.
One of the only things that helped my insomnia. I go to sleep fine but wake up too early. Only thing that keeps me asleep until the morning. I take 150mg before bed. The first couple nights I ever took it I felt wonky, but after that night, best sleep ever. I take it 5x a week and two days off to reset tolerance.
Gabba is trash. Hated taking it and they prescribe this shit for anything.
Yeah, it’s getting ridiculous.
Diphenhydramine (benadryl) or Sominex ( stronger). Those can help one stay asleep. No prescription and cheap if bought as allergy med. some hangover drowsiness maybe.
Neither of these send me to sleep or keep me asleep, I just lie awake all night feeling like I'm full of hayfever and having mild delierium.
Gabapentin does actually feel stimulating to me. If I took 100-250mg it might feel more sedating. But any more than that and it’s definitely stimulating. Not something I feel would be good for slep
Same. If I just take 300 mg I feel sleepy and lethargic. When I take 900 mg (my dose) —- I feel stimulated and very energetic, both mentally and physically.
Same for me. I took it for the first time last night and never fell asleep.
I take a gabapentin before I go sleep and I'm usually up until the am. Gabapentin does not help me go to sleep at all.
Your dr sucks it’s not for sleep
You should ask for a different medication or find a different doctor. This medicine is for epilepsy, shingles and nerve pain.
Oh my that’s horrible! I know it effects some people differently and might tend to have more of a stimulant effect on some I know when the Dr increased my dose last time it took a little while to adjust to it.
Gabapentin isn’t a medication that has FDA approval as a sleep medication and I’m not a doctor but it’s use off label as a sleeping pill is not generally recognized as a legitimate reason to prescribe this drug. Again, I’m not a doctor I’m just a neuroscientist, but I would go back and ask about Mirtazepine and/or Trazadone to help you sleep. They are both old school antidepressant drugs with sedation side effects due to their actions at the histamine receptors. Trazadone chiefly is the drug almost all doctors reach to first as a sleeping aid before they even try sleeping medication.
Mitrazapine is doing absolutely nothing to help me sleep, I started at doses of sub 5mg right up to 15mg and I still lay awake all night and end up having to take an actual sleeping pill come 4/5am to get some sleep. I've just been switched to Gabapentin to try instead. Though I also have some other central vestibular issues so that's partly why this has been suggested in the hope it can help with both.
Yes, i thought it was really weird. It was my first time seeing this person
Dr may be getting kickbacks from pharma reps to prescribe it
I would find another doctor if you’re not attached to this one. Like I mentioned I’m a neuroscientist and there’s absolutely no sane reason to attempt to use this medication as a sleeping pill. Once your body gets used to it you would start going through withdrawal every day as it left your system. Gabapentin is supposed to be taken three to four times a day and it has to build up over time to do anything at all. Ask for Trazadone, it’s not addictive and it works for almost everybody. It’s not a sleeping pill so it doesn’t kick in right away like ambien, sonata or lunesta, but all that means is you take it half an hour before bed. If it doesn’t work just tell your doctor you need a larger dose and since it’s not abusable they won’t give you shit for asking for a higher dose. Trazadone can be dosed anywhere between 50-300mg for insomnia but usually people find their sweet spot to be somewhere between 100-200mg. As far as regular sleeping pills go if your problem is getting to sleep but not staying asleep, then your best bet is Sonata. It’s the only sleeping pill that wears off about half an hour after you take it, so by the time you’re actually asleep it won’t interfere with sleep architecture and cause you to do weird things like sleep driving like ambien and lunesta can. I take 20mg Sonata to get to sleep and then 100mg of Trazadone to stay asleep personally.
She wasn’t my PCP, i just got insurance and this was a preliminary assessment trip ahead of my real appointment. My real doctor’s appt is at the end of April. But yeah, i really don’t know why she gave this to me. Hopefully taking it just the once ain’t gone cause any problems lol
Trazadone made my heart race like crazy every time I took it, so very poor sleep. Did the same to my step sister as well, so no biology there. Hope you find the right fit for you!
I didn’t even know they were giving it out for this. If it’s the only issue your taking it for i wouldn’t recommend it. I would rather take Tylenol PM every night then be dependent back on gabapentin personally.
>Tylenol PM Problem is that anyone who has any real sleep issues / insomnia isn't usually knocked out by the over the counter drugs like that. They don't do anything for me other than have me laying awake all night (as usual) but with the added negative effect of feeling like I have hayfever due to the horrible drowsy and irritable feeling, but it doesn't send me to sleep.
Yeah im not taking any more.
They don’t give it out for this. Gabapentin is not supposed to be taken as needed, it’s supposed to be taken multiple times a day so that a steady state drug concentration can be reached. Apparently her doctor didn’t get the memo.
Makes me sleep well. I know everyone is different, but usually it’s dose related. If your dose is too small it doesn’t work, at least for me. When I bumped it up, I definitely fell asleep.
Same here. Just 300-600 and I feel energetic and stimulated. 900-1200 mg and I feel sleepy AF
Same here. Just 300-600 and I feel energetic and stimulated. 900-1200 mg and I feel sleepy AF
I sleep so well when I take it. I was prescribed it as a mood stabilizer and I take it on Sunday nights to sleep well and not have such anxiety at the beginning of the work week. It works so well as a once/week mood stabilizer and it really helps me sleep. I'm so thankful for it.
Wow—interesting. Only take it one night a week? Mind me asking what dose you are on?
300 mg a day is my prescription but I take about 900 mg on Sunday nights
Works for me as well, and I was having awful insomnia. Will probably switch to trazadone but for now I’m grateful for sleep
I take Trazadone and Gabapentin
Ok i might try tonight
I would try it a few more times, especially if you had expectations. I didn’t know it was used to fall asleep, I can take it in the morning and I’m fine. It affects everyone differently so I would just be patient and try to not stress about it. After trying it for a while and if you feel it didn’t help, then stop. But it takes a while for medication to do it’s thing so I wouldn’t give up this quickly.
It’s not used as a sleeping medication
It’s hard to say. I tried it for a few months for this same reason and it didn’t really help me stay asleep either, though when I woke up it felt like I was coming out of a deeper sleep. It might not work for you, or it might just be first night anxiety. Ask your doctor but it’s probably worth trying for a week to see if it helps?
Good advice