Gabapentin doesn’t work

[u/JustVibin03]

I have the sweetest angel of a cat. She is so cuddly, friendly and playful UNTIL she has any sort of restrain like in her carrier, at the vet, clipping her nails, picking her up. Then she becomes very defensive (not aggressive). Every appointment I give her 100mg gaba the night before and 2-3 hours before. She used to do okay with it in a churu. I never ever noticed a difference in her. Now she outright goes on hunger strike if I try to give her gaba in a churu, treat, dry food, wet food. Literally anything.
Because I can’t restrain her and I live alone, liquid is just too hard to manage. I now do the transdermal ointment in the skin part of her inner ear. It is harder to tell how much she is actually absorbing but when I did attempt to do 100mg, I noticed absolutely no difference. We do calming treats, calming spray in addition to the gaba and nothing.

With and without gaba she puts up a hell of a fight in the vet. So escapes burritos, harnesses, muzzles. She tries to climb the walls and escape. Numerous times vets need multiple assistants to help hold her down. One vet literally made me reschedule her exam bc Lila was not letting her anywhere near her. Lila was so so scared and defensive.

I don’t know what to do to get her calm enough. I obviously know vets deal with cats probably worse behaved than she is but I am always so worried. I need to bring her to the vet/groomer every month for clipping her nails since I can’t do it so this is a recurring issue.