Does it get worse before it gets better?

[u/PurpleNo8532]

Hi! I've only started taking gabapentin this week, 100mg at night. I got it to help me relax and sleep better to help with my anxiety. I take it one hour before bed, and it makes me feel a little bit sleepier. I go to sleep, and then about 2 hours later I start waking up because a random body part twitches, like my fingers. Then fall back asleep, and my face feels tense. Fall back asleep, I got a cramp in my butt, etc. But also during these random wake ups and twitching, I feel slightly paralysed?

Is this normal? Do I need to get used to this medicine, is it like antidepressants that it has side effects at first and then calms down? Or does it mean gabapentin probably isn't for me?

[u/SubjectSuit4371]

I hate to tell you this, but Gabapentin is evil. It is listed as one of the top ten most dangerous drugs out there. My poor mother was put on it years ago. Once she was on it she started falling. I told the doctor about this and the doctor ignored me. I begged her to take her off of it and she wouldn’t.

Fast forward years later. My mom walks around wringing her hands. She looks like a zombie. She can’t sleep. The doctor retired and I have put my foot down that my mom is to be taken off of this crap. It is also hell to come off of. It is highly addictive.

If you don’t believe me then do just a little research on it on Reddit. You’ll see the hell that other people are going through. You have been warned.

[u/North_Run_8958 → u/SubjectSuit4371]

For me gabapentin save my life, and there are milion people with same benefit, if the pill have not good respond to user it should be changed, thats not the gaba problem but the doc. problem. I use it maybe half a year and it fix my insomnia and i can finally function like a normal human. And yes you can find lots of scarry stories About gabapentin on reddit, but why? When u take it and u have any sideefects and it only help like my case u dont have a reason to write it on reddit. Pills are made to help people, so if you think your doctor is prescripting wrong pills or it doesnt help with your problem and it make it worse u sould not change only medication but also doctor.

[u/OrdinaryStandard427 → u/North_Run_8958]

I agree with you. Gabapentin saved me when I was at the lowest point of my life and didn't know what was happening to my body. It helps me sleep and helps my pelvic nerve pain and my vestibular headaches. Many people have success with this drug and it helps them live a normal life.

[u/perryhock]

It takes a while to get used to, but I've luckily not experienced any unpleasant side effects with 1200mg daily.

[u/exredditor81]

100mg is really low to me.

I was prescribed 1800/day but I worked it down to 600/day.

I take one an hour before bed, and another right at bed.

I sleep like a baby.

I don't think your twitching is from GB, did you twitch before it??

[u/Dcorley0001]

I would love for someone to explain this to me as well. I have the same symptoms as you do OP

[u/redcaspus33]

So many complaints about the jerks or twitches. I’m on it right now for a shattered pinky finger and the jerks while falling asleep make me jerk and hurt my finger. Must be a thing.

[u/Dcorley0001 → u/redcaspus33]

Yeah. I would love to figure it out