Gabapentin is used with other medications to prevent and control seizures. It is also used to eliminate nerve pain following shingles (a painful rash due to herpes zoster infection) in adults. Gabapentin is referred to as an anticonvulsant or antiepileptic drug.
What Conditions Does Gabapentin Treat?
| Nerve Pain after Herpes | Acute Pain Following an Operation |
| Additional Medication to Treat Partial Seizures | Extreme Discomfort in Calves when Sitting or Lying Down |
| Neuropathic Pain | Essential Tremor |
| “Change of Life” Signs | |
How to Use Gabapentin
Read the Medication Guide and, if offered, the Patient Information Leaflet offered by your pharmacist before you start taking gabapentin and each time you get a refill. If you have any concerns, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Take this medication by mouth with or without food as directed by your doctor. Dose is based on your medical condition and action to treatment. For children, the dose is likewise based upon weight.
If you are taking the tablets and your doctor directs you to split the tablet in half, take the other half-tablet at your next scheduled dose. Discard half tablets if not used within several days of splitting them. If you are taking the pills, swallow them entire with lots of water.
It is crucial to follow your doctor’s dosing instructions exactly. During the first couple of days of treatment, your doctor may slowly increase your dose so your body can adapt to the medication. To minimize side effects, take the very first dose at bedtime.
Take this medication routinely to get the most take advantage of it. This drug works best when the quantity of medication in your body is maintaineded at a continuous level. Therefore, take gabapentin at equally spaced intervals at the very same time( s) every day. If you are taking this medication 3 times a day to control seizures, do not let more than 12 hours pass in between dosages because your seizures might increase.
Do not take this medication regularly or increase your dosage without consulting your doctor. Your condition will not enhance any faster and the risk of serious side effects might increase.
Do not stop taking this medication without consulting your doctor. Some conditions might worsen when the drug is unexpectedly stopped. Your dose might have to be slowly reduced.
Antacids consisting of aluminum or magnesium might interfere with the absorption of this medication. Therefore, if you are likewise taking an antacid, it is best to take gabapentin a minimum of 2 hours after taking the antacid.
Different forms of gabapentin (such as immediate-release, sustained-release, enacarbil sustained-release) are soaked up in the body in a different way. Do not change from one kind to the other without consulting your doctor.
Inform your doctor if your condition does not enhance or if it aggravates.
