Gabapentin Warnings

You can buy generic Neurontin (Gabapentin) from any online source that is a reputed internet medicine store. This will help you get the most deserved discounts and it will surely help you save some pennies.

Even though you buy this medication from apt sources and you have surety of quality, some side effects with this medication are always there.

This happens with almost all the medications that are available in the market. Some people face less number of side effects while some patients have more side effects with some medications. Thus like every other medication even generic Neurontin comes with this package.

gabapentin can cause problems, especially if it is not used as directed or if certain precautions are not followed. Some potential issues associated with gabapentin use include:

  1. Side Effects: Common side effects of gabapentin include dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, coordination problems, blurred vision, and weight gain. These side effects are usually mild to moderate and often improve over time. However, some individuals may experience more severe or persistent side effects.
  2. Dependency and Withdrawal: Although gabapentin is not considered a controlled substance, there have been reports of dependence and withdrawal symptoms, especially in individuals who misuse or abuse the medication. Withdrawal symptoms may include anxiety, insomnia, nausea, sweating, and flu-like symptoms.
  3. Interaction with Other Medications: Gabapentin can interact with certain medications, including opioids, benzodiazepines, and other central nervous system depressants. Combining gabapentin with these substances can increase the risk of sedation, respiratory depression, and overdose.
  4. Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior: Gabapentin and other antiepileptic drugs have been associated with an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior. Patients taking gabapentin should be closely monitored for changes in mood, behavior, or suicidal ideation, especially when starting or changing the dose of the medication.
  5. Allergic Reactions: Some individuals may experience allergic reactions to gabapentin, which can manifest as rash, itching, swelling, or difficulty breathing. In rare cases, severe allergic reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis may occur, which require immediate medical attention.
  6. Renal Impairment: Gabapentin is primarily eliminated from the body through the kidneys. Therefore, individuals with impaired kidney function may require dose adjustments or closer monitoring to prevent accumulation of the medication and potential toxicity.
  7. Cognitive Impairment: Some individuals may experience cognitive impairment, memory problems, or confusion while taking gabapentin, especially at higher doses or in combination with other medications.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use gabapentin if you are allergic to it.

To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

  • kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis);
  • diabetes;
  • depression, a mood disorder, or suicidal thoughts or actions;
  • a seizure (unless you take gabapentin to treat seizures);
  • liver disease;
  • heart disease; or
  • are taking an anti-depressant or sedating medication; or
  • (for patients with RLS) if you are a day sleeper or work a night shift.

Some people have thoughts about suicide while taking this medicine. Your doctor should check your progress at regular visits. Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms.

It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

Seizure control is very important during pregnancy, and having a seizure could harm both mother and baby. Do not start or stop taking gabapentin for seizures without your doctor’s advice, and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant.

Gabapentin Pregnancy Warnings

Animal studies have revealed evidence of fetotoxicity involving delayed ossification in several bones of the skull, vertebrae, forelimbs, and hindlimbs. Hydroureter and hydronephrosis have also been reported in animal studies. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy.

To provide information regarding the effects of in utero exposure to this drug, physicians are advised to recommend that pregnant patients enroll in the North American Antiepileptic Drug (NAAED) Pregnancy Registry. This can be done by calling the toll free number 1-888-233-2334, and must be done by patients themselves. Information on the registry can also be found at the website http://www.aedpregnancyregistry.org/.

AU TGA pregnancy category B1: Drugs which have been taken by only a limited number of pregnant women and women of childbearing age, without an increase in the frequency of malformation or other direct or indirect harmful effects on the human fetus having been observed. Studies in animals have not shown evidence of an increased occurrence of fetal damage.

US FDA pregnancy category C: Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks.

This drug should be used during pregnancy only if the benefit outweighs the risk.

AU TGA pregnancy category: B1
US FDA pregnancy category: C

Comments:
-Women on antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) should receive prepregnancy counseling with regard to the risk of fetal abnormalities.
-AEDs should be continued during pregnancy and monotherapy should be used if possible at the lowest effective dose as the risk of abnormality is greater in women taking combined medication.
-Folic acid supplementation (5 mg) should be started 4 weeks prior to and continued for 12 weeks after conception.
-Specialized prenatal diagnosis including detailed mid-trimester ultrasound should be offered.
-The risk of having a child with a congenital defect as a result of antiepileptic medication is far outweighed by the dangers to the mother and fetus of uncontrolled epilepsy.

Gabapentin Breastfeeding Warnings

Benefit should outweigh risk.

Excreted into human milk: Yes

Comments:
-The effects in the nursing infant are unknown.
-Limited information indicates that maternal doses up to 2.1 g daily produce relatively low levels in infant serum.
-Breastfed infants should be monitored for drowsiness, adequate weight gain, and developmental milestones, especially in younger, exclusively breastfed infants and when using combinations of anticonvulsant or psychotropic drugs.