Gabapentin: What it is, its Mechanism, Uses, and Side Effects

What is Gabapentin?

Gabapentin is a widely known FDA-approved anti-seizure medication. It has been a reliable choice of drug among doctors and patients for a long time. Well-recognized for being safe and well-tolerated even by children, the drug has a wide range of uses. It belongs to the drug class of anticonvulsants. 

Introduced in 1993, Gabapentin was mainly used as an anti-spasmodic agent and a muscle relaxant. Ongoing medical research revealed Gabapentin’s potential to help with epileptic seizures. After this discovery, gabapentin was used in the treatment of seizures. Later, the FDA approved this medication as an anti-convulsant. 

Thanks to Medlifetime, now you can Gabapentin Overnight Buy. 

Let’s find out more about how you can use Gabapentin, how you should take it, and its possible side effects.

What can I use Gabapentin for?

Gabapentin has both on-label and off-label uses. The off-label indications are yet to be approved by the FDA. According to the on-label indications On the label, Gabapentin can be used for treating seizures, neuropathic pain, and moderate to severe restless legs syndrome. Off-label, it is used for alcohol use disorder, managing generalized anxiety, insomnia, fibromyalgia, and IBS. 

• Treating Seizures with Gabapentin 

Gabapentin’s potential as an anti-convulsant is well-established. It is often a common choice of medication used to treat epileptic seizures. During a seizure, your brain experiences a rapid firing of neurons. This firing speed is much faster than normal and your brain can’t handle that. As a result, the nerve cells become overactive with abnormal electrical discharge in the brain. This leads to you experiencing a seizure. When you have a partial seizure, you may not be able to talk or control your physical movements. Sometimes, patients don’t even remember having this kind of seizure. 

Gabapentin mimics the role of Gamma-aminobutyric acid, also known as the GABA neurotransmitter. It produces relaxing effects and stops the rapid neuronal firing, making you calm in the process. It can stop the seizures before they begin. 

• Treating neural pain with Gabapentin 

When your nervous system malfunctions or your nerves get damaged, you may experience intolerable nerve pain. This condition is known as neuralgia or neuropathic pain.
 
Gabapentin helps to manage postherpetic neuralgia and diabetic neuropathy. Both conditions involve sharp, shooting pain which can paralyze your life and stop your daily activities.

• Treating Restless Legs Syndrome with Gabapentin 

Gabapentin has been used to treat movement disorders like restless legs syndrome. RLS is a disorder in which you feel an uncontrollable urge to move your legs. This disorder can happen to anyone but gets worse with age. This disorder is also known as Willis-Ekbom disease. 

Gabapentin has displayed useful results in managing Restless legs syndrome. 

• Treating Alcohol Use Disorder 

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a condition that affects up to 30 million Americans, and the number is rising steadily as we speak. Alcohol is a strong drug that alters brain chemistry. It affects various brain pathways, such as the glutamate, GABA, serotonin, and dopamine pathways.?

When you have an alcohol use disorder and consume large amounts of alcohol over an extended period, your brain may alter to the point where you not only build a tolerance to alcohol but also become dependent on it.?

You start to experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms if you decide to stop drinking, and you lose the ability to control your urge to drink. 

According to recent medical research, Gabapentin has shown strong potential in ways that are related to managing alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

• Controlling the impulse to drink, especially in the early phase
• Reduces alcohol cravings
• Improves primary insomnia
• Improves your mood decreasing your anxiety due to withdrawal

• Treating Anxiety with Gabapentin

Gabapentin’s calming effect has been proven to be quite efficient when it comes to treating anxiety. 

• Treating Fibromyalgia pain with Gabapentin

Fibromyalgia is an excruciating condition in which the pain lasts longer than three months. Some common symptoms associated with this condition include poor sleep, fatigue, depression, and reduced quality of life. Fibromyalgia is more common in women.

Although Gabapentin is an anti-seizure medication widely licensed for the treatment of neuropathic pain. It is not approved for the treatment of fibromyalgia but can be used sometimes because fibromyalgia can respond to the same medicines as neuropathic pain.

• Treating IBS with Gabapentin

 
Gabapentin reduces rectal mechanosensitivity and increases rectal compliance in patients with IBS-D, which validates a link between the severity of IBS symptoms.

• Treating Insomnia with Gabapentin  

Gabapentin has been shown to enhance both total sleep time and slow-wave sleep, also known as "deep sleep." Gabapentin may help patients with primary insomnia and sporadic sleep disturbances increase their overall sleep duration and morning wakefulness, according to two small studies.

Gabapentin: Mechanism of Action

Gabapentin is a GABA analog (Gamma-aminobutyric acid). When you take this medication, it produces the same effects as GABA-inhibitory neurotransmitters. As a result, the overactive nerve cells calm down and you feel relaxed. 

Gabapentin: Available Dosing and Forms 

On Medlifetime, Gabapentin is available as oral tablets. You can buy it as: 
A file of 90 tablets of 300mg and 400mg 
A file of 120 tablets of 300mg and 400mg

Who can take Gabapentin?

To manage and treat seizures, your doctors may prescribe Gabapentin in addition to other medications. Usually, adults and kids older than three years old receive it. Patients with peripheral diabetic neuropathy and postherpetic neuralgia can take it. However, this is a prescription medication and you should take it only when your doctor has asked you to.

How should I take Gabapentin? 

Gabapentin is an oral tablet that you should take by mouth with a glass of water. You are advised not to dry-chew the medication or crush the medication. If your doctor has suggested taking half the tablet, save the unused part properly. If it gets older than 28 days do not consume it. 

Try to take the drug at a fixed time and maintain the timeline as a part of your routine. 

You can take this medication before or after food. 

Should I take Gabapentin with alcohol?

You should not take Gabapentin with alcohol. Alcohol is a narcotic that influences the same part of the brain as Gabapentin. When you consume alcohol along with this drug, the effects of this drug will intensify. As a result, you might be extremely drowsy or dizzy. You might also experience an overdose or toxicity.

How Should I Decide on Gabapentin Dosage?

No one pre-set dosage suits everyone. Your dosage depends on your age, underlying diseases, and severity of conditions, and your current medications will determine if you should take Gabapentin and if so, then the dosage must be accurate. The dosage of Gabapentin is to be decided by your physician. 

The average dosing of Gabapentin tablets is the following:

For epilepsy:

Adults and children 12 years of age and older

At first, 300 milligrams (mg) 3 times per day. Make sure that the doses do not exceed 1800 mg per day (600 mg 3 times per day).

Children 3 to 11 years of age

The dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The starting dose is 10 to 15 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight a day and should be divided into 3 doses. 

Children younger than 3 years of age

Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

For postherpetic neuralgia:

Adults:

 The treatment should be at 300 milligrams (mg) as a single dose in the evening. However, the dose is usually not more than 1800 mg per day.

Children:

Use and dose must be determined by your doctor or healthcare provider.

Where can I buy Gabapentin online In the USA? 

If you have conditions like a partial seizure, your doctor may prescribe you Gabapentin. You can easily buy Gabapentin Online In the USA from the trusted online drugstore Medlifetime. Medlifetime provides free shipping on all orders and offers overnight shipping during emergencies.

Does Gabapentin have Side effects?

One of the main reasons that Gabapentin is so popular is because it is considered to be one of the safest medications. But no medication is completely free from side effects. Though it is not a comprehensive list, here is a list of the possible side effects.

Common side effects of Gabapentin

• abnormal eye movements that are continuous, uncontrolled, back-and-forth, or rolling
• unsteadiness
• constipation
• diarrhea
• difficulty speaking
• drowsiness or tiredness
• dry mouth
• nausea
• vomiting

Serious side effects of Gabapentin

Gabapentin can have less common but worrying symptoms that can be pretty fatal if not addressed properly. These symptoms include:

• respiratory depression
• aggressiveness, or anger
• anxiousness or restlessness
• anxiety that’s new or worse
• depression that’s new or worse
• irritability that’s new or worse
• mania
• panic attacks
• suicidal thoughts or behavior
• insomnia 
• Signs of Allergic Reactions
• Rash or bumps on the skin surface 
• Hives
• Difficulty breathing
• High to Mild Fever
• Swelling of glands
• Swelling of face, lip, throat, or tongue
• Yellowing of your skin or the white portion of eyes
• Unusual bruising or bleeding
• Severe tiredness or weakness
• Unexpected muscle pain

What medications should you avoid while taking Gabapentin? 

While taking Gabapentin, there certain types of medications that you should avoid so that they don’t cause interaction. 

• Alcohol.
• Antihistamine-containing cold, cough, and allergy products.
• Certain medicines for anxiety or sleep.
• Certain medicines for depression, such as amitriptyline, fluoxetine, and sertraline.
• Certain medicines for seizures, such as phenobarbital and primidone.
• Certain medicines for stomach problems. (Wait two hours after taking aluminum and magnesium-containing antacids before taking gabapentin.)
• General anesthetics, local anesthetics, or muscle relaxants are given before surgery.
• Narcotic pain medicines.

FAQ

1. What is gabapentin commonly used for? 

Gabapentin has multiple applications for various health problems. Though this medication was originally introduced to treat muscle spasms, later its efficiency as an anti-seizure medication was acknowledged. Now Gabapentin is used to treat nerve pain and restless legs syndrome. Off-label this drug is also used to treat disorders like anxiety disorder and alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

2. Is gabapentin a very strong painkiller?

Gabapentin is an effective medication that helps control and manage neural pain, also known as neuralgia. Gabapentin assists by blocking the pain transmission signals. It is often prescribed to treat postherpetic neuralgia and peripheral diabetic neuropathy. 

3. Is gabapentin good for back pain? 

Gabapentin is an anti-convulsant approved by FDA. However, off-label, Gabapentin is often used to manage different types of nerve pain, including back pain. 

4. Is gabapentin for pain or anxiety? 

Gabapentin has displayed the potential to manage increased anxiety. Gabapentin is a GABA analog that mimics the role of gamma-aminobutyric acid that soothes the overexcited nervous system and creates a sense of relaxation and ease in you. 

5. What are the common Side effects?

Gabapentin is a reliable medication for epileptic seizures. Some of the common side effects of the drug are:

• difficulty speaking 

• drowsiness or tiredness

• dry mouth

• nausea

• vomiting