Gabapentin is a prescription medication available through the MedlinePlus Drug Information resource that helps control epileptic seizures and relieves nerve pain from shingles.
What Gabapentin Does
- Epilepsy: It slows down fast electrical signals that cause partial seizures.
- Shingles Pain: It changes how your body senses nerve pain after a shingles infection (postherpetic neuralgia).
- Restless Legs Syndrome: Special extended-release versions treat uncomfortable leg sensations.
- Off-Label Uses: Doctors sometimes prescribe it for anxiety, fibromyalgia, or other nerve pains.
Common Side Effects
- Feeling tired or sleepy
- Dizziness or loss of balance
- Headache
- Weight gain
Important Safety Tips
- Do not stop suddenly: Stopping gabapentin all at once can cause withdrawal symptoms or trigger seizures. Always reduce your dose slowly with your doctor’s guidance.
- Avoid driving: Wait until you know how the medicine affects your alertness before driving or operating heavy machinery. [1]
- Full effects take time: It can take several weeks of regular daily doses for the medicine to work fully for nerve pain. You can review detailed oral guidelines via the Mayo Clinic.
-
- What condition you or a loved one are taking gabapentin for
- If you have questions about specific side effects or missed doses




Reviews
There are no reviews yet.