Why does gabapentin cause edema

I have had the shakes badly each time he increases the dose. So we are back to chasing one med reaction with another.

This leg pain is debilitating and so are my tremors; which inderal has taken care of beautifully for 27 years. The shaking is def a side effect of the gabapentin. I was on the highest amount you can take daily for years and had to come off of it because the shaking and tremors got so bad. I am a budding clinical pharmacist from India.

I find all information inspiring and educative. Thank you. Over all our services are zero if we made medication errors , but thanks to you to share your article with us. RN, and diabetic for 12 years. Less pain with injections and neuropathy. Never heard of gabapentin induced limb Specific edema. I had limb specific edema after starting on gabspentin. Not as bad as the picture, but definitely had it. Stopped gabspentin and it resolved over a couple of weeks. No more swelling.

Back on it and thankfully no edema this 2nd tome around. I have been on gabapentin for years. This drug is like every drug out there, and effects everyone differently. Aspirin is prescribed to millions of people World wide, but just a tiny bit for me can kill me! It sends me into anaphylactic shock. Same with with penicillin, but millions of people use it every day.

My suggestion, be proactive and read the possible side effects before taking any new medication, and then decide for yourself if the medicine is a right fit for you! Lisinopril …not good. Caused sugar to go up. Glipizide old drug that is not a good drug for diabetes.

Metformin causes neuropathy.. These will contribute to neuropathy. Your meds are making you sick. Those are what I use to take. It still burns on occasion but the appearance of it is gone, I was increased slowly and when I got up to mg a day I put on 30 lbs out of nowhere.

I am treated for chronic back and neck issues. Have you ever looked into Plexus products for the pain.. Gabapentin given but too too much. Could have died. In hospital at the time. Given intravenously. Made me really sick with unbelievable headache. I have been on gabapentin now for well over a year now. At first the doses were low at only mg 3 times a day, then they got increased to mg 3 times a day.

I am also on numerous other meds but after the increase I started swelling, mainly on one side which is The side with the neuropathy. My doctor just again increased the dose to mg 3 times a day.

Although I can say it has helped with the neuropathy the swelling side effects are not worth taking the increased dose. I am on Gabapentin but started taking lower doses every 3 month I go down a little.. I have been on Gabapentin for almost 5 months now and have not had that problem. I take mg 3 times a day.

I have gained weight but that has more to due with side effects from my accident, not the medication. The more I walk of stand, the worse it gets. I was started on gabapentin and Dr wants me to increase to mg TID or mg total daily. The issue with Gabapentin although reducing the pain levels if it causes edema therefore more pressure on the nerves which worsens the peripheral neuropathy.

It is wise to get B12 B6 levels checked. People can develop B6 toxicity which can worsen peripheral neuropathy. A doctor I consulted with was Holly opinionated the less medications the better has all of them or most of them affect the mitochondria and a person needs every cell to be energized to promote healing.

Found all the testimonials here very helpful. The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:. Take this medicine only as directed by your doctor.

Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of side effects. This medicine comes with a Medication Guide. Read and follow the instructions carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions. For patients with epilepsy who take gabapentin three times per day, do not allow more than 12 hours to pass between any 2 doses.

The medicine works best if a constant amount is in the blood. Do not use the half-tablet if the whole tablet has been cut or broken after 28 days. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. Measure the oral liquid using a marked measuring spoon, oral syringe, or medicine cup. The average household teaspoon may not hold the right amount of liquid.

If you take an antacid that contains aluminum or magnesium, wait at least 2 hours before taking gabapentin. Only use the brand of this medicine that your doctor prescribed. Different brands may not work the same way. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients.

Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine.

Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses. Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing. It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits, especially in the first few months if you have epilepsy. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to take it.

Check with your doctor right away if you have a fever, rash, swollen, painful, or tender lymph glands in the neck, armpit, or groin, unusual bleeding or bruising, or yellow eyes or skin. These may be symptoms of a serious and life-threatening allergic reaction called drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms DRESS or multiorgan hypersensitivity.

This medicine may cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis and angioedema. These can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Patient's back pain, described as a shooting pain radiating down from his lower back to his legs bilaterally was poorly controlled. His pain at the time was managed with hydrocodone. This was the only medication he was on. He was put on gabapentin mg twice daily to relieve his pain and anxiety.

Over next few days, he started developing worsening lower extremity edema causing discomfort on ambulation [ Figure 1 ]. He denied dyspnea, orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, dysuria, and any other cardiovascular or genitourinary symptoms.

The thyroid function test was also normal with thyroid-stimulating hormone level of 2. His serum creatinine and albumin levels were 0. Urinalysis was negative for any bacteria, nitrite, leukocytes, casts, or protein. He denied use of any over the counter medications. Echocardiogram and ultrasound Doppler of his lower extremities were also unremarkable.

Gabapentin was discontinued, and his lower extremity swelling dramatically improved over next few days. Gabapentin is frequently used in conditions such as fibromyalgia, anxiety disorders, neuralgias, migraine headaches, restless leg syndrome, diabetic neuropathy, and many other off-label uses.

We hypothesized that the mechanism of causing pedal edema could be similar to that of other calcium channel blockers, such as amlodipine, which also causes peripheral edema. The clinical presentation was rare because the dose of gabapentin used was much lower than that was reported in previous studies. Also, since previously reported cases have all been in elderly patients who are more prone to developing lower extremity edema, the relatively young age of this patient makes the presentation more unusual.

National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. J Basic Clin Pharm. September November ; 6 4 : — Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer. Address for correspondence: Dr.