Anyone else having issues with uncontrollable eye movement with Gabapentin?

Thanks for the reply Jimbourg8.  Did they tell you how to taper off of it?  After the effects I had taking 2 on xmas evening, for the past two nights I've just spilled out 1/2 the contents in the capsule, and recaped it, so basically taking arppox 150mg.  Only being on it for 2 weeks, I still feel I should taper done a bit after reading some of these posts.  I hope you continue to feel better!

 

Yes, it is best to go slow.....thats how I did it.  I emptied 300 mg/ capsules to 1/2 dose , then later was using 100 mg/ caps and emptying those to 1/2 then to 1/4 ( approx 25 mg)....ive been off now for 2 weeks and feeling fine...it has taking me 4 months to go down from 1200 mg/day to finally 0.....it's a journey ! But I had been taking for 4 years.  In your case should not take long since only a few weeks ?  Good Luck. Docs don't really inform us well on how to taper off.....we have to learn ourselves and listen to others on this forum.....it DOES work though.

Same...day 23 off the med. 😟

I don’t know if Jim will answer. I was wondering if you did a slow taper.  I had an adverse reaction during introduction and I developed a sudden onset of a movement disorder almost 10 years ago. Most people I have met ion Gabapentin Withdrawal Support groups will have these problems resolve but It takes time. 

Hi and thank you Beth. I was put on gaba about 4 months ago, 100mg 1x/day for one week, 2x next week, 3x third  week, so my max dose was 100mg 3x a day. Tapered myself off after 2.5 months on it because it didn’t feel good.  Did that within a week. Off 24 days tomorrow.  Have all the side effects, including twitching, though that was less today, I was able to work some. I will stay off and hope to feel better each day. 

Hi Deebee, I always thought if I had just been started on the 100 mg dose capsules, I wouldn’t have ended up with a movement disorder. Thanks for clearing that up that up for me. The Mayo Clinic wants me to have a yearly brain MRI since they want to monitor a “cyst” on my hypothalamus gland that is adjacent  to the optic chiasm and right optic nerve. I think I had a small vessel stroke because the first symptom during my adverse reaction was seeing bright dots of light in my right eye, and I am so thankful that I didn’t go blind along with my alien looking movement disorder. My daughter in law had to help me walk to the restroom for 5 months. I realized I had to practice walking, and even though I can’t walk downhill since my gait speeds up, I get around fairly well. 

I hope you keep us informed about how you recover from this awful drug. 

HI deebee, No one has been on this question for a long time. I wondered how you are and if you ever fully recovered from your bout with Gabapentin? Did your twitching go away?

I am still the same Old Jerky Lady. I decided not to undergo that recommended annual MRI, since I'm sure it caused my Tinnitis. - I discovered in my medical records and insurance approval that they gave me 600 times the amount of MRI contrast that was approved by my insurance. How can they change 0.1 mL, to ^60 mL? There has been a lot of research showing that people who have normal kidney function, can't eliminate all the Gadolinium, heavy metal contrast that collects in the brain, bones, kidneys, ect.

I recently found a statement in my brain MRI report that the protocol for a pituitary study was used. So now I have gone from Gabapentin damage, to trying to finish me off with way too much heavy metal contrast.

I was prescribed gabapentin for sciatica and lumbar pain and it seems to have aggravated a pre-existing neck problem so that now my entire neck and shoulders are in pain, with terrible stiffness and weakness in my upper arms to the extent that I can barely lift anything. As the gabapentin wears off between doses I feel a tight pain round the back of my head. 

And it hasn't helped my back and leg pain either, so very much regret accepting this drug without better information. Surely a consultant neurologist would know the effects of a drug like this!

Yes, you would think practitioners would be well informed of drug effects but it seems doctors as a whole completely downplay drug side effects. Only we ourselves know how any given drug affects us because it's our body !  Generally,  I think doctors just want to get us out of their offices and on the the next victim!  My neurologist told me that gaba. was so completely safe that you don't have to worry about taking too much ! Huh? What a joke, I know better now......listen to your body, not the doctor. Do searches on drug side effects.........The problem is..... ALL Drugs have side effects.  I guess you just have to weigh the perceived benefits vesus the so called good it may do ?

The irony is that he was concerned about seratonin syndrome, a reaction between amitryptaline and venlafaxine, and advised my doctor to prescribe the gabapentin instead. Not knowing quite what he was doing, the doctor just doubled the dose when it didn't seem to be working. I was up to 700mg three times daily before the total stiffness set in and I got scared and stopped the gabapentin. Then I started reading this forum, and EEEEEK! 

in the absence of any better advice I am maintaining a dose at 300mg x3 daily, along with fentanyl patches and naproxen. Never in my life have I been on SO MANY drugs and still been in so much pain! i wish I had never started!!!!

Funny you mention the effect on desire to drink....after researching this drug all morning yesterday, I found that is another reason they prescribe GABA, for addiction to alcohol and some drugs.   This manufactorer must be making hands over fist in money since it's prescriped for various reasons.  

I have felt an odd feeling in my face, a tightness.  

Gabapentin / Neurontin is still considered as an anti-epileptic drug, even though the manufacturer advertised to doctors that it  was also good for 11 unapproved uses.  The manufacturers of Neurontin were involved in a 2004 lawsuit for violating the False Claims Act.  It seems strange that doctors know that Benzodiazepines are dangerous, since they enhance GABA, but are prescribed at low doses. So why don't doctors see that Gabapentin, that enhances GABA and is also a calcium channel blocker, should be considered as being even more dangerous?  - It only took 2 consecutive 300 mg doses for Neurontin / Gabapentin to cause me to develop a sudden uncontrollable movement disorder in 2008, and I wasn't about to take any more. The prescribing doctor made sure I wasn't given my brain MRI results which showed I have a 5 mm hypothalamic lesion. He admitted once in my records, "Failed on Neurontin, caused increased tremors." (I had slight hand tremors.). Then my RX induced arm and leg jerking was backdated 3 months, as though it was a preexisting condition. I had a normal neurological exam a week after the backdated symptom appointment.