Side Effects Of Gabapentin

Like all medicines, gabapentin can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.

Common side effects of gabapentin

These common side effects of gabapentin may happen in more than 1 in 100 people. They're usually mild and go away by themselves.

There are things you can do to help cope with them.

Keep taking the medicine, but talk to your doctor if this advice does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.

Serious side effects

Very few people taking gabapentin have serious side effects.

Call a doctor or call 111 now if you:

• have a high temperature, swollen glands that do not go away, your eyes or skin turn yellow (this may be less obvious on brown or black skin), unusual bruises or bleeding, severe tiredness or weakness, unexpected muscle pain or weakness, with or without a rash - these may be symptoms of a serious reaction
• have long-lasting stomach pain, are feeling sick or being sick - these may be signs of an inflamed pancreas
• have muscle pain or weakness and you're having dialysis treatment because of kidney failure
• are seeing or hearing things that are not there (hallucinations)
• have trouble breathing

Call 999 or go to A&E now if:

Serious allergic reaction

In rare cases, it's possible to have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to gabapentin.

Call 999 now if:

• your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
• you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
• your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
• your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
• you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
• someone faints and cannot be woken up
• a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)

You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling.

These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.

Long-term side effects

Some people can become addicted to gabapentin. If this happens, you'll have withdrawal symptoms after you stop taking the medicine.

When you stop taking gabapentin, you'll need to reduce your dose gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Do not stop taking gabapentin without talking to your doctor.

Talk to your doctor if you're concerned about becoming physically dependent on gabapentin.

Other side effects

These are not all the side effects of gabapentin. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicines packet.

Reporting side effects

You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.

Visit the Yellow Card website for more information about reporting side effects.

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