Gabapentin - Absorption

[imnewherecanyouhelpme]

I need some help with gabapentin. I’ve read through countless threads on here. I’ve compared to scientific articles and I’m still confused. Please tell me if I need to put this in a different place.

prescribed 600mg gabapentin 3x daily. Quite a bit, think I could up the dose easily with the doctor.

is it true that you only absorb 300mg at once? And every 45 minutes? I’ve tried that and feel nothing. I have to take about 1200mg every 30 mins. Then keep staggering. Am I truly wasting my meds doing this? Is it passing through me, maybe I’m having a placebo affect when I use more?

I do understand (and have experienced) the quick tolerance.

thank you!!

 

[Dispatchick17]

The max recommended dose of LYRICA for nerve pain is 600mg per day. I'm not sure how much gabapentin that would equal though.
If you insist on increasing, do it gradually and take just 2 or 3 every 45mins. Then 4 the next if it doesn't work.
If I take extra Lyrica all at once, it is a waste.

 

[MsDiz]

I need some help with gabapentin. I’ve read through countless threads on here. I’ve compared to scientific articles and I’m still confused. Please tell me if I need to put this in a different place.

prescribed 600mg gabapentin 3x daily. Quite a bit, think I could up the dose easily with the doctor.

is it true that you only absorb 300mg at once? And every 45 minutes? I’ve tried that and feel nothing. I have to take about 1200mg every 30 mins. Then keep staggering. Am I truly wasting my meds doing this? Is it passing through me, maybe I’m having a placebo affect when I use more?

I do understand (and have experienced) the quick tolerance.

thank you!!

When I was on it if I took 10 tablets staggered over the day I was at a good place in the evening. I didn’t take more than 300mg at a time. Basically the more you take the less is absorbed. If you’ve already gained a tolerance from it then you’re gonna need more. I would use less for a while and let your tolerance lower.

Just to warn you at high doses gabapentin causes weight gain and it is a bitch to withdraw from.

 

[Pinkbeam]

I've been taking gabapentin for about 8 years. It's my favorite thing. My go to dose is 1200 mg. They take almost two hours to kick in. I never stagger them because it doesnt make me any higher and I dont want to waste my pills.
I can tell you that you build up a tolerance so fast, that the next day if you take the same dose again, more than likely you wont feel anything. You have to increase your dose or take a break.
The highest amount I've taken is 3000 mg in one shot because I had been taking them so many days in a row.
Never had bad effects from gabapentin. Ease into it and ease out of it. Wonder pill. I love them. They help with everything.

 

[imnewherecanyouhelpme]

I need some help with gabapentin. I’ve read through countless threads on here. I’ve compared to scientific articles and I’m still confused. Please tell me if I need to put this in a different place.

prescribed 600mg gabapentin 3x daily. Quite a bit, think I could up the dose easily with the doctor.

is it true that you only absorb 300mg at once? And every 45 minutes? I’ve tried that and feel nothing. I have to take about 1200mg every 30 mins. Then keep staggering. Am I truly wasting my meds doing this? Is it passing through me, maybe I’m having a placebo affect when I use more?

I do understand (and have experienced) the quick tolerance.

thank you!!

Thank you so much. I think I’ve seriously been wasting a lot of pills. I appreciate your response!

 

[imnewherecanyouhelpme]

I've been taking gabapentin for about 8 years. It's my favorite thing. My go to dose is 1200 mg. They take almost two hours to kick in. I never stagger them because it doesnt make me any higher and I dont want to waste my pills.
I can tell you that you build up a tolerance so fast, that the next day if you take the same dose again, more than likely you wont feel anything. You have to increase your dose or take a break.
The highest amount I've taken is 3000 mg in one shot because I had been taking them so many days in a row.
Never had bad effects from gabapentin. Ease into it and ease out of it. Wonder pill. I love them. They help with everything.

Thank you. Good info. It really does help so much in many ways

 

[JackARoe]

I still have not figured out a definitive answer on the best way to stagger. Some people talk of their staggering ritual and every so often someone comes in and says taking them all at once works so it is up in the air from me. From reading every post at BL and looking at the charts I settled on 600 mgs every 45 minutes till i reach 2700-3000 mgs. I have done 300 every 45 minutes as well as 900 every 45 minutes. I usualy chase with some peanuts and soda. Then when I am done have a big meal and the rest of the night is golden.

I can't tell if using anything above 900 mgs is a waste for the entire day or a waste in that 45 minute time period based off the charts.

I am prescribed it for sciatica. But I do not want to be dependent on any medicine besides say BP meds. So once a week, sometimes twice a week along with some leg and back stretches keeps the sciatica away and I stay dependent free. I also have access to pregabalin. However every wise guy on BL just tells people to forget gabapentin and use pregabalin. Well I can say I reach for the gabapentin over pregabalin only because I get zaps in my head from pregabalin and it feels more sinister. Like I could have a seizure, Also gabapenbin has some features that I like better. A euphoria missing from pregabalin in some ways. To each his own I guess.