Gabapentinoids are a prescription only medications used to help manage nerve pain, epilepsy, restless legs and anxiety. Pregabalin and gabapentin can be useful medicines for helping people with some long-term conditions such as epilepsy. However when used for pain management, they do not work for most people. Gabapentinoids are not effective to manage acute, long term or chronic pain, and may lead to dependency.
Gabapentinoids have a role in changing pain signalling, however this is only a small part of how we experience and live with pain. Some people find that these medications have an impact on their sleep, or emotions, but they do not remove the pain. Common side effects include anxiety, dizziness, drowsiness, digestion problems.
Gabapentinoids usually come in tablet or capsule form. There are immediate-release tablets, extended-release tablets as well as oral solutions.
Gabapentin/Pregabalin capsules and tablets are normally swallowed.
Gabapentin and Pregabalin can affect your central nervous system, which can lead to side effects such as drowsiness and breathing problems. Other risks include:
When taken with other medicines, such as opioid based painkillers, antidepressants or alcohol (even in small amounts) their effects can become even stronger. This can be a problem if your job required you to be alert or if you drive for example.
Withdrawal symptoms may occur when you have been taking a medication for some time and then stop it suddenly. These can be reduced or stopped from happening by reducing the dose slowly. The most common withdrawal effects are:
