Gabapentin/Neurontin & Insane Hunger

[derrie]

So, the sheet that came with my prescription mentioned that Gabapentin can cause weight gain, but it said nothing about insane hunger. Is the whole weight gain side effect because the drug makes you voraciously hungry?

No matter how much I eat, I feel like I haven't eaten all day. I think I actually prefer the burning and tingling.

[RoyaleMSer]

YEP! Welcome to the wonderful world of gaba and ALL the joys that come with it!

[Kippy]

I've been on Lyrica for about 3 years and have gained about 15 pounds since I started. I don't eat more, and don't have insane hunger. I just gain weight! So I decreased the amount of Lyrica that I take and haven't gained weight since then.

It's a trade-off for me. The medication helps the neuropathy, but makes me gain weight! I can handle the discomfort.

[derrie]

And the hunger thing sticks around as long as you're on Gabapentin? SERIOUSLY? It is some of the most intense hunger I have ever felt. It took all of my self-control not to eat all day. And I just ate a full dinner -- a bit more than I usually eat -- and I'm hungry again. I finished eating 15 minutes ago.

Plus, the Gabapentin isn't really doing all that much for me (I'm only on 200mg, though? Perhaps that's too low?), and I'm still in a lot of pain in my legs.

Gabapentin and I may be breaking up real soon if it doesn't get its act together.

[macaela25]

Started Lyrica last week

It hasn't done anything except relieve some numbness in my feet. Has anyone ever had severe diarrhea with it? It wasn't listed in any side effects, but I stopped taking it because it was really getting bad. I'd much rather deal with the symptoms than that particular side effect.

[RoyaleMSer]

And the hunger thing sticks around as long as you're on Gabapentin? SERIOUSLY? It is some of the most intense hunger I have ever felt. It took all of my self-control not to eat all day. And I just ate a full dinner -- a bit more than I usually eat -- and I'm hungry again. I finished eating 15 minutes ago.

Plus, the Gabapentin isn't really doing all that much for me (I'm only on 200mg, though? Perhaps that's too low?), and I'm still in a lot of pain in my legs.

Gabapentin and I may be breaking up real soon if it doesn't get its act together.

The hunger always lingered with me but it slowly disappated. S-l-o-w-l-y. I started out at 100mg 2x a day and when I got off of it (earlier this year) I was up to 800mg 3x a day. Gained about 40lbs being on it, too. Took me 3 years to break up with the stuff!

Good luck!

[derrie]

Do you feel much worse being off it? Was it worth being on for three years?

I know it sounds kind of vain, but just a couple years back I FINALLY lost 40 lbs I'd gained after my hypothyroidism diagnosis. I really, really, really don't want to gain it back, especially because of a drug that is not even helping my pain.

I mean, of course I will talk to my doctor, too, but I appreciate hearing real experiences with the medication. My doctor can't give me that; he's never taken the darn stuff.

[RoyaleMSer]

Honestly, I feel better without it. I was taking it for numbness and burning in my left leg. When I was on it, my body just felt weird. But I stuck it out until my doc and I decided it was doing more harm than good, especially weight-wise and in the fact that I was having break-through burning. I would have had to increase and my doc didn't want me to do it because of the possibility of getting heavier. Only took me like a month to get off of it.

[Ringer1319]

Switched.

So, the sheet that came with my prescription mentioned that Gabapentin can cause weight gain, but it said nothing about insane hunger. Is the whole weight gain side effect because the drug makes you voraciously hungry?

No matter how much I eat, I feel like I haven't eaten all day. I think I actually prefer the burning and tingling.

I talked to my DR about my weight gain while I was on gabapentin... and he switched me to Cymbalta. So instead of taking Prozac & Gaba... I just went to Cymbalta. I'm all for less meds a day, but I'm wondering if Cymbalta causes the same thing...

I'm also on Baclofen, Avonex, Naproxen & Nuvigil. So... I'm wondering what exactly could be causing my inability to lose weight, no matter how hard I try.

I did notice less hunger once I got off the gabapentin though, and I don't experience near as much nerve pain now.

Best Wishes!

[MyGirlsMom]

My doctor(s) told me that after being on gabapentin for some time, people can go off as the pain will be gone. Other medical people on this board may explain it better, but the gabapentin can help block the communication and that over time, the communication gets blocked that the nerves forget to communicate it anymore. Okay, did that really make sense?

Thus, I hope that over time, some of my stuff will no longer require the gabapentin. However, I do think my Amitriptylene is quite helpful and my neuro says he regularly prescribes it to patients with MS because it is inexpensive, has been out for a long time, so side effects are known,a low dose can work quite well and it make you sleep, so I sleep well at night. (That is true, except for my menopause sxs!) There is always something!! :-)

[tjsladybug65]

thank you for your posts

Hi I just started Gabapentin this month one week taking 300mg, next week taking 600 mg, 3rd week taking 900 mg and holding. I love how I sleep so much better now (I have severe fibromyalgia) however this week I have been soooooo hungry every day and it finally hit me this afternoon after finishing a large chicken salad and being starving 10 minutes after, maybe it is a side effect of the new medicine. When I looked it up, I found this thread. It has helped me by verifying this side effect and I have left a message for the doctor to put me on Topamax instead. I have been on that with a different doctor in the past.

[Aqua10]

Gabapentin & hunger?

I'm on about 2700 mg of Gabapentin daily (300 mg pill, I take about 9 of them in the afternoon and evening) and I can't imagine how I got along without it. I never had the slightest increase in appetite, and in fact never knew about it until I saw this thread. So please don't assume you'll get that side effect.

One side effect was that it put me to sleep--great in the evening because I had been jerking/twitching myself awake before and didn't get a decent night's sleep for years! But not so great during the day. Solution: take a lot less, work up to current level, and take them closer to bedtime.

[Strong]

On Gabapentin 5 days

Hi :
I STARTED GABAPENTIN 5 DAYS AGO AND THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE WORST THEN THE HELP WITH THE PAIN FOR ME.
I CRY FOR THE FULL 5 DAYS AND DO NOT KNOW WHY OR I AM OVER EXCITED, JUMP FEELING. I STOP IT BECAUSE I COULD NOT HANDLE THE SIDE EFFECTS. I WAS ON 300 MG STARTING OFF.
I NEVER HAD THE HUNGER SIDE EFFECT. ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCE THE SIDE EFFECTS I HAD.
LEGS STILL IN A LOT OF PAIN AND FATIGUE VERY BAD BUT DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. ANY SUGGESTIONS. I HAVE MS 4 YEARS.

THANKS
STRONG