Gapapentin & Weight Loss

[winnie123]

Hi All,

I am wondering if any of you struggle to lose weight while on Gabapentin. I have been eating CLEAN and working out daily for past 8 weeks and weight loss seems to be at a stand still. I am wondering if the Gabapentin stalls weight loss on anyone.

[derrie]

One reported side effect of Gabapentin is weight gain. So yes, the medication might be interfering with managing your weight. If you think it's affecting your weight, don't stop taking it though-- instead, call your doctor to discuss the side effects.

Also, how long have you been on Gabapentin? I was on it for a while (not any longer), and I found that the random side effects (include wildly increased appetite) faded after a few weeks. So if you're not actively gaining weight, you may wait a few weeks to see if the problems continue.

[winnie123]

I have been on Gabapentin for over 7 months now...I am taking 400mg three times a day...At first I gave in to the extreme hunger and was gaining weight. I now have the hunger under control and changed eating habits and increased activity but no real weight loss. I am very knowledgeable about diet and exercise but what seemed to work in the past is not working now..

[RoyaleMSer]

Was on Gaba for a few years and gained lots of weight from it. Have been off it for over a year and still trying to get the weight off!

[chalknpens]

Gabapentin - Lyrica?

Is Gabapentin the same as Lyrica?

[Hawkgirl]

Gabapentin is the generic name for Neurontin. Lyrica is Lyrica--they lose their right to keep it private in a year or something and then there will be a generic, I'm sure.

Does Gabapentin take time to build up in your system to start working, or should it help right away? I was taking it for about a week and it didn't seem to have any effect on me, so I quit taking it. Then I wondered later if I hadn't been taking enough, or if I didn't give it long enough. Just curious.

[derrie]

Does Gabapentin take time to build up in your system to start working, or should it help right away? I was taking it for about a week and it didn't seem to have any effect on me, so I quit taking it. Then I wondered later if I hadn't been taking enough, or if I didn't give it long enough. Just curious.

I think it takes some time to be effective, and different people need different doses. My neurologist kept jacking up my dose for about a month to see if it would do anything. Then, when it was still not helping, he weaned me off of it.

You might want to ask your neurologist about a higher dose. Also, I'd give it more than a week if you're not having bothersome side-effects. It seems to be really helpful for some people.

[Hawkgirl]

^ Thank you!