GABAPENTIN

The Medication More People Are Taking - And Struggling With - Than You Might Think

Chances are, you or someone you know has been prescribed Gabapentin. In any given room, it’s likely that one or two people have taken it in the past year. Gabapentin belongs to a class of drugs called anticonvulsants—originally developed to treat seizures by calming abnormal activity in the brain. Medications like Lyrica and Neurontin fall into this same category, and for the purpose of this article, everything I say about Gabapentin applies to them as well.

As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I work with clients ranging in age from 10 to 70. What continually astounds me isn’t just how many of them have been prescribed Gabapentin—it’s why.

Years ago, I was prescribed Gabapentin following a traumatic accident and head injury. I was told it could help with my nerve pain as well chronic pain. But over the years - especially while working alongside a physician specializing in internal medicine, pain management, and addiction - I began to notice something troubling. Gabapentin has become a “go-to” medication - used not just for seizures and nerve pain but for everything from insomnia and general aches to seizures, sciatica, restless leg syndrome, fibromyalgia—even alcohol cravings and withdrawal from opioids. I've seen it prescribed for anxiety, mood regulation, post-surgical pain, and even sinus infections.

Many people start taking Gabapentin for some vague complaint - an ache or pain; trouble falling asleep or staying asleep through the night. They're told it is a low-risk, non-addictive option with minimal side effects.

It doesn't stop with people either. One client's cat was prescribed Gabapentin for stress after the Montecito floods, while another's dog was given it for muscle weakness.

This pattern is everywhere—and patients are hearing the same message again and again: Gabapentin is safe, non-addictive, and the worst you may feel is groggy or fuzzy-headed.

A Quick But Important Disclaimer

Before I go any farther, I want to provide a critical caveat: I am not a physician. I do not prescribe medication, nor do I claim to be an expert in pharmacology. Therapists are legally and ethically required to stay within our “scope of practice” and “scope of competence.” Medications are outside both of mine. I’m not here to recommend or discourage the use of Gabapentin. I know it’s been life-changing for some but what I can do that is within my scope is share what I consistently hear from my clients, especially when the trends are too clear to ignore.

What My Clients Are Actually Experiencing

The experiences clients share—whether they’re currently on Gabapentin or trying to taper off—are often far more intense than the standard warnings of “drowsiness” or “grogginess.” Many report feeling emotionally flat, numb, or detached. Others describe severe brain fog, dizziness, or anxiety and depression that come on suddenly and without clear cause.

Some clients feel addicted to the Gabapentin that they were told was not addictive. And when they try to stop, the withdrawal process can be brutal: insomnia, mood swings, panic attacks, and overwhelming irritability. Often, these symptoms aren’t recognized for what they are—Gabapentin withdrawal—so people blame themselves or think they’re simply falling apart.

Even when clients report these side effects to their doctors, they’re often told to increase the dosage or “wait it out" or that is unlikely related to the medicine and much more related to their "lack of sleep"; their "original injury"; whatever caused them to take the Gabapentin which is why it feels so confusing for the client. The client then doubts their own feelings and tends to think "well, I guess it could be that even though I don't remember having these particular complaints originally...".

How Gabapentin Is Commonly Prescribed

Multiple physicians have explained to me that Gabapentin is typically prescribed in multiples of three—usually starting at 300mg, three times a day. If that’s not effective, it may be increased to 600mg, three times a day. While most providers stay within the 900–1800mg daily range, some report prescribing as high as 3600mg.

I’ve had clients who were already feeling “off” at three pills a day be told to double or even triple their dose. Now they’re on six or nine pills a day—still not feeling like themselves—and told to "just wait and see if it improves".

A Client Story That Sticks With Me

One client in her 40s had been prescribed Gabapentin for back pain and sleep issues. After a few weeks on the medication, she reported she felt she was "losing her mind". She was forgetting everything and had brain fog. I suggested she talk to her doctor about the possibility the medication was playing a role. Her doctor didn't think Gabapentin was the cause, but she decided to stop it anyway.

The withdrawal hit hard. For six weeks, she felt anxious, irritable and short-tempered. Her withdrawal symptoms were far worse than anything she experienced while taking the drug and her emotional reactivity nearly caused her boyfriend to break up with her.

What Gabapentin Withdrawal Can Really Feel Like

Withdrawal stories from Gabapentin could take up a novel and those stories are almost more distressing than symptoms of people who are on the medication. When pushed, physicians will sometimes list off potential withdrawal symptoms as the relative generic things we often read off the backs of any medication script: nausea, dizziness, headaches, insomnia. But this doesn't paint a clear enough picture of what I have heard my clients report. They have experienced debilitating anxiety, irritability, mood swings, frustration with life, over reactions to everything and everyone...I could go on.

I have had two clients who needed to take leaves of absences from their jobs when they were experiencing withdrawals coming off Gabapentin. I have had to create many plans with clients for how they will get the support they need from family and friends while coming off Gabapentin such as having back-up plans in case they need help picking up kids from school, what friends/family can help with making dinner or going grocery shopping in case they are not able to or not feeling well enough, who can call them on days they may feel low, or get them out of the house for walks or coffee if they are feeling depressed. These are just some of the baby steps to mention a few.

This Isn't About Demonizing Gabapentin, Lyrica, Neurontin or Any of the Other Anti-seizure Medications

I’m not writing this to suggest that Gabapentin is inherently bad. For some, it’s helpful and even necessary. But that’s not what this article is about.

This is about awareness. It’s about recognizing that the side effects—especially during withdrawal—can be significant, and they’re often overlooked or dismissed. It’s about knowing that if you or someone you love is struggling after starting or stopping Gabapentin, you’re not imagining it.

When pharmaceutical companies put out generic-sounding language on their labels to describe potential side effects of starting a medication that sound identical to the side effects of stopping said medication, we all can become desensitized to the actual risks this medication may in fact pose to our health.

That’s why it’s critical for doctors to take patient feedback seriously—and to clearly communicate the side effects patients are actually likely to experience - not just what’s printed on a label. If I’m consistently hearing these patterns from my clients, physicians must hear them too.

Bottom Line

We need to do better to convey these potential side effects better and more honestly and clearly with a fuller picture- not to scare patients but to be honest and to inform.

Because what I’ve also noticed again and again in my practice is this: when people understand that what they’re experiencing is physiological—and not a personal failure—they tend to manage those symptoms more effectively. There’s less shame, less self-blame, and more room for self-compassion. And when they’re prepared for what might come, they’re more likely to stay emotionally steady through it.