GABAPENTIN

(GA ba PEN tin) Brand: Gralise, Horizant, Neurontin

What is the most significant information I must know about gabapentin?

• Follow all directions on your medication label and package. Speak every of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.

What is gabapentin?

• Gabapentin is an anti-epileptic medicine, also called an anticonvulsant. It affects chemicals and nerves in the body that are involved in the reason of seizures and some types of pain.

• Gabapentin is used in adults to treat nerve pain caused by herpes virus or shingles (herpes zoster).

• The Horizant brand of gabapentin is also used to treat restless legs syndrome (RLS).

• The Neurontin brand of gabapentin is also used to treat seizures in adults and children who are at least 3 years old.

• Use only the brand and form of gabapentin that your doctor has predesigned. Check your medication every time you get a refill at the pharmacy, to create certain you have received the correct form of this medication.

• Gabapentin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking gabapentin?

• You must not use this medicine if you are allergic to gabapentin.

• To create certain gabapentin is safety for you, speak your doctor if you have:

· kidney disease;

· liver malady;

· heart malady; or

· (for patients with RLS) if you are a day sleeper or work a night shift.

• Some people have thoughts about suicide while taking this medication. Your doctor will need to check your progress at regular visits while you are using gabapentin. Your family or another caregivers must also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms.

• FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether gabapentin will harm an unborn child. Speak your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.

• Gabapentin can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing child. Speak your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How must I take gabapentin?

• Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not take this medication in larger or less amounts or for longer than recommended.

• The Horizant brand of gabapentin must not be taken during the day. For excellent results, take Horizant with food at about 5:00 in the evening.

• Both Gralise and Horizant must be taken with food.

• Neurontin can be taken with or without food.

• If you interrupt a Neurontin tablet and take one half of it, take the another half at your following doze. Any tablet that has been broken must be used as soon as possible or within a little days.

• Measure liquid medication with a particular dose-measuring spoon or medication cup. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

• If your doctor changes your brand, power, or type of gabapentin, your dosage needs may change. Ask your pharmacist if you have any questions about the new kind of gabapentin you receive at the pharmacy.

• Do not stop using gabapentin suddenly, even if you feel beautiful. Stopping suddenly may reason heighten seizures. Follow your doctor's instructions about tapering your dose.

• Wear a medical alert tag or carry an ID card stating that you take gabapentin. Any medical care provider who treats you must know that you take seizure medication.

• This medicine can reason you to have a false positive urine protein screening test. If you provide a urine sample for testing, speak the laboratory staff that you are taking gabapentin.

• Store gabapentin tablets and capsules at room temperature away from easy and moisture.

• Store the liquid medication in the refrigerator. Do not freeze.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. Be certain to take the medication with food. Skip the missed doze if it is nearly time for your following scheduled doze. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What must I avoid while taking gabapentin?

• This medicine may reason blurred vision or impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert and able to see clearly.

• Avoid taking an antacid within 2 hours till or after you take gabapentin. Antacids can create it harder for your body to absorb gabapentin.

• Drinking alcohol can magnify determined side effects of gabapentin.

What are the possible side effects of gabapentin?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; fever; swollen glands; painful sores in or near your eyes or mouth; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, lips, tongue, or throat.

• Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, depression, or if you feel agitated, hostile, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

• Call your doctor at once if you have:

· heighten seizures;

· fever, swollen glands, body aches, flu symptoms;

· skin rash, light bruising or bleeding, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness;

· upper stomach pain, loss of appetite, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);

· chest pain, irregular heart rhythm, feeling short of breath;

· confusion, nausea and vomiting, swelling, rapid weight gain, urinating smaller than normal or not at all;

· new or worsening cough, fever, trouble breathing;

· rapid back and forth movement of your eyes; or

· severe skin reaction -- fever, sore throat, swelling in your person or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the person or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling.

• Some side effects are more likely in children taking gabapentin. Contact your doctor if the baby taking this medicine has any of the next side effects:

· changes in behavior;

· memory problems;

· trouble concentrating; or

· acting restless, hostile, or aggressive.

• General side effects may include:

· dizziness, drowsiness;

· dry mouth, blurred vision;

· headache;

· diarrhea; or

· swelling in your hands or feet.

• This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect gabapentin?

• Taking gabapentin with another drugs that create you sleepy or slow your breathing can worsen these effects. Ask your doctor till taking gabapentin with a sleeping pill, narcotic pain medication, muscle relaxer, or medication for anxiety, depression, or seizures.

• Speak your doctor about all medicines you use, and those you start or stop using during your treatment with gabapentin, especially:

· hydrocodone, (Lortab, Vicodin and others);

· morphine (Kadian, MS Contin, Oramorph, and others); or

· naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve, Anaprox, and others).

• This list is not complete and another drugs may interact with gabapentin. Speak your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal commodity. Do not start a new medicine without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about gabapentin.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.