Are you or a loved one considering gabapentin as a treatment option for a medical condition? Gabapentin is a prescription medication with a wide range of uses that can ease nerve pain, control seizures, and even help with anxiety. This article will delve into the uses, side effects, and other essential information you should know about gabapentin dosage.
How Gabapentin works?
Gabapentin has become increasingly popular among medical practitioners as well as patients because of its versatile usage and effectiveness in treating various conditions. It works by effecting the GABA neurotransmitter in the brain to calm the nervous system in several ways that can alleviate pain and control seizures. Initially, it was used as an anti-epileptic drug to treat certain types of epileptic seizures.
When nerves can’t function properly, they send false signals to the brain that the body perceives as being hurt, even when it isn’t. Gabapentin blocks these nerves from sending false alerts, potentially reducing your pain. Gabapentin dosage action lies in altering the way nerves communicate with the brain by changing how they send and receive signals.
- To treat people with partial seizures, gabapentin decreases the abnormal electrical activity in the brain by influencing the brain cells to produce more GABA particles.
- In people experiencing nerve pain after having had shingles, gabapentin works by changing the way pain signals are sent throughout the body and brain.
- Gabapentin dosage slows the release of chemicals from the pre-synaptic nerve that can trigger the sensation of pain to treat restless legs syndrome.
Usage of Gabapentin
Doctors often prescribe gabapentin dosage for patients to treat conditions such as:
- Pain that causes numbness or uncomfortable tingling due to diabetic neuropathy or nerve damage from diabetes
- A painful compression of the sciatic nerve that causes nerve pain in the neck and back, known as sciatica
- A sudden feeling of pain that causes hot flashes of heat and sweating, a condition that mostly happens in women after menopause and in breast cancer patients
- mood disorders such as anxiety
- alcohol addiction due to excessive alcohol consumption
Administration of Gabapentin
Proper gabapentin 300 mg dosage is crucial for achieving the best results with minimum gabapentin side effects. You should follow your doctor’s instructions carefully regarding the dosage and take it as directed on the prescription label.
- Take Gralise tablets with your evening meal by swallowing them with a glass of water without chewing or crushing them.
- You can take horizontal tablets with food without breaking them and swallowing them with a gulp of water.
- You can take other forms of gabapentin dosage, with or without food, at consistent intervals.
- While taking generic forms of Neurontin tablets, you can break them into two pieces, taking the second half as your next dosage.
- If you’re taking the liquid formulation of gabapentin, carefully measure it with the medication-measuring device that comes with the drug.
- However, the usual gabapentin dosage can be taken on an empty stomach or with a meal; it doesn’t matter.
- If the capsules are too big to swallow, you can open them and sprinkle them on food to improve your ability to take them, but don’t crush the tablets.
- Don’t allow more than 12 hours to pass between the gabapentin dosages if you want the full benefits.
Side Effects of Gabapentin
Here are a few gabapentin side effects that you should be aware of:
- Cold or flu-like symptoms
- Hoarseness
- Lower back or side pain
- Swelling of hands, feet, or lower legs
- Trembling or shaking
The above-mentioned information about the medication should help you make informed decisions about your gabapentin dosage. However, for optimal safety, contact a healthcare specialist to get the maximum benefits of gabapentin.
