Gabapentin Usage
- Take gabapentin exactly as prescribed. Your healthcare provider will tell you how much Gabapentin to take.
- Do not change your dose of gabapentin without talking to your healthcare provider. If you break a tablet in half, the unused half of the tablet should be taken at your next scheduled dose. Half tablets not used within several days of breaking should be thrown away. If taking capsules, always swallow them whole with plenty of water.
- Gabapentin can be taken with or without food. If you take an antacid containing aluminum and magnesium, such as Maalox, Mylanta, Gelusil, Gaviscon, or Di-Gel, you should wait at least 2 hours before taking your next dose of gabapentin.
- If you take too much gabapentin, call your healthcare provider or your local Poison Control Center right away.
- Do not drink alcohol or take other medicines that make you sleepy or dizzy while taking gabapentin without first talking with your healthcare provider. Taking gabapentin with alcohol or drugs that cause sleepiness or dizziness may make your sleepiness or dizziness worse.
- Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how gabapentin affects you. Gabapentin can slow your thinking and motor skills.
Gabapentin Dosage
Postherpetic Neuralgia:
In adults with postherpetic neuralgia, gabapentin therapy may be started as a single 300-mg dose on Day 1, 600 mg/day on Day 2 (divided twice daily), and 900 mg/day on Day 3 (divided three times daily). The dose can be increased as needed for pain relief to a daily dose of 1800 mg (divided three times daily). Additional benefit of using doses greater than 1800 mg/day was not shown.
Epilepsy:
Gabapentin is recommended for as add-on therapy in patients 3 years of age and older. Effectiveness in children below the age of 3 years has not been established.
Patients >12 years of age:
The effective dose of gabapentin is 900 to 1800 mg/day and given in divided doses (three times a day). The starting dose is 300 mg three times a day. If necessary, the dose may be increased to three times a day up to 1800 mg/day. The maximum time between doses in the three times daily schedule should not exceed 12 hours.
Pediatric Patients Age 3–12 years:
The starting dose should range from 10–15 mg/kg/day in 3 divided doses, and the dose can be increased gradually over approximately 3 days.
- The effective dose of gabapentin in patients 5 years of age and older is 25–35 mg/kg/day and given in divided doses (three times a day).
- The effective dose in pediatric patients ages 3 and 4 years is 40 mg/kg/day and given in divided doses (three times a day).
The maximum time interval between doses should not exceed 12 hours.
Kidney Dysfunction:
Dosing is also based on the functional status of your kidneys.
Stopping gabapentin:
If gabapentin is stopped and/or a different anticonvulsant medication is added to the therapy, this should be done gradually over a minimum of 1 week.