Gabapentin for epilepsy

Gabapentin requires several daily doses and comes in capsules and pills.

It is not known exactly how gabapentin prevents seizures.

Gabapentin may be used alone or combined with other antiepileptic medicines to control partial seizures in adults and in children age 3 and older.

People taking gabapentin in addition to other antiepileptic medicines may have fewer seizures.¹ Although it is not as effective as other new epilepsy drugs, it may have fewer side effects. Gabapentin has not been shown to be effective for treating primary generalized seizures or childhood absence seizures.

Gabapentin is a well-tolerated drug that usually causes only mild side effects. These often go away within 1 to 2 weeks and include:

• Dizziness.
• Drowsiness and fatigue.
• Headache.
• Weight gain.
• Foot swelling.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning on antiepileptic medicines and the risk of suicide and suicidal thoughts. The FDA does not recommend that people stop using these medicines. Instead, people who take antiepileptic medicine should be watched closely for warning signs of suicide. People who take antiepileptic medicine and who are worried about this side effect should talk to a doctor.

See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)

Cost

Gabapentin is expensive, but a generic version is now available.

Drug interactions

Many medicines for epilepsy can interact with other medicines you may be taking. This means that your epilepsy medicine may not work as well, or it may affect the way another medicine you are taking works. Some of these interactions can be dangerous. It is important to tell you doctor about all the medicines, herbal pills, and dietary supplements you are taking.

Risk of birth defects

All medicines for epilepsy have some risk of birth defects. But the risk of birth defects needs to be carefully compared to other risks to the baby if the mother stops taking her epilepsy medicine. If you are thinking about becoming pregnant, it is important to plan ahead and talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks of taking epilepsy medicine during your pregnancy. It you are already pregnant, it is not too late. The best thing to do is talk to your doctor about your pregnancy before you make any changes to the medicines you are taking.

Other concerns

For some people, gabapentin may produce side effects or carry risks that are not fully known yet. Report any unexpected side effects or problems to your doctor.

It may take time and careful, controlled adjustments by you and your doctor to find the combination, schedule, and dosing of medicine to best manage your epilepsy. The goal is to prevent seizures while causing as few unwanted side effects as possible. After the most effective medicine program is determined, it is important that you follow it exactly as prescribed.

Complete the new medication information form (PDF)(What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this medication.

Citations

1. Jarrar RG, Buchhalter JR (2003). Therapeutics in pediatric epilepsy, part 1: The new antiepileptic drugs and the ketogenic diet. Mayo Clinical Procedures, 78(3): 359–370.