Neurontin and short term memory

mood swings, short term memory loss, extreme sleepiness, edema, light flashes, constant ringing in ears that varies in tone, depression, stomach pain, flu like body ache, headaches, ear ache, continual nasal congestion, weight gain, constipation, dry & flaking skin & hair

I am my husbands caregiver. He is on many medications the last 26 years due to chemical poisoning thanks to our government not protecting their civilian painters at the Army Depot where he worked.
He has permanent brain damage, CRS damage, memory loss and short term memory, CHF and Bollis Emphysema. Now he also has Type II diabetes a severe case as he was not diagnosed for 7+ years of testing.
To make this short. He has been on many drugs for pain, diabetes, blood pressure, the brain damage, ( he is a recovering, not drinking alcoholic)
Recently the doctor took him off the Codeine # 3 that he had been taking for almost 15 years, 8 per day. and gave him time release Morphine Sulfate.15 MG. They also gave him Gabapentin for the neuropathy which is severe in his feet and starting to go up his legs. He is over weight, above the waist, and has not had a problem with High Blood Pressure, for many years since taking 60 mg daily of Inderal. His Blood Sugars have been between 98-140 without medication. When he was first diagnosed he was put on glyberide and it worked so good he was off it in 6 months and totally diet controlled since then but about every 3 years he would go on it for about 6 months and then he was ok again.
He has not needed it for the last 7 years. Since starting the gabapentin he went from 300 to 600 to 900 and slowly increased the dose to 1600 mg. The 300's are caps, the 600's are tablets.
All the sudden he has pounding headaches, I took his BP which we had not been watching and it was 198/115 with a 98 pulse. The only change was the gabapentin and Morphine. The morphine does not seem to be causing any side effects, once he was used to getting sleepy.. but once the gabapentin was added, all he does is sleep. The blood sugars also went up with the blood pressure. His were 358 higher than they have ever been except when he was first diagnosed. I was able to get the glyberide and that is bring down the sugar levels only taking 1/4 tab 2 x a day, and the blood pressure is also coming down, it was 139/85 with a pluse of 76 which is still too fast. I talked to some pharmancy friends and they said " Its the gabapentin " so I told the doc I wanted to stop it and he said to start leveling off, one 300 mg cap every 4 days. We were down to 2 a day till Friday and saw the doctor. Due to his taking Cymbalta they did not want to give him any of the other anti depressants so they want him to back on the gabapentin up to 1200 a day instead of the 1600 a day.
Taking into consideration his medical issues and meds, I don't believe this is a safe or sound decision, but I know how much pain he was in before the gabapentin.
I wish they would be more forthright about the side effects of this medication. They said it only causes blood sugar issues in 1 % and they did not even address the high blood pressure etc.
His pupils are also different, he has the kidney pain, but his biggest problem is sleepy.. hopefully it's not his kidneys or his heart. They did blood tests on Friday and I am asking for a EKG.. in the mean time we are monitoring both blood pressure and blood sugar 6 or more times a day. Thank you so much for sharing. It really helps to know we are not alone.

I've been on neurontin for about 3 years. I take 2400mg per
I have all of the ill effects mentioned above plus one more. My vision is impaired 40 % worse than when I first started this medication. I would have to say that I too am very frustated with this medication now. I have short term memory loss, weight gain, chest pain, constipation, swollen extremities, no sex drive, headaches, excessive feelling of euporia, depressed, and much more. The one thing I can say is that it did help the problem for which I was prescribed. Chronic neck pain/spasms. Go figure!

Not sure how to respond to you but I am doing so through here.

I have adapted to the ataxia (what I call walking into walls), tiredness, some short term memory loss etc. I still have some of them and I have been on it for a year, maximum dosage 1800 mgs. Now I am on 900 mgs. I guess I want to get off because I cannot stand the "hypoglycemic" feeling I get from it. Feeling weak and hungry, also I have gained weight on Neurontin. All along I have never really "believed" that there was such a thing as Atypical Facial Pain but as I come down off the drugs wierd things happen. My neck begins to hurt me is the one side effect of lowering the dosgage of Neurontin.

If you like, you can e-mail be directly at eburden@bbwg.com

I have been taking Neurontin (they said for my anger)for approx. 5 mos. I only take 300 mg even though I should take a lot more. I also take Paxil 40mg for anxiety, OCD and panic attacks. I have been on Paxil for almost 5 years. The reason I say I should take more Neurontin is because it definitely helps my well-being but I still get terrible anger outbursts. I am not inclined to ask for an increased dosage of Neurontin because there are some side effects that I do not like. The little stuff I can deal with but the two issues that are really bothering me are the feelings of lethargy I get and my short term memory loss/concentration. It seems like the higher dosage I take the worse the effects get. I do not believe that it's the Paxil because I have been on it for so long and the only side effects I seem to have are when I try to get off of it. I would also like to mention that I have tried LOTS of medications, I mean LOTS! None of them have worked successfully. Neurontin is the only one that seems to be helping me control my anger but I can stand feeling sluggish and out of it all day. Suggestions from anyone? Does anyone else take Neurontin for an anger problem? Or, does anyone know of any other meds work just as good w/o the side effects? Please let me know. Thanks!

I am taking Neurontin for a bruised spinal cord (2700mg / day):
constipation;
light headed and dizzy, especially after excercise;
weigth gain;
lack of concentration and short term memory loss;
possibly some water retention.

I have been taking 300mg of neurontin three times per day for the past 12 months due to a back injury and finally major back surgery in September 2002. I have many of the same symptoms: light headedness, swelling in knees, ankles, feet, short-term memory loss, lack of concentration and worst of all 'restless leg syndrome', severe muscle cramps from my thighs to my toes in both legs. I am really becoming concerned about these symptoms and I'm wondering if I should go off of neurontin for good. I have begun experiencing pain over my kidneys of late and I'm concerned that I may be experiencing the beginnings of kidney failure.
I would appreciate any comments.

I've been taking 1800 mg 3 times a day for a few weeks. This stuff makes me higher than a kite. Light headed, dizzy, brain fog, short term memory loss. I've gained 8 pounds. I take it for neurogenic pain and so far it hasn't done much for me except make me feel loopy. My heart races if I stand up fast, and I can feel it pounding in my head and hands. I'm gonna hang in there and see if it is worth all of this is the end. After reading everything posted here I am rather freaked out now about this drug.

I took my two caps 2 hours early trying to get back in a schedule I can hang with and I thought I was gonna die for about an hour. I felt like my head was going to explode and I was gonna have a heart attack or a stroke...I'll never do that again.