The usage of pharmacological drugs has become a very important issue to carry out the normal functionalities of the human body during the period of diseases. The physician and all other health care professionals should have proper knowledge on updated evidence-based practices on its usage. Even though some drug is highly recommended for a disease condition it also may have many bad influences on other systems and functions of the body. Gabapentin is a widely used pharmacological agent for convulsions. However, there is an array of gabapentin side-effects which are presenting in different ways.

The drug is coming under the thread name of Neurontin. The physicians usually prescribe this drug for people with seizures as well as sometimes as a pain killer. In addition to that, it often used for treatment regimes in neuropathies. However, since we are dealing with the health status of the human body, it is necessary to minimize the side effects as much as possible through the proper guidelines.

5 Common Gabapentin side-effects you must know…

The drug can arise various adverse effects on your body. Some of them are short term but, there are long term effects also. Among them, some can make serious changes for your body including memory deficits, respiratory failures and also it can cause minor changes which can be managed very easily with different techniques. The below-mentioned facts will help people who are always searching for what are the side effects of gabapentin.

Gabapentin side effects – Behavioural symptoms and withdrawal syndrome

This drug is mostly affected by the normal behavior of a person. Once you started to take it regularly with the medical supervision, it will start to ease off the symptoms of neuropathic pain or seizures. But, it will sometime make you a different kind of person. The frequent crying, anxiety and diminish normal performances in your day to day life will make sense of yourself. Not only these, but the recent researches have also found suicidal thoughts as a serious side effect of gabapentin. Therefore, if one of your friend or relation taking this drug in their daily medicinal chart, it is wise to keep a close observation on his or her behavior to prevent such a bad incidence.

In addition to these, the withdrawal syndrome or the behavioral changes which are occurring after termination of the course of treatment also a huge problem in the medical setup.

Carcinogenic effects of Gabapentin

The recent studies carried out using rats shows the carcinogens affects of this drug. But, there is not enough evidence to prove its clinical significance until now. But, it is better to consider this matter when prescribing gabapentin high dose for patients.

Gabapentin can also cause dental impairments

This anticonvulsant medication can often cause dental issues. You may notice discoloration of teeth and dental decay in some instances. The dryness in mouth after a regime of gabapentin usage may increase these common issues.

Vascular impairments due to gabapentin

The side effects gabapentin can create serious medical issues by influencing normal functions of the cardiovascular system. You may frequently note edema in peripheral areas such as ankle joint and toes. The cause of this is the vasodilatation effect of it by reducing the vasoconstriction which is helpful for venous return. Hence, ultimately, your blood pressure may be raised. In addition to these, there might be myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation and heart failure in rare cases.

Gabapentin side effects in men

According to recent findings, there is no such gender difference for the mode of the action of gabapentin. But, there are significant clinically proven adverse effects such as sexual dysfunctionalities among the men who are using gabapentin as a long term regime. Hence, usually, they experience sexual dysfunction along with erectile issues.

Does gabapentin is a popular drug among veterinary professionals?

Nowadays, home-based animals or pet is also considered as a member of the family. Hence, you will actually worry about neuropathic pains of your pet. Do you know gabapentin for dogs also having the same importance as with a human? Therefore, this is a popular drug among most of the veterinary practitioners. However, there may be some of the side effects for dogs as well. Hence, after starting the treatments, it is better to observe your dog carefully to check for those symptoms. If it is so, immediately contacts the veterinary practitioner to change the dosage and usual regime of it.

Can oral intake increase these side effects of Gabapentin?

This drug is available as capsules, tablets or solutions. But the common route is the oral intake. Actually; there are no such special short-term or long-term side effects of gabapentin taken through the oral route. But, there are a few important facts to keep in your mind thoroughly.

First and the important thing is to follow the dosages and medication time in a proper way. It means that you have to follow the exact way which has mentioned in the prescription sheet. Do not miss any of the dosages. If you accidentally miss it, seek advice from your general practitioner before taking the next dosage. The other thing is it is recommended to the shallow whole tablet at ones without breaking it into pieces.

The best alternative drugs for gabapentin

Since there is an array of adverse effects on using this drug, the experts have introduced the new drug named pregabalin as an alternative drug for this. The indications are moreover similar in both the drugs. However, there should be enough clinical trials to accept this newly introduce a drug for all the indications by replacing the gabapentin.

The message to share with your friends

Today, we discussed the importance of frequently used drug by the physicians in treating seizure attacks. It is gabapentin. However, most of the normal individuals are suffering in gabapentin side-effects after giving the prescription for it’s by their physician. But, it is necessary to rely on that medication for their disorders. Hence, there is a gap in the research to find out the best solutions to prevent those adverse effects or to introduce appropriate alternatives.