Awful gabapentin side effect?

[scats]

I’m currently spending the night on the couch because JD’s back end gave way this evening.
She was at the vet yesterday for her diarrhoea as I thought she might be having another bout of pancreatitis. While there, we discussed putting her on another pain relief for her arthritis and the vet suggested Gabapentin, so she started it yesterday.

I noticed yesterday evening on her walk she seemed a bit wobbly behind, but she’d had a car journey to the vet and I thought maybe it was just her arthritis kicking off as she’d jumped out of the car on arrival before I could lift her out.
This morning she seemed back to normal- 2 walks today and marching out as normal. Had her Gabapentin this evening and her back end went quite out of nowhere on the stairs (which she normally manages fine)
I’m on my own at the moment and how I kept the pair of us from falling down them, I don’t know. I managed to get her back downstairs and onto her bed, then she went again. The last time I saw her like this was when she’d had that heavy sedation in the summer and her legs took awhile to reconnect to her brain!

I let her have a lie on her bed for an hour, where she fell asleep. I assumed I was either going to have to take her to the vets tonight or tomorrow morning… then she got up, still a bit wobbly but not as bad and proceeded to wander around the kitchen looking for food.
The only thing that’s changed (aside from the gut binding medication that she has had before) is Gabapentin. I’ve just googled it and it seems ataxia and hind leg weakness is a common side effect. Needless to say I’m not giving her any more and I hope to god she continues to improve by morning.
I’m sleeping here with her as I don’t want her attempting the stairs and I want to be here in case she needs a wee.

She is 14 and a half, and I know her legs will get her one day, but the speed this has happened makes me think it’s the drug. She went from trotting along on a walk to collapsing, in the space of an hour and a half. Has anyone had this happen with this drug?

 

[skinnydipper]

I've not had a dog on Gabapentin but from what I've read previously I think it's best to start on a low dose and titrate up slowly. Check with your vet tomorrow and see what they suggest re dosage.

 

[Books'n'dogs]

The dog in my profile photo had the exact same reaction to Gabapentin when she was 11, I still remember the sick feeling of horror I had as I watched her fall down the stairs about an hour after my giving her a dose of Gabapentin. I can't even recall why she was prescribed the medication but I do remember that the side effect was worse than anything she had been dealing with previously. If I remember correctly it took her about 24 hours to regain her balance 100% but the symptoms did (slowly) wear off. My vet told me most dogs tolerate Gabapentin but they also see ataxia as a side effect on a regular basis. Willow was prescribed a different pain relief medication on an as needed basis for the remainder of her life since she had such an adverse reaction to Gabapentin.

I hope JD recovers. Senior animals are such a worry since you know the time you have left with them is running out.

 

[Chucho]

I have had a couple on it. They do adjust to the dosage over time. On higher doses it can make them wobbly and punch drunk. Some seem to have higher tolerance for higher doses. Agree with @skinnydipper - might be worth asking for a lower dosage. When they're on a suitable dosage, they behave normally but you can tell they are in less discomfort.

 

[pistolpete]

Mine had it for pain after an op and she was almost comatose. She’s an incredibly active dog normally but it wiped her out. Very strong stuff and vets seem extremely fond of prescribing it these days.

 

[meleeka]

Mine had it for pain after an op and she was almost comatose. She’s an incredibly active dog normally but it wiped her out. Very strong stuff and vets seem extremely fond of prescribing it these days.

Mine did too. There are so many alternatives, I’m not even sure why I was prescribed it for mild arthritis discomfort (I think I posted about it on here).

 

[Chucho]

The first dog that was prescribed it, it was awful he was a total zombie. It was palliative care for terminal cancer. We took him off it after 2 days and arranged PTS instead. The second not so bad, maybe we knew what to expect. It was post operative, we asked for something else because of dog #1 but the surgeon insisted and actually she was fine. She ended up on it again for disc issues, but a low daily dose and it really helped. The third dog was on a low dose for pancreatitis. You wouldn't have known he was on it from his behaviour, he became so much happier instantly. I changed my views on it after that and prefer it to metacam or other anti-inflammatories now as it is so easy on their stomach. But it does have to be the right dosage and if they are a little wobbly already then it is more problematic.

 

[scats]

She seems pretty much back to normal this morning, thank god! Still a bit wobbly, but nothing like she was.

I feel dreadful because everything I try to give her to help makes her worse! We tried librela and that made her incontinent and confused, loxicom kicks off her pancreatitis… and now this!
I never want to witness that happen again, that’s for sure.

 

[scats]

The dog in my profile photo had the exact same reaction to Gabapentin when she was 11, I still remember the sick feeling of horror I had as I watched her fall down the stairs about an hour after my giving her a dose of Gabapentin. I can't even recall why she was prescribed the medication but I do remember that the side effect was worse than anything she had been dealing with previously. If I remember correctly it took her about 24 hours to regain her balance 100% but the symptoms did (slowly) wear off. My vet told me most dogs tolerate Gabapentin but they also see ataxia as a side effect on a regular basis. Willow was prescribed a different pain relief medication on an as needed basis for the remainder of her life since she had such an adverse reaction to Gabapentin.

I hope JD recovers. Senior animals are such a worry since you know the time you have left with them is running out.

It’s awful isn’t it? I heard a god awful noise on the stairs and when I got there, she was just lying in a heap and sliding backwards with a look of terror on her face.

 

[skinnydipper]

I’m not even sure why I was prescribed it for mild arthritis discomfort (I think I posted about it on here).

As arthritis progresses it can cause different types of pain, neuropathic pain/central sensitisation, and additional drugs need to be added to the regime.

JD's vet might want to try a reduced dose of Gabapentin or start JD on Amantadine or one of the other drugs used to treat neuropathic pain.


ETA. https://vetspecialists.co.uk/fact-sheets-post/our-guide-to-amantadine/#:~:text=Amantadine is a drug with,e.g. brain and spinal cord).

loxicom kicks off her pancreatitis

My last dog couldn't tolerate NSAIDs.

He was started on Amantadine in addition to his Paracetamol, which was prescribed by the vet.

Paracetamol can be given in combination with Amantadine instead of NSAIDs.

Amantadine for chronic pain:

Amantadine for chronic pain

Amantadine is an oral NMDA antagonist used for the management of chronic pain in dogs and cats. Amantadine has pharmacological actions as both an anti-Parkinsonian and an antiviral drug in humans. It is a weak dopamine agonist and glutamate antagonist. Glutamate contributes to a range of normal...

www.zeropainphilosophy.com

 

[AmyMay]

A friend has a dog on it. The first time he was prescribed it he became quite unwell. Fast forward a year on a lower does and he does really well on it. It’s transformed him actually.

 

[pinkfluffy]

My cat had to take it day before and day of a vet visit and did get very wobbly. Legs gone and no walking in a straight line, but it was a high dose. My GSD had it the other day and was not herself so much I'm not giving it to her again. I think its a bit of a 50/50 drug in its effectiveness. My cat had it for traveling and it always made him 'out of it' for at least 48 hrs afterwards.

 

[pistolpete]

Worth trying a course of acupuncture?

 

[fankino04]

2 of my malamute have had it prescribed at quarter doses to start with and even that had both of them off their feet, Ash tried to move about but couldn't seem to Co ordinate his legs and noodles legs just buckled under her when we tried to stand her up, she then got very stressy and anxious until it had left her system.

 

[Clodagh]

Worth trying a course of acupuncture?

T has acupuncture and I’m a convert but Scat’s dog sounds pretty bad, isn’t acupuncture more muscle/blood flow related?

 

[scats]

She’s seemed a bit sleepier today than normal, but mobility wise she is back to normal.
Dogs are such a worry when they get old!

 

[Books'n'dogs]

I am very glad to hear JD is doing better this morning.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Sorry I’ve not read all replies.
As far as I’m aware Gabapentin is known to cause limb/muscle weakness, I can’t think exactly how they put it.
I was warned of this before my dog was given it.

 

[Jenko109]

I've had two whippets on it. Both were on 100mg taken three times daily, so 300mg in total per day.

The first was for an undiagnosable neurological disease. The second as pain relief during the early stages on treatment of meningitis (alongside steroids)

Both dogs got on fine with it. No negative side affects.

 

[meggymoo]

Our Lab was put on gabapentin, along with a cocktail of other drugs post cruciate surgery. No side effects but as he was on it for, what? 3 weeks? the vet said we had to gradually wean him off it.

 

[meggymoo]

Worth trying a course of acupuncture?

Or deep tissue laser treatment.

 

[rara007]

It tends to improve with time over a few days, and they can often then need the dose upped.

 

[Chucho]

So pleased she's doing better. If she can tolerate it should really help her discomfort. It's so difficult when you have limited options for pain management and you just want them to be comfortable.

 

[danda]

My little dog was on Gabapentin (sorry forgot the dosage) morning and evening for many years and she was always fine. her back had been badly beaten and/or kicked over a number of years and she had learnt how to walk again but had not much control over back legs. The Gabapentin controlled her pain and made her able to keep going. It was prescribed by a vet specialising in orthopedics at our nearzst vet clinique/hospital.