Neurotin (Gabapentin) Guidelines

Neurontin is an anticonvulsant medication used to treat epilepsy. It works by affecting chemicals and nerves in the body which are involved in causing seizures and some kinds of pain. It can be used both by adults and children at the age of at least 12.

Sometimes doctors also prescribe Neurontin to treat partial seizures in case of children aged 3 – 12 years old. It can be used alone or in the combination with some other medications as well.

Adjusting the best dose doctors take into account several factors, for example, patient’s age and weight, what the medication is taken for, what other medication the patient takes and any other important conditions.

Before any patient starts the treatment with Neurontin, it is crucial to make a necessary medical investigation.

Doctors have to know if a patient has any problems with kidneys, liver or heart. While taking Neurontin patients may have suicidal thoughts. That is why doctors regularly set the appointments that, if it is possible, should not be missed by patients.

During these scheduled appointments patients have the opportunity to tell the doctor about their symptoms, both the new ones and the worsening ones. Neurontin dosage is always prescribed by the doctor. It is forbidden to take more or less than recommended. If you want, you can take it with or without food.

Sometimes it is necessary to break the tablet in order to take the prescribed Neurontin dosage

However, the left half-tablet must be used next time and it is not good to keep the halves for a longer period. All leftovers should be discarded.

Neurontin dosage

If a patient wants to stop taking Neurontin it is also crucial to talk to the doctor first. Also any reduction or substitution of Neurontin dosage must be consulted first and then done gradually for a certain period of time, which is usually minimum one week long.

The reduction or substitution mentioned above is sometimes caused by the side effects of taking Neurontin. First, as with any other medication, it is possible to be allergic to Neurontin, too. The symptoms are, for example:

fever,

swollen glands,

difficulty breathing,

swollen face,

tongue or throat.Secondly, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts or feeling of hostility, restlessness and agitation should be immediately reported to doctor.

Good to remember that in case of elderly patients who are more likely to have their renal function decreased, any Neurontin dosage should be adjusted very carefully. The dosage of the medication differs with regard to the disease it is prescribed for.

For controlling epilepsy seizures patients usually take 300mg three times a day. This dose can be increased but not more than to 800mg three times a day. Neurontin is also used to treat postherpetic neuralgia.

Then patients start with a dose of 300mg on the first day, next 300 mg twice the second day and finally 300mg three times a day. Similar to epilepsy, doctor can also increase the dose if it is necessary.