Gabapentin Dosage – Gabapentin is one of the most important medicines when it comes to saving someone from seizures due to epilepsy and neuropathic pain due to several health conditions. In recent years, vets have also started giving gabapentin drugs to dogs to treat the same conditions as humans.
Along with the numerous benefits, gabapentin drugs also come with several side effects, which we will talk about later in the blog. In the same blog, we will also talk about gabapentin dosage for anxiety, no pain, and how much dosage is fine for dogs.
What is Gabapentin Drug?
Gabapentin is an Anticonvulsant drug that is used to lower the chances of getting seizures due to epilepsy. Doctors may also use gabapentin drugs for other conditions such as anxiety and neuropathic pain.
In recent years, Several animal doctors have also started prescribing gabapentin drugs for similar benefits to dogs. Nowadays, your doctor might prescribe your dog to take gabapentin drug whenever they are having joint pain.
Gabapentin drug is available in two different types. The first one is extended-release, and another one is immediate release gabapentin drug. You can buy both types in generic and brand form. As always, the brand form of the drug is going to be a bit more expensive than the generic form.
Factors that can affect that Gabapentin Dosage
Before we move ahead and talk about the query of the day, let’s first take a look at what are the important factors That can affect the dosage.
Kindly remember that your doctor might consider several other factors to figure out the right dosage of gabapentin for you, which we have not discussed in the blog. We have only discussed a few important factors.
Previous Experience
Your previous experience with a similar kind of drug may impact the dosage your doctor will suggest you take for epilepsy or neuropathic pain.
As you are already aware, the human body can create tolerance for most things in the world. Once your body has created a tolerance, then next time, you might have to take a bigger dose to get results.
Similar situations also affect the dosage of gabapentin as your previous experience with a similar drug and increase the dosage your doctor will suggest for your physical condition.
The Severity of the Symptoms
The second major thing which can impact the government in dosage for yourself is the severity of the symptoms. People who are experiencing severe symptoms of epilepsy or neuropathy pain might require a bigger dosage than the person who is not experiencing severe symptoms.
Body Structure
Some people with bigger body structures might require a higher dosage of gabapentin drug. Some people can absorb more, and they require a higher dosage of everything to respond.
Similarly, people who have shorter body structures or slim body structures Might respond very well even to a smaller dosage. Your doctor will consider the body structure before reaching the maintenance dosage.
Age
Age is another big but very common factor that can influence the dosage of gabapentin drugs. Usually, people with advanced age require a higher dosage of the drug because their liver is not well functioning. At the same time, youngsters and mid-age people between the age of 13 to 45 might require smaller doses because they’re good functioning bodies.
Gender
Lastly, the gender of the person taking the gabapentin drug can also impact the dosage of the drug. Usually, men require a bigger dosage of gabapentin as compared to women. Men have more tolerance for anything, which becomes the reason for the higher dosage of that drug.
Kindly remember, as we have already talked about, there could be 100 different reasons which can affect the dosage of gabapentin drugs. For example, the brand of the product. Some brands use better quality ingredients while manufacturing the drug, which provides more benefits.
You should consult with your doctor before taking any action related to increasing or decreasing the dosage. Increasing or decreasing your dosage on your one can be very dangerous as it can create numerous health problems.
Dosage of gabapentin drug
If you are suffering from epilepsy or neuropathic pain caused by something else, you might consult with your doctor to start taking gabapentin. Before you make a decision, you should know a few things about gabapentin dosage for numerous health conditions.
Apart from the total doses of gabapentin drug, the frequency of dosage and how long a person should take the gabapentin drug also depend on the individual itself.
There is no fixed formula that can tell you the exact dosage of the drug. For the same condition, two people might take completely different dosages starting from 1200 to all the way 4200 mg.
Gabapentin Dosage for Nerve Pain
People who are suffering from neuropathic pain will be suggested to take the gabapentin medicine once a day. Usually, your doctor will suggest you take medicine after you eat your evening food. So the timing of the dosage will depend on you. If you eat your evening food at 7:00, then you have to take your medicine at 7:00.
People who are above the age of 18 might be required to take 300 milligrams of gabapentin drug as a single dose in the evening. It is the opposite of what you do when you have epilepsy. People who are suffering from epilepsy are required to take the drug at least three times a day which is not the case when it comes to nerve pain.
Starting from 300 milligrams, your doctor will keep adjusting the doors till your doctor finds the tolerance level. Usually, when it comes to nerve pain, your doctor will not cross more than an 1800 milligram dosage of gabapentin drug a day for nerve pain.
Gabapentin Dosage for Anxiety
Recently doctors have found that the gabapentin drug can also act as an anti-anxiolytic. After that, several doctors started prescribing gabapentin drugs to people suffering from anxiety.
Just like any other physical condition where gabapentin drug is required, in anxiety, you will also start with 300MG of initial dosage at once in the evening. Your doctor will keep increasing the dosage every three or five days till you reach the maximum of 3600 milligrams a day.
Currently, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States has only approved 3600 milligrams of gabapentin dosage a day for people suffering from anxiety. Most people suffering from anxiety start seeing the result when they reach that dosage of gabapentin, between 900 and 2000 milligrams a day.
Gabapentin Dosage for Dogs
Vets have also recommended gabapentin drugs for several conditions in dogs, for example, chronic pain and seizures. The dosage of both of the conditions depends on the dog and the severity of the problems.
For example, gabapentin dosage for dogs for chronic pain is typically around 1.4 to 5 milligram of medication per pound of weight. Your doctor will start from the lower range of 1.4 milligrams and adjust it till you find the dosage which is effective with no serious side effects.
On the other hand, if you are getting gabapentin for your dog to treat seizures, then the typical range will be between 4.5 to 13.6 milligram per pound of weight. In seizures, you will be required to give up the drug at least two to three times a day.
There is a high probability that dogs will build tolerance for the medicine. That is why pet parents need to give it only once a day to treat them. Increasing or decreasing the dose on your own can be very dangerous, and you are advised not to do it.
Takeaways
In recent years, gabapentin drug has become a very important drug for people suffering from several health conditions, including anxiety, epilepsy, and neurologic pain.
Just like other medications, the dosage of gabapentin is going to be equal for everyone. There are a lot of factors that can affect the dosage of the medication, starting from age, body structure, gender, previous experience with similar medication, etc.
Usually, the dosage of gabapentin drug for anxiety ranges from 300 milligrams to 3600 milligrams a day. On the other hand, gabapentin dosage for nerve pain might gross the 3600-milligram barrier if required, but it is usually limited to 1800 milligrams.
Your dog might get prescribed gabapentin for numerous health conditions, including chronic pain and seizures. The dosage for the drug will depend on the weight of that dog.
What is the highest gabapentin dosage recommended by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States?
Currently, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States has approved 3600 milligrams of gabapentin dosage a day for people suffering from anxiety. Doctors are only allowed to prescribe any dosage under the given highest number. For a few other conditions, the maximum dosage of gabapentin is around 4200 milligrams.
Can I increase my gabapentin dosage to get faster results?
No, you are not supposed to increase the dosage of the government on your own. Your doctor is the best judge of your gabapentin dosage. Increasing or decreasing those of the medicine might cause serious side effects.