Does gabapentin cause fluid retention? (3+ Home remedies)

By OptimistMinds
Page last updated: 23/09/2022 | Next review date: 23/09/2024

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The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter.  The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.


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In this blog post, we are going to answer the question, “Does gabapentin cause fluid retention?”. Gabapentin is a gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) analog and is used for a number of conditions. 

However, this medicine can cause a number of side effects including fluid retention. We will also discuss what could be done if you suffer from gabapentin induced fluid retention. 

Does gabapentin cause fluid retention? 

Yes, gabapentin may cause fluid retention and induce edema in arms and legs. Experts believe that this side effect can also be the reason for weight gain by increasing your water weight. It can also make the body look bulky. 

What does research suggest? 

A case study included a 46 year old male whose health started deteriorating. This man had no medication allergies in the past and was suffering from multiple mental health conditions. He also had poorly managed diabetes and hypertension. 

He had hypothyroidism which was considered the reason behind his obesity. He was put on 400mg gabapentin and within a few days, it was observed that the patient had edema in his lower extremities. He could not walk properly and his legs literally doubled in size. 

This side effect was directly related to the use of gabapentin and it kept getting worse until the treatment of this medication was stopped. Another case study included a 48 year old man who suffered from the exact same side effect of gabapentin. 

He had many other side effects including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and insomnia, but the reason behind discontinuation of the treatment with gabapentin was the swelling or edema in upper and lower extremities. 

Many other case studies have revealed the exact same side effect. However, one case study revealed that diuretics can be used in order to eliminate the excess water from your body. 

However, the safety and efficacy of diuretics with gabapentin is still under study and the appropriate doses are still yet to be decided. 

Is there any safe home remedy that can help eliminate excess fluid from your body?

There are a few tips that can help eliminate excess fluid from your body. These include:

Reduce your salt intake 

Make sure you don’t take too much salt in your diet. Salt and water together regulate the body’s homeostasis. However, when you take too much salt, it causes water retention and may make your gabapentin induced edema much worse. It will not only restrict your movement, but can cause serious complications. 

Add more magnesium in your diet 

Many research studies have indicated that the use of magnesium can help with your fluid retention. However, it should be used carefully with gabapentin. 

You can take the two together, but there has to be a gap of at least 4-6 hours between the administration of these two agents. You can either take gabapentin after 4-6 hours of taking magnesium, or you can take it 2-4 hours before taking magnesium. 

The time gap is quite important because of the possible interaction between magnesium and gabapentin. Several studies have revealed that magnesium can decrease the amount of absorbed gabapentin in your body. This can result in therapeutic failure because gabapentin will not be available in concentration enough to deal with your condition

Eat more vitamin B6 

Vitamin B6 is a water solution vitamin and it is involved in a lot of the body’s physiological functions. It can play a huge role in maintaining the levels of fluids in your body and can help reverse fluid retention. 

Make sure you add vitamin B6 rich foods in your diet. Some natural sources are bananas, tuna, walnuts and chickpeas etc. 

Eat potassium rich foods 

Potassium is also an important mineral and is involved in a number of normal physiological functions in your body. It also helps balance the blood volume and works to remove the excess water when the blood volume rises. 

Make sure you add potassium rich foods to your diet. Some natural sources include bananas, spinach, kale, tomatoes, and avocados etc. 

What are the additional side effects of gabapentin? 

The additional side effects of gabapentin include:

  • Xerostomia or dry mouth 
  • Weight gain 
  • Dizziness 
  • Somnolence
  • Swollen hands and feet
  • Headache
  • Vision problems 
  • Cloudy mind
  • Fatigue
  • Tremors 
  • Confusion
  • Joint pain 
  • Difficulty in remembering things
  • Abdominal pain 
  • Unsteadiness
  • Muscle twitching 
  • Constipation 
  • Back pain
  • Increased appetite 
  • Fever

Gabapentin can cause some serious side effects. These include:

  • Suicidal behavior 
  • Impaired motor coordination 
  • Thrombocytopenia or decreased levels of platelets
  • Water retention
  • Rhabdomyolysis, a condition associated with abnormal breakdown of muscles
  • Convulsions 
  • Swelling or tenderness in different parts of the body.
  • Allergic reaction associated with symptoms like redness of skin, itching, burning sensation, blisters, blue-purple patches, tightness of chest, wheezing, difficulty in breathing, hoarseness etc. 

These side effects can vary from person to person. It is impossible to predict how your body will react once it is exposed to this medication. Some people get away with mild side effects, while others suffer terribly. 

How to ensure the proper use of gabapentin? 

Immediately talk to your healthcare provider if you experience unusual side effects while taking gabapentin. Do not recommend this drug to someone else and use it as long as your doctor has advised. 

Inform your doctor if you’re pregnant or trying to conceive. It is extremely important to ensure safety of your meds during your pregnancy. Some meds can cross placenta and are capable of causing unwanted side effects in the growing fetus. 

Inform your doctor if you’re a breastfeeding mother. Gabapentin may be capable of passing into the breastmilk and may cause side effects in newborns. 

Do not stop gabapentin abruptly. If it’s time for you to stop this med, your doctor will simply recommend a taper schedule for you, which should be followed vigilantly if you wish to keep withdrawal symptoms at bay. 

Make sure you use this medication or any other medication only when your doctor has advised it. Using medications which can affect your brain is not something ideal and should not be encouraged unless it is absolutely necessary to do so. 

Make sure you discuss everything in detail with your healthcare provider and ask if you’re at the best possible dose of gabapentin. Also inform your doctor if you’re taking any other medication. 

Drug interactions should be an important consideration before taking two or more medicines together. Yes, drugs in combination are often used to achieve better therapeutic response but this is not the case with every interaction. 

Some drugs are highly incompatible with one another. They often cancel out each other’s effects or antagonise them. Some drugs are so incompatible that they end up changing the entire chemical composition of one another. 

Some interfere with metabolism or bioavailability (the rate and extent at which the active drug moiety enters systemic circulation/blood). This can lead to drug accumulation in different parts of the body. 

It is always advised to inform your healthcare provider of any medicine you take before getting a new prescription. Your doctor will make sure not to prescribe any such drug which might interfere with those you are already taking. 

Conclusion 

In this blog post, we have discussed gabapentin induced fluid retention. Gabapentin is a gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) analog and is used for a number of conditions. 

However, this medicine can cause a number of side effects. It can cause fluid retention and induce edema in arms and legs. Experts believe that this side effect can also be the reason for weight gain by increasing your water weight. It can also make the body look bulky. 

Make sure you discuss everything in detail with your healthcare provider and ask if you’re at the best possible dose of gabapentin. Also inform your doctor if you’re taking any other medication. 

FAQs: does gabapentin cause fluid retention 

Does gabapentin cause swelling in legs and ankles?

Yes, gabapentin may cause fluid retention and induce edema in arms and legs. Experts believe that this side effect can also be the reason for weight gain by increasing your water weight. It can also make the body look bulky. Make sure you inform your healthcare provider about your side effects. 

Does gabapentin make you swell?

Yes, gabapentin may make you swell by retaining water and causing edema, usually in upper and lower extremities. Make sure you use this medication or any other medication only when your doctor has advised it. Using medications which can affect your brain is not something ideal and should not be encouraged unless it is absolutely necessary to do so. 

What is the most common side effect of gabapentin?

  • Xerostomia or dry mouth 
  • Weight gain 
  • Dizziness 
  • Somnolence
  • Swollen hands and feet
  • Headache
  • Vision problems 
  • Cloudy mind
  • Fatigue
  • Tremors 
  • Confusion
  • Joint pain 
  • Difficulty in remembering things
  • Abdominal pain 
  • Unsteadiness

What are the long term effects of taking gabapentin?

  • Suicidal behavior 
  • Impaired motor coordination 
  • Thrombocytopenia or decreased levels of platelets
  • Water retention
  • Rhabdomyolysis, a condition associated with abnormal breakdown of muscles
  • Convulsions 
  • Swelling or tenderness in different parts of the body.
  • Allergic reaction associated with symptoms like redness of skin, itching, burning sensation, blisters, blue-purple patches, tightness of chest, wheezing, difficulty in breathing, hoarseness etc. 

Can you take gabapentin forever?

The duration of your treatment with gabapentin depends on the severity of your condition and how well you can tolerate this medication. Some people can not stand the long-term treatment because of the disturbing side effects, whereas others can function really well with this medication and they can use it for years. 

What does gabapentin do to a person?

Gabapentin is a gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) analog. Gabapentin mimics the actions of GABA, which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. GABA works by inhibiting the excessive neuronal firing in the brain which reduces the frequency of epileptic seizures. 

Gabapentin is also used to reduce the intensity of neuropathic pain by inhibiting nociceptors (pain receptors). This medication is a prescription medication and should be taken only at doses determined by your healthcare professional. 

References 

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