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Gabapentin, impotence and other problems?

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on April 8, 2024.

I was just hoping that you might have the answer I am hoping for? I started taking gabapentin 300mg twice a day, then 3 times a day, then 600mg twice a day then 3 times a day, now after 2 to 3 years later 800mg 3 times a day. My doctor says it won't cause erectile dysfunction but it started very soon after the 300mg 3 times a day. I tried Viagra and Cialis very little help. My wife is very displeased and sometimes thinks it is something to do with her. I know it has nothing to do with her as she is my bride of 24 years and my soul mate spirit. I have very bad pain that the gabapentin used to help with but it now seems it helps no more. I would rather have my manhood back and my bride be happy and me than be in pain that just won't go away. To get to the real question, how slowly should I get off the gabapentin and will I ever be able to get back to normal? I will have to just have to tolerate the pain now that I have my diabetes under control. I rarely have to take my diabetes medicine but a few times a week because it makes my numbers to low and I black out when they get to low. Usually 82 morning, 92 lunch, and 98 dinner. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Official answer

by Drugs.com

Unfortunately gabapentin can cause impotence.

Side effects of the Urogenital System:

Infrequent: urinary tract infection, dysuria, impotence, urinary incontinence, vaginal moniliasis, breast pain, menstrual disorder, polyuria, urinary retention

Rare: cystitis, ejaculation abnormal, swollen penis, gynecomastia, nocturia, pyelonephritis, swollen scrotum, urinary frequency, urinary urgency, urine abnormality.

Talk to your doctor about coming off gabapentin and he/she could put you on some other medicine to help with the pain.

https://www.drugs.com/sfx/gabapentin-side-effects.html

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Gabapentin can help relieve nerve pain in some people with postherpetic neuralgia (nerve pain after shingles) and peripheral diabetic neuropathy (nerve pain in the feet in people with diabetes). A Cochrane review reported that 3 to 4 patients out of every 10 with either of these conditions experienced at least a 50% reduction in pain intensity when prescribed gabapentin at dosages of 1800mg-3600 mg/day (gabapentin encarbil: 1200mg-3600 mg/day). This compared with only 1 or 2 out of every 10 given a placebo (an inactive treatment). People who had an improvement in pain relief with gabapentin are also expected to experience an improvement in sleep, fatigue, and in their mood. Continue reading

Gabapentin is commonly used to treat some types of nerve pain but is classified as an anticonvulsant medicine, not as an opioid or painkiller. Gabapentin is used to treat postherpetic neuralgia, a type nerve pain that can occur due to an outbreak of shingles, and restless legs syndrome (RLS), an uncomfortable urge to move your legs around, often at night. Continue reading

Case reports have shown that gabapentin withdrawal often lasts for 5 to 10 days, but some people have taken as long as 18 weeks to completely taper off gabapentin while managing withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms and how long they last depend on how much of the drug you are taking and for how long you’ve been taking it. Continue reading

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