Gabapentin

Stopping Rimadyl didn't help Hailey at all and Gabapentin made things so much worse. Yesterday at times she was unaware of where she was or where she was going, she slept more and her water intake increased continually. 

The side effects of Gabapentin hit Hailey hard today. My poor little Hailey was disoriented, frantically moving around our house crying and drooling. She refused to eat and was drinking a ton of water. I had given her a dose in the morning and stopped after that. We considered taking her to the ER but honestly didn't want to put her through a ton of tests to tell us what we already knew since she had just been to the vet. She finally settled down falling asleep in the corner of our den around 6:45 pm. I watched her like a hawk believing that this might be her last evening. To gently drift away in her sleep is what all pet owners wish for. As I watched her, I also was frantically searching the internet for any clue as to what could be going on with her.  Around 9:15 pm she woke up, looked around, came over to me looking for a snack. We thought we were beyond the worst of it when she willing ate her kibble. 

After we let Hailey go, I learned through a google search that I stumbled over that Gabapentin when given along with levetiracetam may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness and confusion. I believe that may have been why Hailey had such a horrible reaction to it. The vet who prescribed both meds didn't tell us this was a potential. 

I'm certain that Gabapentin has helped pets out there. Hailey was on it before in liquid form for neck and back issues short term when she was younger and only experienced sleepiness. At the age of 15, I don't believe that Gabapentin was the best choice for her. I have not had an older pup (over the age of 11) who Gabapentin has helped. Lucie couldn't walk well or bend over to eat or drink and the second we took her off of it she developed severe edema. Addie wouldn't sleep at all and was anxious. I can personally attest that it causes dizziness, unease, sleeplessness/sleepiness, sleep paralysis (during the first two weeks), memory issues and electric shocks in your brain just to name a few. I have been on it for 10 months due to damaged nerves in my neck which are now healing. It makes me uncomfortable that Gabapentin is recommended so often for pets and people without any education on what to expect.

This post was written for my reference after we let Hailey go.