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Does Gabapentin Interact With Valerian?
Question: Hi,
Can my daughter take Gabbapentin with Valerian?
She was on Ativan, and dosage was decreased from 4mg per day to 1 mg per day, now she has .5 left
for tomorrow.
Can my daughter take Gabbapentin with Valerian?
She was on Ativan, and dosage was decreased from 4mg per day to 1 mg per day, now she has .5 left
for tomorrow.
Brief Answer:
Not advisable to combine these.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
Here are a few thoughts based on what you have written here:
1. If a person has been on Ativan for awhile, and it is decreased too rapidly, it can cause a marked increase in anxiety, agitation, hyperarousal, and insomnia. Sometimes this can happen even if Ativan is decreased slowly.
2. Gabapentin is not in the same class as Ativan, and while it can be sedating, it is not a direct replacement for the very large dose of Ativan she has been on.
3. Depending on the dose of Gabapentin (which can vary widely - it has a very broad range and is processed at different rates by different people), it can cause some side effects. But from what you described, it may be hard to tell the difference in the Gabapentin side effect and the withdrawal from Ativan.
4. One data base I looked at for supplement and drug interactions states that gabapentin and valerian should not be used together because of potential for excessive sedation. The degree of sedation would be difficult to know ahead of time.
What I recommend is that she contact the doctor who is weaning her off of the Ativan and replacing it with Gabapentin to let him/her know what the problems are that she is experiencing. The doctor may need to modify the current plan.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information.
Not advisable to combine these.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
Here are a few thoughts based on what you have written here:
1. If a person has been on Ativan for awhile, and it is decreased too rapidly, it can cause a marked increase in anxiety, agitation, hyperarousal, and insomnia. Sometimes this can happen even if Ativan is decreased slowly.
2. Gabapentin is not in the same class as Ativan, and while it can be sedating, it is not a direct replacement for the very large dose of Ativan she has been on.
3. Depending on the dose of Gabapentin (which can vary widely - it has a very broad range and is processed at different rates by different people), it can cause some side effects. But from what you described, it may be hard to tell the difference in the Gabapentin side effect and the withdrawal from Ativan.
4. One data base I looked at for supplement and drug interactions states that gabapentin and valerian should not be used together because of potential for excessive sedation. The degree of sedation would be difficult to know ahead of time.
What I recommend is that she contact the doctor who is weaning her off of the Ativan and replacing it with Gabapentin to let him/her know what the problems are that she is experiencing. The doctor may need to modify the current plan.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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