title: Gabapentin toxicity: an important cause of altered consciousness in patients with uraemia.
abstract: Gabapentin toxicity should be considered one of the differential diagnoses of altered consciousness in patients with compromised renal function even after a single dose. We report a 57-year-old woman with diabetes mellitus and uraemia on regular haemodialysis who developed severe dizziness and lethargy after a single recommended dose of gabapentin for bilateral leg dysthesia. Because of progressive drowsiness and decreasing level of consciousness, one session of haemodialysis was performed and clinical recovery was dramatic. The adverse effects of gabapentin seem to vary from person to person and should be viewed with a high degree of suspicion, especially in patients taking this drug at the beginning.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, No 95 Wen Chang Road, Shih Lin District, Taipei City 111, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: T-Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: V-K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Seow
authors.forename: C-F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: T-L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: C-C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000588:Amines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003244:Consciousness Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D000077206:Gabapentin; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014511:Uremia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin