Understanding Your Medications & Sleep

A plan to help you feel better, for discussion with your doctor.

🤔You've Been Feeling...

😴Very sleepy during the day?
🚶‍♀️🌙Walking or eating in your sleep?

We're looking at how your current medicines might be affecting your sleep and energy.

💊Which Medications Might Be Involved?

Some of your medicines, especially when taken together, can have these effects:

➡️
Gabapentin (the one you're slowly stopping): Can affect sleep stages.
➡️
Clonidine (for blood pressure/anxiety): Can cause sleepiness.
➡️
Cetirizine (your allergy pill): Can sometimes make people drowsy.

The combination of several medicines acting on the brain can add up.

👍What's the Plan to Help You Feel Better?

Good ideas to discuss with your doctor:

❌ NO to the New Medicine (Topiramate)

Why? It could make sleepiness and sleepwalking worse.

🐢 CONTINUE Slowly Reducing Gabapentin

Why? This is likely to help with both sleepiness and sleepwalking over time.

❓ MAYBE Less Clonidine?

Why? If your blood pressure allows, a lower dose could mean less sleepiness. (Your doctor will decide!)

🔄 SWITCH Your Allergy Pill (Cetirizine)

Why? A non-drowsy one (like Fexofenadine or Loratadine) might be better for daytime alertness.

💧Tapering Gabapentin (Starting at 300 mg)

One practical approach is to dissolve a 300 mg capsule in water so you can remove a measured amount each day. Bring this plan to your next appointment to confirm the exact schedule.

What you need

1 × 300 mg Gabapentin capsule
300 mL clean water (creates a simple 1 mg / 1 mL ratio)
A clear jar or bottle with a tight lid (≥ 300 mL)
Oral syringe or measuring cup marked in millilitres
Pen & paper (or phone) to log daily dose

Mixing the solution (once daily)

Open the 300 mg capsule and empty the powder into the jar.
Add exactly 300 mL of water, close the lid, and shake well for 10–15 seconds.
Label the jar with today’s date and “1 mg / mL”. Keep it in the fridge if preferred.

Progressive reduction schedule

A gradual 10 % cut each week is a common starting point. Adjust pace based on how you feel and guidance from your prescriber.

Week 0 (Current)

Remove 0 mL • Drink 300 mL

300 mg

Week 1

Remove 30 mL • Drink 270 mL

≈ 270 mg

Week 2

Remove 60 mL • Drink 240 mL

≈ 240 mg

Week 3

Remove 90 mL • Drink 210 mL

≈ 210 mg

Week 4

Remove 120 mL • Drink 180 mL

≈ 180 mg

Week	mL to REMOVE	mL to DRINK	Approx. mg Taken
0 (Current)	0 mL	300 mL	300 mg
1	30 mL	270 mL	≈ 270 mg
2	60 mL	240 mL	≈ 240 mg
3	90 mL	210 mL	≈ 210 mg
4	120 mL	180 mL	≈ 180 mg

Daily routine

Shake the jar just before measuring (the powder settles).
Draw out the day’s “mL to REMOVE” and discard it.
Drink the remaining solution in one sitting, or split if advised.
Log the dose and note sleepiness, balance, mood, pain, or other symptoms.
Prepare a fresh 300 mg / 300 mL batch the next day.

Tip: If a 10 % weekly cut feels too quick, repeat a week or lower to 5 % steps (15 mL). Withdrawal signals—like anxiety, insomnia, or tingling—can mean slowing the taper.

📊Potential Impact of Changes (Conceptual)

These changes aim to improve things like this:

🎯The Goal

To find the best medication balance for you, so you feel more awake during the day, sleep more peacefully at night, and stay safe.

It might take some adjustments and time, but there's a plan to help you!