Are the anticonvulsants safe?
You cannot get seizures from taking these drugs. Gabapentin is currently one of the first drugs tried for PHN because it is safe and often works. Like the other anticonvulsant drugs, gabapentin’s most common side effects are sleepiness, dizziness, and lack of coordination. However, such side effects are less common than with the older drugs phenytoin and carbamazepine. Another advantage to gabapentin is that it does not interact with any known medication, while the other anticonvulsant medications have the potential to react badly with many other drugs. Gabapentin is not toxic to any organs, whereas phenytoin and carbamazepine can (rarely) cause liver and blood problems.
