Why is my cat acting crazy after taking Ariprazol & Gabapentin?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can due to discomfort so if that is the case now that she is on gabapentin she may do better. Unexpected aggression is a classic sign of pain or discomfort. Hopefully she improves on the gabapentin. If she does not, it is very important to let your veterinarian know so they can keep checking what may be wrong with her. The same underlying condition may be what is causing her weight loss which is important though not that significant. I hope she gets better soon!

Hi there. It’s common for cats to be a bit wobbly when they have taken a sedative or anti-anxiety medication like gabapentin, so this would not normally be cause for concern. This medication can last for up to 8 hours or so, so I normally tell my clients to expect that their kitty may seem a bit drowsy or off-balance for the rest of the day.

Richochet is one handsome little guy! I'm sorry to hear that he's had so many behavioral changes since his methimazole dose has been regulated. The most common side effects from methimzaole include stomach upset (vomiting, diarrhea, appetite changes), lethargy, facial itchiness, as well as some liver issues and changes in blood cell counts. Behavioral changes aren't documented as known side effects of this medication (I just double checked!), although excess vocalization has been recognized as a side effect. While we keep in mind that not all cats "read the textbooks," it would be unexpected for all of these behavioral changes to occur due to methimazole alone. Given your recent move and Richochet's age, it does stand to reason that anxiety from these changes or cognitive dysfunction (essentially kitty dementia) could be to blame here. I don't think it's necessarily wrong to give Prozac a try, but it's also important to note that it takes about 2 months for that medication to reach therapeutic levels. The other thing to consider would be discontinuing the methimazole (even temporarily) to see if his behaviors return to normal. Methimazole reaches a therapeutic level in about 2 weeks, so if you have to restart it, there's less of a time lag. Ultimately, I think there's going to be some trial and error involved here. Please remember that you should ONLY make any changes to Richochet's medications under the direct guidance of your vet. I hope that everything goes well!

I agree with you. I think this is stress related behavior. Feliway is great - make sure you have enough plug-ins to cover the square footage of your house. Also, they make a Feliway collar for cats that looks like a flea collar - you may want to get that as well to put on him. As for the gabapentin. That would not have been my first choice of drug for this issue. I have had better luck with fluoxetine, buspar or amitriptyline. You need to talk to your vet about switching drugs. Five days is not a long time but I don't personally feel like that is the best drug for this issue. Of course drugs are an individual response. What works for one may not work for another so sometimes you need to go through a couple different drugs or drugs dosages to find the right fit. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=633 Be sure you have enriched his environment appropriately to make him feel less stressed. http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/what-is-environmental-enrichment-and-why-does-your-cat-need-it/ Hope this helps. Be patient. I know it's hard but I think you can work through this. Best wishes!

I have never heard of gabapentin causing any skin reactions. I would not be overly worried about it unless the problem continues or gets worse. If you would like to post again with some photos of the affected area we can maybe help you better.

Hello. Other than making Gayle feel beter, & therefore more active, there is no indication that any of these medications will cause any hyper activity. Has your veterinarian done any recent bloodwork? I would really like to make sure her thyroid values are normal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, 100mg is a normal dosage for an average sized adult cat. You can open the capsule and mix the powder with a small amount of canned food. Only use enough canned food to mask the powder. If you mix it with a large amount of canned food and she doesn't eat it all, she won't get the full dose. Be sure to give it at least 2-3 hours prior to the appointment. I often recommend people give a dose at home on a day that you can be with him as a trial run so you can see how the drug affects him. You may find that it seems like it is doing nothing for him or you may see that he is too sedate or maybe it is just right. But you can take note to see how long it takes to affect him after he ingests it - some cats take 2-3 hours to get sedate and others only need 30 minutes to an hour. This way you can get the timing right for dosing him for his appointment. You don't have to do this but it may be a good idea as "test run". Hope this helps. Best wishes.