You are the first person with a good response to this medicine i have been put on this for chronic pelvic pain i was on 1 3 times a day but it didn't hit my pain am ready to give up i have been put on 2 3 times a day and scared of the side effects but am with you . I wouldn't rather be spaced out than suffer this pain . For a year i have been suffering and after several tests they can't find the cause so i think it looked like am living with this for the rest of my life and am only 42 so ill try anything . X
Hi,I've been on alsorts for chronic nerve pain and find gabapentin to be the best and would go so far as to say its a life saver (I started on 300 daily and now 2400),I too had a tough time with the side affects but if you stick at it your body will hopefully get used to them and life will go on as normal if not a bit different, its getting to the right level of gabapentinfor your pain and then the side affects but soon it becomes well worth it,this is just my opinion but I would say that one of the most important things with gabapentin is talking about the way you feel whether it be to your partner , doctor or just on here,I wish you all the best and have nice xmas.
All in all I will take the occasional light-headedness over the pain any day. I was put on Neurontin (gabapentin) for severe nerve pain that ran from my neck down my back, down both arms, over the shoulder and down to the stomach. The Neurontin, together with Meloxicam (an anti-inflammatory), together with a neck brace, has begun to make progress. The pain, which was level 10 (so bad you can barely answer questions) has receded to occasional stabs. What was amazing was that the Neurontin has alleviated the reflected pain in my legs from bone-on-bone knee osteoarthritis that was preventing me from walking or standing without support. And it has completely eliminated the extreme oversensitivity in my feet that made it too painful to wear shoes. I mean, my feet felt like raw, open sores and I think that was nerve pain. Whatever, it's gone now. I haven't been on Neurontin very long so I don't if all these wonderful benefits will continue forever, but right now I'm high on this treatment, even if it does make me feel a little high. And yes, maybe I'm sleeping longer than before but part of that could be the switchover from Ambien to Trazadone that they have me trying and whatever, I'm a chronic insomniac so sleeping a couple of hours too many doesn't feel like a bad thing to me.
I had side effects similar, so GP reduced dose and added Tramadol. I was much better on these two...However I have heard some people go 'funny' on Tramadol. I had withdrawal symptoms going down off Gabapentin so had to do VERY slowly. All of these types of pain killers need lots of tinkering with and your doctor is the best one to talk to :-)
i took gabapentin 300mg capsules 3 times a day also, and gained 18 lbs in 3 weeks.
I asked the nurse when she weighed me how l could have gained 18 lbs in 3 weeks, and she said she didn't know.
But i figured it must have been the gabapentin.
I made her take me off of it.
But then I got all depressed. And l feel bad because I am 214 lbs, now, instead of around 199 like I was in Setember of 2014.
I lost 4 lbs off the 218 lbs I was, but l still am not liking all this.
Now, she put me on Lycira, and l am to take 1 pill, 2 times a day, but am to start off with only 1 pill at bed time.
I wake up feeling like I was drinking the night before.
Also, later in the day, I feel weird, can't explaine, and I think it is giving me a headache.
But I have been taking only 3 days, just one at bed time, I guess I need to obey the doctor, and make a honest effort .
So my life is not so hot right now.
Things were better in my life at one time.
I am not liking the way things are going right now.
Hi,gabapentin as with pregabalin that your on now increases rapidly trying to get you to your dosage for what you have,I have nerve damage in both legs and remember that I too was in hell at the beginning with building the drugs up,have had ammitrypline, then lyrica (pregabalin) for a long while, then gabapentin which I was told to increase over time to 1200mg 3 x daily then to 1500mg 3x daily, side affects very tired, depressionetc i felt awful well that was 15 years ago and now I'm on 700mg 3x daily plus 200 slow release tramadol and I can if I dont sit ,walk or stand to long go through the day nearly pain free but only when laying down, as the weight thing yes I put on weight at the beginnning but I have a dog so make myself walk 2 x daily 30 minutes and im fine,the side affects are worse at the beginning and either wear off a bit as time goes by or your body and you just adapt,in a nutshell take the drugs prescibed to be pain free or manageable first then deal with the side affects after, and I always say this and it is good advice make sure you continue talking to your partener,Dr,or here it helps no end (like therapy ,i hope all ends well for you and if I didnt help atleast I got the chance to chat of which helped me.
Yeah, thanks, I don't know yet?
My PN is not real real bad (yet, hopefully never? I don't know?)
But l was working outside, and live is the east (USA),
and was trying/thinking about trying to go back to work.
Presently receiving Social Security, (had cancer) but was supposed to be reviewed December 2014, but have heard nothing, so the benefits are also up in the air. So that all weighs on my mind.
One doctor had put me on cymbalta, but I quit going to him for other reasons, and a pharmacist I know suggested cymbalta, but this doctor says NO, that is for diabetic neurotherapy, I say neurotherapy is neurotherapy??
I personally do not want to keep taking anything!!! if I do not have to,
But the doctor says they need to be attempting to treat my condition, in order to dismiss me from work.
I wish Social Security would do there review. I am soon to be 60, and close to retirement age any how,
So to just retire officially a few years early is OK too.
Well, thinking further, If I want to try to give the Lycria a chance, what would you say, 2 weeks should tell me if it is going to help, and the side effects will be torabable?
I heard Lycira can even cause hair loss?
See, as I said, I am still taking only one at night so far.
But the thing is too, this weird feeling, I can't explain, I just fill distant, or almost in another demension at times. (This seems to come a little later in the day)
Social security is a word I use often (mostly with many swear words ,i was working abroad for 3 years and then returned to uk with my wife and then 8 months later damage my nerves in both legs,incapacity bennifit said I would not recieve a penny because I didnt pay the last 3 years national insurance 17 years later I still recieve zero bennifits and have been told i never will but they will pay all my pension credits so when I'm 67yrs old (lets hope I get there)I will get my pension, let this be a lesson to all brits .
I hope you get your early retirment and a little less pain.
Thanks Dave, Guess the UK has its share or B/S as well.
Let us hope we all live beyond 90 and feeling well!
Selfish bostards!!! They could give you the benefit. I for one receive social security disability insurance here in the U.S. after I fractured my lower vertibre in an auto accident in 2003. Like you, the nerves in my lower legs are damaged and its only gotten worse over the years. Gabapentin does not work as well as it used to and so now the physicians at the pain clinic I'm going to want to do a lidocaine infusion with my blood that's supposed to calm the nerves that's giving me pain and cold sensations. I'm a bit apprehensive about infusing anything to my blood to tell you the truth but I'm desperate at this point.
Anyway, hopefully you do make it to get that pension - get every penny you can get from the bums.
Hi Marc,I even offered them the money to pay back what I missed they said no,anyway I have approx 5 months ago here in heidelberg germany a operation that put 2 wires, one for each leg,in my spine then through my muscle etc coming out at the top of my arse (cheek) which a pocket was cut and a 9 year battery with a memory fitted to the wires,I have a remote controller, I recharge wirelessly and it sends voltage down each leg,high or as low as you wish,I have it less in my left leg than the right and when I sit it automatically goes higher to cloud the pain,when I walk it goes to a different voltage,why laying it turns right down,it's truly amazing and I have met people who have gone from 100mg tramadol,1200mg gabapentin daily to zero just using the wires etc as the electric pulse gets to the brain quicker than pain signals,any good to you,if so look up medtronics s.c s. on YouTube,funny how I've been in hell for 17 years and I live in Germany for 1 year and was offered this for free,looked it up in UK and there everywhere but who tells you, no-one .enjoy the rest of your Sunday.😀
Oh wow!!! Yes I'll look that up. It sounds exactly like what I need. Thanks for the tip and likewise, enjoy your day!!!!
What kind of pains in your head are you having? I am also on 30mg 3 times a day for nerve pain in my head. I don't feel like meds are working. still in much pain.
Hi, I just wanted to say that I just went thru all the trouble of making an account JUST to reply to you and let you know that you AREN'T crazy and its the crazy pills (neurontin) that you're taking.
My story is somewhat similar to yours. I started at 900mg 3x a day for some pretty bad unexplained neck pain. Tapered myself to 600mg 2x a day. Then just once a day. Then I quit. Well, then I had a flare up of pain and got back on a higher dose. Well, then the dark thoughts hit like mad.
Looking back, I have had tons of other weirs side effects that I am just now putting together all started around the time I started the neurontin.
Tooth sensitivity, forgetting words, hair loss, dry skin.
I have NEVER been a depressed person. I am a 34yr old woman, college educated (in biology, of all things), have a pretty stress free life, 2 beautiful kids, etc.
I KNOW FOR A FACT IT WAS THE NEURONTIN. I am now off it again for a full week. I threw the remainder of my pills away and I am in physical therapy (massage, exercise, heat/STEM treatments) and its managing my pain well.
Certainly not trying to tell someone how to live, but I definitely understand what you just described. Good luck..
I will also add, in the beginning it helped me sleep really well, not that I've ever had trouble sleeping. But coming off of it, now I really do have trouble sleeping. I've been taking magnesium which seem to really help with the depression withdrawal symptoms.
Hi All,
I have been on Gabapentin for 2 years now and i don't get these spaced out feelings. I am on a lot of medication due to back and neck problems. I take Gabapentin 300mg 6 times a day also Amatripaline 30mg. This never did anything for my pain so I went to the Pain Clinic and seen a consultant who after examinig me also prescibed me a Drug called Pylexia SR which I take 100mg twice a day. This has helped me and keeps the pain at bay a lot longer.
Hi Jane I know some thimes when I go to the dr. they kook at me like I am crazy. I am the one with the pain. I have fibromelgia (nerve end pain Its also in muscel and tendion ) I have been told. As I understand there are 17 pressure points. If it hurts on one of those spot that ,go to the opposite side same spot area and touch it if pain, you more likely have fibromelgia. I have had it for 15 years. This November it really flaired up on my arms, and no relief. I finally went to a accuputer and it really helped. I didn't mean to rattly on. I hope you get help soon.PAIN IS NO FUN
Hi I do hope you dont mind my writing to you but I do so need to get some POSITIVE feedback on Gabapentin!!!!!!!! All I have read is the negative side. I did come off this drug too quickly unknowingly after only taking 300mg x 3 times a day for just over a week. I was in a dreadful state! I didnt know it was the Gabapentin??? So now I have been reading all these write ups and am scared I will never get off Gabapentin. The Gp put me back on the drug straight away and yes I do feel depressed and not with it after 2 weeks. But mostly I think it is the things I have read and perhaps it is in my mind and that I should not be scared and be grateful for less pain. I do so appreciate to have read some positive things about this drug. So keep the positiveness coming. Thank you. Any tips would be welcome. I am also taking Sertraline 100mg a day and have been on them for 20 years of more and solpadol 4 x 100mg and a mood stabiliser voltarol semi sodium also taking for 20 years or more. Its just the Gabapentin that has scared me after stopping them like I did and I just could not stop crying. It did so scare me as I thought I was going to have another breakdown. Must admit the pain level is at least 50% better and I can sleep for England now but my mood is very wobbly. I am hoping as you said that this will even out.
Thanks for listening. I dont want to be scared off by what I read I am a particularly sensitive person and do take stuff to heart.
Susie
I have been on and off Gabapentin and the same with Pregabilin. While both were great for neuropathic pain, I could not keep going at work with the side effects (inability to focus with Gaba and sleeping to much with Pregab).
Palexia SR was good - only side effect was a little tired and itchy. However it didn't seem to last the 12 hours for me.
I am back on Tramadol SR and Amitryptilene. Not quite as great as Gabapentin, but less side effects for me so I can keep working.
I give anything a try and see if I can tolerate the side effects; everyone is different.