gabapentin for post shingles nerve pain

Some medications do take awhile to work and need to build up in your system and you can check on this at www.drugs.com, however, there are other nerve pain medications out there and you might want to look into getting your father into a good pain management doctor for better help...Lyrica can help with nerve pain and might be worth a try...
Many well wishes and keep us posted as we do care...

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* So many dx's I could write a book* "It would be nice if we could use the edit button in real life"...
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OneDay I've come to the conclusion that very little is OT for us since everything effects our pain if not directly then indirectly. We'll listen to anything you want or need to tell us and boy do you have your hands full.

I commend you for trying to honor your Parents wishes and keep them home but please realize sometimes that's impossible due to health and safety issues and those times would not mean you didnt do as they wished, just meant there came a time it wasn't possible anymore.

As for Neurontins reaching a therapeutic level that can differ vastly but usually by the end of 4 weeks you should see some relief. Trick is it's not one of those meds you can go on a dose and have that dose be the right one. It takes titrating to an appropriate amount of medicine.

Lyrica is pretty good but same thing again, titrated to a adequate dose. I wouldn't recommend cymbalta as it tends to have adverse effects on elderly.

Wishing you the best and try to get your Dad to stick it out longer, making him understand why may take some finesse.

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" Don't give up God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers.

Vickie
Moderator chronic pain

Disabled since 1998 on SSD
DX: lft knee TKR. 6 rt knee surgeries for meniscus repair. Pars defect,ddd at L3-4 S1. disc collapse at L-3 with nerve impinge,legally deaf, shoulder repair,post encephalitis/mig
Meds(Methadone, lyrica, K+,Indocin,Zantac,Zanaflex,Inderal,HRT

I got shingles first when I was 8 years old. Way back then, they quarantined me outside of the waiting room to see the doc. They never explained anything about it to me other the label. Only after years of dealing with multiple CP issues, and a resurgence of shingles that I got 2 months ago, did I gain a fresh perspective.

I was prescribed Neurontin/Gabapentin and the med has to be titrated up to an effective dose (you don't start on the "right" dose immediately, the docs help to get you there by gradually raising how much you take until it reaches a therapeutic effect. I do agree that 2 weeks may be too soon to try). Unfortunately I had a severe allergic reaction to it, so it had to be d/c. It bummed me out because in the beginning it felt like it was working,...but it poisoned my body and my bloodwork went all over the place and my face and throat swelled up. She suggested switching me to Lyrica, (but I'll admit, I panicked at the idea of another nerve medication).

But I have heard wonderful things and great success with both of those medications for post herpetic neuralgia. I can relate because I have it, and it is very painful, very hard to describe, and it can take you out of your daily life plans with its intensity.

There's a few options. Hopefully he'll give this another, longer try or maybe see if an alternative might work?

I posted this earlier on an old thread, but thought the info may help in some way....

When my hubby had shingles (he has bad scars now on his back and side), the Dr felt he had been under an exceptional amount of stress that triggered the episode. I remember him getting shots and using very strong creams with capsaicin in them. He said the capsaicin blocked the nerve pain at the site better than anything else for him.

I feel horrible for anybody with shingles, as my husband is a very strong man with a high pain tolerance and it was Awful for him.

Best of Luck!

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Just guess.......