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Anyone take Neurontin/Gabapentin?

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Posted 8/2/2009 3:06 PM (GMT -7)
I was prescribed this for pain a few months ago. After I read how it worked on certain signals in your brain, I decided not to take it and have been taking a low dose of pain meds instead. Well, my pain has gotten much more intense and sometimes I can barely walk because of the pain in my legs. The pain meds are not helping and I refuse to go on anything stronger.

If you take Neurontin, generic name Gabapentin, please share your experience with this med.

Thank you:)
Posted 8/2/2009 4:43 PM (GMT -7)
I think if you asked over on the Fibro forum you'd find many that like it for nerve type pain. Like the Lamictal I take for depression, I think neurontin was originally developed as an anti-seizure med and it's proved useful for other things.

My wife had shingles some years back and has nerve pain over her shoulder blade. Her neurologist Rx'ed generic gabapentin and it works wonders for her. She's taking naproxin for some osteo but it didn't help with her shoulder. It does tend to make her sleepy, so she takes it in the evening. That's the only side effect she has with it.
Posted 8/2/2009 5:34 PM (GMT -7)
Hi CG!
I have taken Gabapenting for quite some time now (yrs). It's the only thing that I have been offered that worked for my nueropathy. My legs & feet can still hurt quite seriously, but I reuse to take the pain meds they keep wanting me on - things like hydrocodone (gives me halluciations, bad ones shocked ), and the others I just want to end up really needing them, just to have my body too used to them. I'm sure you are familiar with the 'arguement'.

I take 1200mg 2x a day - morning & evening. My doc tells me that I am not near the highest amount allowed as of yet, I don't want to raise it if I don't have to.

If you have any other questions that I might be able to help with, please let me know. smilewinkgrin

Trav
Posted 8/2/2009 7:35 PM (GMT -7)
Thank you both for your answers. I'm wondering if it works for muscle and joint pain? I'm experiencing muscle pain and something much deeper. It feels like it's in my bones. I feel like every part of my body that can hurt...does. I truly cannot take it anymore.

I've read good reviews about it helping with fibro so I'm assuming it would help me. Oh boy, i'm already tired all the time. I guess that's why it's best to take it in the evening. I may go to the fibro board and ask questions.

Traveler, do you know how long it lasts once you take it? I would need it to last all day.
Posted 8/2/2009 10:03 PM (GMT -7)
CG, i am on gabapintin 300mg 3x day. i was placed on it for migraines to start with. it has helped me somewhat there. then after i had the EMG and was told i had nueropathy in both legs and sciatica in my right leg my nuero is talking about upping my dose.it does not make me sleepy at all. but i am backwards when it comes to many meds.

if it was me and i had the srcipt try it. but i was also told once you start it do not quit on your own. why i do not know just what i was told.
Posted 8/2/2009 10:09 PM (GMT -7)
Thanks RD. I looked at my script today and my doctor prescribed me 600mg. It says I can take either half or the whole pill once a day. I'm not sure why he prescribed such a high dose. He knows I'm sensitive to meds.

Did you feel dizzy at all when you first started taking it? I read that was a side effect. That's all I need is to be dizzy and tired, lol.
Posted 8/2/2009 10:26 PM (GMT -7)
it was a warming on mine to. but as i said most drugs that make you sleepy do not work this was for me, in fact they can and do make me high. if they make you high they make me sleepy. i am backwards..lol if they had ADHA when i was a kid it would of been dx to me then.
Posted 8/2/2009 11:00 PM (GMT -7)
Hey RD - you sound like my ex brother-in-law!! He had the same kinds of issues, only he was dxed with just hyperactivity.

CG -The 600 mg/day is not a very high dosage at all with Gabapentin. I take 1200 mg 2 x's each day & my doc told me I was nowhere near the highest dosages that are 'allowed'. I will most likely have to have my dosage raised soon. You should break the dosage into 2 each day - am & pm, if I understood correctly. This will allow a much greater 'coverage' (for lack of a better word.

Although I have no idea if when I started gabapentin if it made me dizzy or sleepy. Right now it would be nice to be sleepy!!!

As far as the muscle & bone pain- gabapentin helps with with the bone pain some, but I have to take chlorzoxazone for muscle spasms.

IMHO, you should give it a try, it has the potential to really benefit you in the reduction of pain.

Peace~
Trav
Posted 8/3/2009 7:05 AM (GMT -7)
It is a nerve desentiser and was mainly used as an anti-seisure med. This drug did absolutely nothing for the kind of pain (muscle) and bone I had from Lyme and co-infections. It actually gave me headaches and I began to put on a lot of weight.
Posted 8/3/2009 8:05 AM (GMT -7)
Traveler: Thank you so much for the information hun.


Minerals: Do you take anything for pain? I don't like taking pain meds at all and I don't want to get on anything stronger.
Posted 8/3/2009 10:36 AM (GMT -7)
Cajungrl.

Although I do have much pain throughout my body I have found that all pain meds give me a headache. In addition after awhile I felt that the opiates caused more back pain for me. I have full bottles of virtually all of them from pain management.

I deal with the pains in my body because the pain in my head is one I DO NOT want to return. After virtually 2 years straight with the worst headache you can imagine every day constantly--after treatment it went away. And I want it to stay away. I don't want to trigger it off again. It as all a trade off for me with not much relief when I have flares. So, I do not take anything for pain other than exedrine or aleve occasionally.
Posted 8/3/2009 11:21 AM (GMT -7)
Thanks Minerals:)
Posted 8/13/2009 6:07 PM (GMT -7)
My neurologist has me taking Gabapentin I've only been on it for a few days though (100 mg 3x day). My PCP also has me taking Lexapro. I think the Lexapro is causing me headaches but I haven't experieced anything with the Gabapentin that I know of. I hope this works cause nerve pain is horrible. Good luck to you.

Post Edited (CocoDrea) : 8/13/2009 7:10:13 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/13/2009 8:15 PM (GMT -7)
Thanks CocoDrea! Welcome to the forum hun:)
Posted 8/20/2009 1:21 AM (GMT -7)
I have had terrible headaches for over 1 year. At first, I though my pain is caused by just a simple anxiety headache that would eventually go away. I tried some normal medication (Algocalmin), but with no effect. After visiting my doc 2 months ago, he said my pain is now chronic and prescribed me Neurontin. I have been taking it ever since, with no problem or side effect. I fell overall better, and I think the medication also increases the results as time goes by and my body gets used with the drug.
Posted 8/20/2009 1:30 AM (GMT -7)
Hi Albertsala,

Welcome to the forum! Thank you so much for the information. Do you just use it for headaches? I'm wondering if it works for muscle/joint pain? I get severe headaches too though.
Posted 8/20/2009 1:54 AM (GMT -7)
I just use it for my headaches. At first, I was taking just a small dose, but I have increased it gradually. I only experienced some dizziness, but only in the first 2-3 days. After that, everything went fine for me. I can say I feel 50-60% better with this medication. I don't have any problems with my muscles, so I don't really know if it works for those. I thank God I found this, I hope it works for you as it works for me. I heard a lot of people that are not getting along with Lamictal.
Posted 8/20/2009 2:09 AM (GMT -7)
Thanks hun:)
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