Do not take gabapentin, makes it worse

I wish I had kept track of all the meds I've tried - prescribed by PCP, neurologists, pain specialists, pain therapist, etc. There are so many medications that have the possibility of treating neuropathy pain. The last two I tried were Buprenorphine and Topamax. I haven't been able to give Low Dose Naltrexone a trial yet because of other things going on that would interfere with giving it a fair test. My policy has been only to change one medication or treatment at a time. Anytime I've ignored that policy I haven't been sure which medication was helping.

I tried Duloxetine a few years ago, and found that it did nothing for my neuropathy, but it really improved my mental well-being - all of a sudden I felt like doing jobs I'd been putting off for years. So I keep taking it for that reason.

Different doctors in different types of practice have their own lists of medications to offer, so sometimes it helps to work with someone outside the neuro world. My PCP knows everything I take, including meds which other doctors prescribe, so he keeps a pretty close eye on what I'm taking. It's been good to have him be the coordinator.

It might take longer than we'd like to find the right medications, but as you said, there are new ones on the market all the time. So we keep track of what doesn't work for us and move on down the list to the next one.

Jim

I agree with you-
Gabapentin did not a thing for me, and either did Duloxetine.
I have also been on several of the other drugs that they dole out to you for neuropathy, and they did t work either.
Went to pain management last month to try and find something to help me with my foot pain, and they suggested Nuycenta also like you, and forget it, of course it’s not covered by my drug plan,because it’s in the highest tier level.
How do they expect you to pay for drugs that cost that much per month.
I’m with you, so sick of this garbage!

Hi, could you tell me what P5P and Alpha lipoid Acid are? I have peripheral neuropathy in both legs from my feet to my knees from breaking my back many years ago. My neurosurgeon did back surgery and now I have five fused disks in my back and two vertebrae had to be put back in place that were pressing on my spinal cord. I take a lot of Gabapentin and most of the time it very effective to reduce the burning and sting in my legs, but agree it is not helpful to remove the numbness. Thanks, C.J.

Hi @k1mmer ,
I think @johnbishop recommends r alpha lopoic acid as part of the 525 program. If you are up to it, try try the shock wave treatment. It has has the most pronounced reduction of pain for me.

JFN

Hi. I'm ending my 4th week of taking Lyrica for my SF-neuropathic leg/foot pain. I am taking 75mg's twice daily, and I have no discernible relief of the pain symptoms. I'm wondering if my dosage is right, and hoiw long I should take it before tossing it aside as a waste of time? I mean, why take a med and it's potential side effects if you receive no discernible improvement of your symptoms.

PS> I was very slow to begin taking this med, held out for a long time, but everything else I tried failed to work either so I finally gave in and gave it a try.

I too experience the foggy and zombie feelings when taking Gabapentin though it seems to be the only medication that has worked for my chronic nerve pain, taking the edge off. I have tried many other medications over the years. Frustrating.

Hello…I am thinking to try R-ALPHA LIPOIC ACID……suggested dosage anyone?

My neurologist had we take alpha lipoid acid by Pure Encapsulations. It's expensive but worked with no side effects.

Good evening, @kareneva, and welcome to Connect. As you may be observing, we all have faith in sharing on Connect. Just reading your words "foggy" and "zombie" told me a lot about the results you had from a medication. And by the way, those are precisely the words that would describe my experience with the same medication for my small fiber neuropathy (SFN). I was diagnosed with SFN in 2013, and my journey has been one of progressive pain and reduced function. When I finally stopped denying the reality of my future on Gabapentin with a fuzzy brain and stagnant memory, I had a serious chat with my PCP, who has been with me for ten years.

We came up with a reasonable solution together and have been working on it for about six months. My history with medical cannabis began ten years ago. As such, I have had experience with the ability of cannabis to control pain and nerve function. I only use tinctures, no capsules, no inhaling, and no overdosing. I also use Ibuprofen as a substitute or addition at certain times because of my positive post-surgery response to that medication.

I need to pay attention to my activities, exercises, and daily barometric pressure to help with dosing and frequency. As of today, I can say that it appears that I am close to a solution. However, I cannot project the future and the potential for aging issues to require additional modifications, especially since I just turned 82 this month.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I am here for you.
Chris

I have been taking it for 8 years and i tried stopping it for a couple days.My toes were burning and needles sticking in them.I am back on Gabapentin.