Do not take gabapentin, makes it worse

Gabapentin, that was the first medication I was put on didn't do much for me either. I'm in such terrible pain I was sent to a pain management doctor. Experiencing major lower back pain leg weakness burning of the thighs shocks waves going up from my ankles to the back of my buttocks certain movements make it worse. I have tried multiple injections including medial Branch blocks and epidural steroid injections. Nine of them to be exact and not one of them helped. My problem diabetic neuropathy . Come to find out after having a MRI the nerves in the canal that runs down your spine and Roots out of the tail bone the last four vertebrates of mine have shifted due to laboring which worn out the cartilage in between the vertebrates so the nerves are constantly sending signals of pain. I get very little sleep . Laying down is very hard to do every movement I make sense different nerve pain different areas constantly standings the worst sitting down very minimal treatment I'm supposed to have surgery put new spaces between the last four vertebrates hopefully aligning in the canal to relieve the pressure and the pain I'm very very scared to have the surgery don't know what to do but have it. I feel like I have no choice medication pregabalin slightly helps .

Anyone know if Sertraline reacts like Gabapentin? Thanks!

Same with me. The Drs don’t know, just use what works for you , if anything, and learn from your experience John Aust

Intake Gabapentin and it does help... If I miss even 1 dose during the day, I can tell it. I don't like taking neurontin, because of the side effects, and I'm going to find other treatments. The the sounds interesting, however, smoking local weed seems like a better plan as the gummies is just one more factory item that most likely, in the end, isn't good for me.

Sorry but Gabapentin absolutely works for me. I started taking it for debilitating femoral nerve pain many years ago, like 2017, after trying everything else and it absolutely works. If I stop it, it comes back. No other side effects.
Now I have CIDP since 2020. CIDP has usually expected severe bilateral perineal nerve pain but I don’t. It is believed that my high dose Gabapentin is preventing it.
My advice? If your doctor suggests it, try it. We have limited tools for these problems and we have to be open minded and try every single weapon available. Life is short.

Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. We have a great community of folks willing to share their experiences.

@greathealth963
Have you tried taking over the counter Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acetyl L Carnitine supplements for your foot nerve pain? What about the lidocaine or capsaicin creams? I use them and also lidocaine pain patches (Salonpas brand) and it seems to help my feet some (I have idiopathic small fiber neuropathy and get burning, pins and needles, stabbing and numbness in my feet). My doctor only recently put me on 100 mg Gabapentin which I take before bed due to issues with dizziness/balance issues. Helps maybe a little but ai really don’t want to go on higher doses. My new neurologist told me yesterday that 100mg is like “taking a candy dose.”

I was recently placed on Gabapentin due to nightly pain due to nodules inside my thigh tissue and to facilitate sleep. Taking a dose at bedtime has been a game changer for those issues and my mild to mod neuropathy. We respond differently to meds. Take what works for you instead of publicizing NOT to take a particular med. It may require trialing many meds before some people find one that works for them.

Did you try Pregabalin? If so, what were the side effects?

Thank you, @kgitti! Gabapentin HAS been a miracle drug for me. It was prescribed for my restless leg syndrom but it worked for ALL my pain, pain which was worse than the pain I had with my total knee replacement or pain of childbirth. The ankle pain precluded any weight bearing and wrist pain sent waves of pain into my thumbs. I agree, try what your doctor suggests.