Hi-
As Ed said, we’re all different in how we respond to various therapies for PN. Most of us have some degree of differences in our symptoms and types of PN. I have been on Gabapentin for almost 8 years. It has not “cured” my PN, nor has improved (or worsened) my balance, gait, or strength. What is HAS done for me is help the extreme & once intolerable cold & heat in my hands and feet. Without Gabapentin, I couldn’t function because of the pain the temperature feelings caused; whether inside or outside, with heavy gloves & socks or with being completely naked & hot and unable to sweat, I was miserable. Gabapentin has helped reduce that to where it’s just a minor nuisance
now.

I unfortunately have pain with my PN, an internal nerve pain, as if in my bones from the knees down & elbows down. Gabapentin has helped that tremendously too. Things trigger extra pain sometimes, like over-use, being exposed to high temperatures, and some things I haven’t figured out yet trigger it. But generally it’s very manageable with Gabapentin and doesn’t interfere with the activities I can do since I’ve been living with PN. I’m fortunate I’ve had no side effects with it, with the exception of maybe a little brain fog, but I can’t prove that my aging doesn’t have a role in that! I’ve learned over these 8 years to stay on schedule taking the medication. Sometimes when unusual pain or freezing sets in, I realize I’d missed a dose and that was the trigger. It may take a day to get the level in my body restored to “normal” again, so I think it’s important to keep the level in my bloodstream maintained.

As Ed said, we all react differently to it, but for me and knowing how I had a couple of months of complete helplessness and suffering when I had this very sudden onset of PN, I can’t imagine how I could have made it without Gabapentin. I have heard other contributors talk about similar drugs that have helped them - it’s often trial & error with the help of your doctor. I wish you the best!