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NYTimes: Gabapentin - The Painkiller Used for Just About Anything

Posted by dieterreuther @dieterreuther, Aug 19 12:21pm

Should this New York Times article concern us who take Gabapentin for Peripheral Neuropathy? I am typically very careful taking too many drugs - currently for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and now Peripheral Neuropathy.

The Painkiller Used for Just About Anything. In huge numbers, older people are taking gabapentin for a variety of conditions, including itching, alcohol dependence and sciatica. “It’s crazy,” one expert said. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/17/health/gabapentin-seniors-pain.html?unlocked_article_code=1.EE4.jBvo.cJ7TDSXUFu68&smid=url-share

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thenazareneshul | @thenazareneshul | Aug 20 9:09pm

What matters to me is:

Does it help? And then:

What are the side effects, and is it then worth it?

How much does it cost matters to me too, but with Gabapentin, in it's generic form, it's cheap.

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dieterreuther | @dieterreuther | Aug 21 3:12pm
In reply to @terry1976 "Curious if your PN is from statin use or some other underlying cause has been identified?" + (show)
@terry1976

Curious if your PN is from statin use or some other underlying cause has been identified?

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I was diagnosed with chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy, @terry1976. I stopped my statin Atorvastatin for 11 weeks but did not see any difference in my PN symptoms.

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gregd1956 | @gregd1956 | Aug 21 3:31pm

Dear guys… and girls,

> My Drugs <
I use this mad, sorry, med “Gabepentin” (sp?) for me… that’s exactly-day, 600 each 3X a day. Painless of that drug? Or using my anti-savior; daggoneit, my anti-seizure, instead?

> Anti- Seizure or anti-pain meds <
Yes, that’s anti-secure, daggoneit, anti-seizure ( I hate my use of small iPad). No use of anti-pain. I had pain from my rear-ends to the bottom of my feet. I fell down 1-2 years ago in my garage in the wooden steps. Then pain, oh, pain killed my lower body. Sitting down was good, but walking killed me.

Those anti-seizure didn’t help my pain on the bottom of my rear-ends done. Thankfully, my doctor A, whose been there at my accident as aTBi member, added something else… on my lower-back, he tested and what he could do and then coved back that nerve is back as it was. Pain is gone!

> How about this meds? <
So, in the early 90’s made in as a painless use meds. During to the lower 2000’s sent that for anti-seizures too. I now use the anti-seizure of this meds.

Thx,
Greg D. @greg1956

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crossette | @crossette | Aug 25 8:31am
In reply to @pah17 "I appreciate you posting the link to this NYT article. I'm fairly new to using this..." + (show)
@pah17

I appreciate you posting the link to this NYT article. I'm fairly new to using this medication and I'm really on the fence. As an aside when I tell people I'm on it, several have exclaimed "Oh, my dog is on that"!
I was initially prescribed 150 mg at bedtime by a Neurologist. I had negative results for peripheral neuropathy on a nerve conduction study. Since my insurance coverage was changing I did not follow through with the skin punch to R/O small fiber neuropathy. The neurologist said regardless the results of the skin punch, the treatment would be the same for my symptoms; i.e. Gabapentin and PT. My new PCP has me up to 300 mg. 3x/day. Initially I slept so much better at night. I struggle with staying asleep. After several months I seem to be back to the restless sleep pattern of waking up every couple of hours. And I have deep, deep aching in my feet and legs which is very uncomfortable. During the day I'm fairly comfortable although if I stop to notice I still have that constant feeling of numbness in my calves and I feel like I'm walking on pebbles. But with distraction it's tolerable and I can takes extended walks. I'm tempted to ask about weaning off Gabapentin and just using Ibuprofen a couple of times a day. Thoughts?

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I got off Gabapentin after about 6 months. The withdrawal was not bad and only lasted a few hours of increased symptoms before settling down. Gaba is a very old drug. I too was surprised when I had surgery for a broken ankle 2 years ago and they prescribed an opiod AND gabapentin for the pain. Luckily I only had to take it once at bedtime as the anethestic wore off at home. It does make you sleepy. I have tried ALL possible drugs and supplements used for neuropathy, but for me, none work any better than maybe a 10% change in symptoms.

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3434 | @3434 | Aug 26 11:53am

Been taking gabapentin (1800) daily for about 10 years and it seems to do nothing.
Now I’ve been having pains in my mouth and tongue…need help!

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harley22 | @harley22 | Aug 26 12:07pm

I also was on Gabapentin for several years and up to 2400mg per day.
I felt like it did nothing for me either so I finally stopped it 2 yrs ago this Nov coming up

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dieterreuther | @dieterreuther | Aug 27 8:19am

I am lucky that I can still run with my idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy. During my runs I listen to podcasts and this morning’s podcast was very insightful and it made me hopeful: there is research happening around regenerating nerves!

Also interesting how the Pharma industry and the FDA promoted gabapentin in the past as away to treat the symptoms of PN versus continuing the research of the causes of PN. In the podcast they call it “route to market”.

Here is the link for The Empowering Neurologist Podcast by David Perlmutter: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-empowering-neurologist-podcast/id1309285684?i=1000653235162

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solobeee1 | @solobeee1 | Aug 27 9:57am

Lyrica wins! Because I take LDN I was hoping to get to to 0 Lyrica from 400mg but I couldn’t do it. I’m back to 100mg daily & happy again.

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kenny449 | @kenny449 | Aug 30 10:29am
In reply to @joriahenry "I stop taking Gabapentin is was very strange. I would feel weird. I could not tell..." + (show)
@joriahenry

I stop taking Gabapentin is was very strange. I would feel weird. I could not tell if the pain was gone. I found myself asking myself hey are you in pain and I could not answer so I discontinued the use of the drug.

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I've been taking it 900 milligrams for 4 months, and they did absolutely nothing for My Pain, so my doc increased my dose another 100 mill that's a 1000 mill a day, still did nothing for the pain,It just makes me feel FUZZY

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drhorn | @drhorn | Aug 31 9:52am

I had a different experience. I was diagnosed with idiopathic peripheral neuropathy 3 years ago with tingling and sharp pains in my feet. One neurologist mentioned Gabapentin in passing but did not prescribe it. I was prescribed Gabapentin recently for a pinched nerve in my back. That resolved, but miraculously the Gabapentin almost completely relieved the neurological symptoms in my feet.

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