1. < Neuropathy

Gabapentine Dosage?

Posted by windsorchris @windsorchris, Nov 2, 2021

I avoided any meds for my PN until I couldn't. My Dr. recommended the maximum dosage of 2600mg beginning with 800mg daily and adding 100mg each week (currently at 1300mg daily). Is it helping?...perhaps but still have tingling, numbness sensations and now getting routine severe cramps aka "sledge hammer" on calves at night. Reading the anecdotes from others, it seems that a much lower dosage is the norm. My question is, why did my dr. advise max dosage given my symptoms are: numbness, tingling, cramps etc. progressing up my calves at present?

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Leonard | @jakedduck1 | Nov 2, 2021

@windsorchris
Just my 2 cents worth and it's probably not worth that.
Are you having any side effects?
Sometimes when drugs are titrated up quickly there are more side effects. I think your doctor is making a wise choice by titrating you up by only 100 mg . However I question starting you out at 800 mg. Gabapentin the generic may also increase side effects compared to the brand Neurontin.
Some anticonvulsant & other drugs may have a narrow therapeutic index which can also increase side effects however I don’t believe gabapentin is one of them.
I took the maximum dose of 3,600mg. It never helped my seizure or neuropathy. I knew a man who took 7,000mg.
People I have known never became completely pain-free. I hope you do.
Has anyone here on connect become pain free by taking gabapentin?
Jake

REPLY
2 replies
pbr69 | @pbr69 | Mar 7 1:32pm
In reply to @jakedduck1 "@windsorchris Just my 2 cents worth and it's probably not worth that. Are you having any..." + (show)
@jakedduck1

@windsorchris
Just my 2 cents worth and it's probably not worth that.
Are you having any side effects?
Sometimes when drugs are titrated up quickly there are more side effects. I think your doctor is making a wise choice by titrating you up by only 100 mg . However I question starting you out at 800 mg. Gabapentin the generic may also increase side effects compared to the brand Neurontin.
Some anticonvulsant & other drugs may have a narrow therapeutic index which can also increase side effects however I don’t believe gabapentin is one of them.
I took the maximum dose of 3,600mg. It never helped my seizure or neuropathy. I knew a man who took 7,000mg.
People I have known never became completely pain-free. I hope you do.
Has anyone here on connect become pain free by taking gabapentin?
Jake

Jump to this post

I am a VA patient and the VA says the max dose is 1200mgs here I have read several people with outside Doctors give more of a higher dose for nerve pain in feet and legs. ???

REPLY
3 replies
linda6101 | @linda6101 | Mar 7 2:23pm
In reply to @pbr69 "I am a VA patient and the VA says the max dose is 1200mgs here I..." + (show)
@pbr69

I am a VA patient and the VA says the max dose is 1200mgs here I have read several people with outside Doctors give more of a higher dose for nerve pain in feet and legs. ???

Jump to this post

In Chicago, the maximum dose is 900mg. three times a day.

REPLY
gregd1956 | @gregd1956 | Mar 8 2:59pm

Dear @windsorchris

xxx GABAPENTIN xxx
I use and have this for the last 4-6 years of my GABAPENTIN; daily (600MG x 2) x 3 —> thats 6 time a day for those each 600MG.

xxx ANTI-SEVIRE (sp?) VS. PAIN/CRAMP… xxx
For me is anti-secure from my bicycle accident since 2012. For pain that most use this are there. For [1] pain or [2] cramps (I have never seen this for that) or [3] numbness (little feeling if any) or [4] brain NEURONTIN…

Thx,
Greg D. @greg1956

REPLY
paulbse | @paulbse | Mar 9 11:02am
In reply to @pbr69 "I am a VA patient and the VA says the max dose is 1200mgs here I..." + (show)
@pbr69

I am a VA patient and the VA says the max dose is 1200mgs here I have read several people with outside Doctors give more of a higher dose for nerve pain in feet and legs. ???

Jump to this post

Your VA doctors need to re-educate themselves on the maximum dosage for Gabapentin. The maximum dosage is 3600mg per day, not 1200mg.

REPLY
paulbse | @paulbse | Mar 9 11:11am
In reply to @pbr69 "I am a VA patient and the VA says the max dose is 1200mgs here I..." + (show)
@pbr69

I am a VA patient and the VA says the max dose is 1200mgs here I have read several people with outside Doctors give more of a higher dose for nerve pain in feet and legs. ???

Jump to this post

I take 4800mg per day, [6] 800mg pills (2 are taken at bedtime), and have been on this dosage for 29 years. I have bloodwork done 3 times a year and my kidney functions are fine.

REPLY
paulbse | @paulbse | Mar 9 11:15am
In reply to @jakedduck1 "@windsorchris Just my 2 cents worth and it's probably not worth that. Are you having any..." + (show)
@jakedduck1

@windsorchris
Just my 2 cents worth and it's probably not worth that.
Are you having any side effects?
Sometimes when drugs are titrated up quickly there are more side effects. I think your doctor is making a wise choice by titrating you up by only 100 mg . However I question starting you out at 800 mg. Gabapentin the generic may also increase side effects compared to the brand Neurontin.
Some anticonvulsant & other drugs may have a narrow therapeutic index which can also increase side effects however I don’t believe gabapentin is one of them.
I took the maximum dose of 3,600mg. It never helped my seizure or neuropathy. I knew a man who took 7,000mg.
People I have known never became completely pain-free. I hope you do.
Has anyone here on connect become pain free by taking gabapentin?
Jake

Jump to this post

Not pain-free here but it makes my physical life bearable. I would be in agony without Gabapentin. I have been taking 4800mg per day for the past 29 years with no side effects.

REPLY
Leonard | @jakedduck1 | Mar 9 12:10pm

@paulbse
Was 4800 mg necessary to ease your pain or did you need to increase it over the 29 years to maintain the same level of pain control?
Thank you,
Jake

REPLY
1 reply
moorethrpy | @moorethrpy | Mar 9 1:36pm

Does anyone believe that Gabapentin has helped the numbness? Finally a Neurologist at Medical University of So Carolina informed me that Gabapentin was not a helpful med due to the fact that I have no pain. I was relieved to stop as it makes me sleepy.

REPLY
paulbse | @paulbse | Mar 10 4:57pm
In reply to @jakedduck1 "@paulbse Was 4800 mg necessary to ease your pain or did you need to increase it..." + (show)
@jakedduck1

@paulbse
Was 4800 mg necessary to ease your pain or did you need to increase it over the 29 years to maintain the same level of pain control?
Thank you,
Jake

Jump to this post

I was in pretty bad shape when I started seeing my doctor in Charlotte, NC where I was living, at the time. He worked with me on all sorts of medications and dosages, a "cocktail", if you will. Within 8 months we had settled on 4800mg of Gabapentin, 60mg of Cymbalta, and 200mg of Tramadol and that is what I have been taking ever since.

REPLY
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