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Gabapentin side effects?
I am a regular on the Mayo Board! I don't know what I would do without it! Our doctors don't want to discuss openly the things about illnesses and side effets of drugs and other things. Anyway, my question to all of you is Gabapentin and it's side effects. I have been on it now for 6 months. My doctor raised me from 100mg. to now I am on 400mg. three times a day.
The problem is my tiredness! I happen to be in a friends office yesterday and she was taking some medicine. She said she was taking Gabapentin. I asked why and she said she had, had shingles back when and it still helped with the pain. I know the drug is percribed for many things that is why I take it for my issues.
I told her I had been taking it for about 6 months. She asked if I had been tired all the time, just out of the Blue. OF COURSE I SAID YES! She said it took her a year before she got out of the tiredness.
Let me know if any of you have experienced the same thing. Also let me know at what dosage you may be on? I know this is all confidential!
Again Thanks to The Mayo Clinic and Everyone who is kind enough to be open with their lives!
Sundance!
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@catrine0119
Read DRG has lots of lead issues but sounds like it is working for you. I am having DRG for my pelvic pain next month. Lots of horror stories on FB pelvic floor site. Any suggestions?
Hi,
RN, here...2 herniated discs... sciatica, etc...epidurals did not help for long enough
Gabapentin did help, But i only took it at night to sleep...never when working...Started at 300 mg and ended at 600...during that time i began to trip all the time...on nothing...i mean trip as to fall...i never fell but I felt like i was going to... if shopping for 2 items, i started using a cart to hold onto......dr... had me scheduled for brain scan, but i decided to just wean off first....i stopped tripping...had day surgery for partial laminectomy... pain went away slowly...few months...5 years later...still good
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2 ReactionsI have been taking Gabapentin as needed for leg pain and sleep. I take 100 mg although my doc had prescribed 300 mg but the next day I was foggy and so tired Ijust stayed in bed. Take care.
I take 1200 twice a day for chronic pain (Mayo diagnosed autonomic neuropathy). Have tried lowering the dose but that is not helpful. As I posted elsewhere I seem to be able to handle
since pre-existing problems with insomnia cannot say whether gabapentin is negative. Muscle spasm would be worse without gaba so some help with sleep.
I so appreciate Mayo Clinic for providing this means of patient communication. We learn so much from each other and hopefully the physicians also learn from us as we learn from them.
I experience pain from a TBI/concussion experience. I do use gabapentin but also a type of PT. The brain that signals pain is not really well understood, enough, in my opinion. So much more research needs to be done on the BRAIN!!
I had a subconcusive TBI at age five that wasn’t diagnosed until I had a mold exposure from an hvac in office. Then an MRI was done! Obviously I was able to operate from age 5 to 35 but had some challenges that I never understood because my symptoms weren’t seen or understood. Fast forward to 66, I deal with a lot of pain and nerve issues that increased after a “failed “ back surgery .
No one was giving me good explanations about why the fusion failed and why I was in so much pain. I started doing my own research. I learned about hypermobility and hEDS. It may not sound like much, but being on the hypermobile spectrum or having a condition that effects the callogen strength in your body, is an aspect of pain for many people. It can really affect people who have had a TBI or concussion, or any injury or operation .
What I more specifically mean is, being on the hypermobile spectrum means your body is greatly affected. A example, the neck moves differently in a whiplash or other aggressive neck movement. The lax callogen allows for more extreme movement, it doesn’t hold your neck as well as others with typical callogen . That means the body is able to do movement beyond the typical, so like gymnastics, or killer back hand in tennis where the elbow and forearm rolls more than others etc..
We love that aspect of hypermobility in athletics but there’s the other side of the coin for many. Some Drs are beginning to realize and acknowledge what this means in so many body variables. You can find more info online about hypermobile medical issues.
With that being said, I’ve tried many things to help with pain. At 66, the most impact I’ve experienced is from going to a PT who has learned
Facial Counter Strain methods to help. It’s not at all like typical PT which definitely has its place. I believe that what the originators are learning about the brain, is very progressive. My pain has significantly decreased, I can now sit which sound lethargic, but those of you who can’t get what I’m saying.
There’s more positive benefits that effect my gut, brain fog, etc..
Here’s a link-
https://counterstrain.com/
There’s also a podcast. If you type in COUNTERSTRAIN, it’ll come up.
They also have a program for VETS who have experienced TBIs.
Called Bridge Back.
So impressive.
I hope this information can be helpful. I so appreciate you sharing your experience and knowledge.
It’s a team effort!
Regarding Gabapentin, may want to try Pregablin for day time.
Gabapentin didn't work for me.
@susangourdlady I took 300 mg. three times a day when I was withdrawing from my oxycodone, which had stopped working. I felt it helped my mood better than an antidepressant. I stopped after withdrawal symptoms stopped. Recently started Gabapentin again as no pain medication is working for me.
@lioness
I took it for a short while didn’t like the way I felt, do I stopped it.
Did u take the magnesium on your own or did your doc recommend it?