Gabapentin temporary increase?

@cleveland26 How long do you wait after you reduce to determine if the pain is returning (and you should increase again??)

@jakedduck1 I got a kick out of that one. I had not heard of gabapentin referred to as Dopeamax! Gababentin (which I refer to as my Gee drug) does make me slightly fogger than I would be other wise, but makes up for it by making me more off balance on my feet!

I have taken as much as 2400 mg a day in four doses. I'm now on 1500mg per day - trying to decrease that to 1200 mg per day very recently. It is effective in decreasing my mild diabetic neuropathy. Due to the information found on this forum, I now also take R Alpha Lipoic Acid and vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin ) . I believe these have helped in my being able to reduce gabapentin dosage.

@cleveland26
hi,
When I referred to Dopeamax I was referring to Topamax/Topiramate not Gabapentin. Although Gabapentin can cause some people to be dopey.
Jake

@stevenlo It's been a little bit of hit and miss. When I decreased from 2400 mg to 2100 mg of gabapentin there was no effect (no worse, no better) on the neuropathy. When I decreased further, to 1800, still no effect on neuropathy. Since then I tried reducing to 1500, waiting several days, and then went back to 1800 because the neuropathy got a little worse. About a month later, I tried again, and reduced to 1500 with no change to neuropathy. Now just recently I'm trying to decrease from 1500 to 1200. So far, after three days I think I can stay at 1200.

I would like to eventually get down to 600 to 900 mg. a day. As I mentioned, I do believe starting R Alpha Lipoic Acid and Vitamin B12 methylcobalamin about two months ago has helped in being able to reduce dosage of gabapentin.

@cleveland26
hi,
When I referred to Dopeamax I was referring to Topamax/Topiramate not Gabapentin. Although Gabapentin can cause some people to be dopey.
Jake

@cleveland26 I know it can be challenging and scary to try to reduce. Sounds like you reduce then wait a few DAYS to see if it will be too much of a reduction. As for the Vitamin B12 methylcobalamin, is that ANOTHER supplement you take or is it in the ALA?

I’ve been on 1200mg Gabapentin for 6 years. I hurt my back, neck, buttocks both shoulders in a car accident. I had 4 surgeries in 10 month's. The pain in my buttocks is extremely painful. I have even tried to slowly decrease my Gabapentin but the pain is too intense. My pain dr. gave me a prescription for Topiramate look it up it helps with nerve pain. I have help to sleep at night by taking Anatripline because my nerves come alive at night. Did your dr. tell you anything about why you were having pain in your buttocks?
What did you injure? Was it your SI joint?

@stevenlo The R Alpha Lipid Acid (R ALA) and vitamin B12 methylcobalamin are two separate supplements. (In addition I take magnesium citrate.)

@cleveland26 Thanks.. the order of ALA I placed with Stonehenge has the B12 methylcobalamin included with the ALA in their formulation.

@stevenlo Thanks. I didn't know you could do that! I'll look up Stonehenge. By the way the B12 methylcobalamin I bought recently is from Nature's Bounty , bought at Costco, the R ALA is from HMS Nutrition, ordered through Amazon.