Has Gabapentin helped anyone out there?

Gabapentin and Pregabalin both have a damping effect on your nerves. They increase the threshold at which your nerves trigger. So if you have a painful foot great - the pain signals come at a lower rate, however the drug effects most of the other nerves in your body - your hands, your face, your heart, your brain and so on. The GABA part is not selective. That is part of why we all go dopey.
When evaluating Gabapentin think about the rest of your body.

We need a treatment that is local that drops the pain level in the small part of the body that hurts. This can be done but the drug companies don't like the idea. The effect varies from person to person.

For me it was a horrible 3 day experience taking gabapentin. My nerves were all fired up and I had involuntary muscle contractions . I was literally beating myself up at night . After a couple of night my wife said no more

@raebaby How much do you take and do you take it 3 times a day or all at night?

I'm taking 300 mg two or three times a day. I often forget the middle dose.
This is a different subject, but I have recently started using an under the desk Pedalar and it has done so much for me. I am less tired, no more edema and wonders of wonder, the claw feet I developed after chemo have flattened. I use it one hour a day. You can get one for under $100.

@raebaby I’ve been taking gabapentin for 8 yrs. 300 mg. at night. It works for me. I have SFN. I also don’t drink, eat gluten and exercise regularly.

Hello, I have been on Gabapentin for at least 5 years. Why?? I have no clue, I guess because Doctor recommended it? I have no pain, just burning and tingling and the balance issue is THE WORSE! Anyway I was on 300mg a day. 100mg in am and 200 in pm. I went off of it entirely on 9/11/2026 I chose that date so I will never forget when doctors ask. This is day 4 of no Gabapentin. No difference yet. I am hoping I can continue without the big G. I went off cold turkey, was that bad? Best wishes to all, I love Mayo Connect! Oh I also have RLS I take .05 mg Ropinerole, it works!

I wasn't a fan of Gabapentin. I was on ir for about six months doing 300mg/day like you. I don't think it provided much relief for my chemo-related neuropathy but it sure me rather foggy-headed and loopy.
My doc told me to taper off from it and not to do it cold turkey. I reduced my dosage by 100mg every four days. I experienced some bad night sweats and some sleepless night withdrawals for about a week. It took a couple of weeks for my head to clear. The neuropathy is still there.
I'm going to stick to using lotions and potions on my feet, although I'm still trying to find the right one after three years. FYI, my new favorite is Mama Bear Oasis. I've been using it for about a month and it has provided me with some relief. The roll-on version makes it very easy to apply. I hope it continues to work.

@andyboy
I was on the low dose like you with no help, then read on this site someone had relief when they took 1200 mg combined with 1200 mg alpha lipoic acid. With dr. approval, I slowly raised my dosage and received a great relief. It does not keep me from any pain, but the difference was. great

I'm glad it's working for you. I can't imagine me on 1200mg. Whatever provides some relief is a good thing.

@andyboy
I had the same experience with Gabapentin after destroying a disc in an accident. My feet have tingling but very little pain, thankfully. The Gaba reduced tingling maybe 10% at best. It also makes you slightly dizzy and sleepy! It is BAD stuff and has been shown to increase your chances of getting dementia! I would never recomend it to anyone. I got off it in one day with minimal withdrawal symptoms. This is a very old drug and is not safe or effective.