1. < Neuropathy

Gabapentin use for neuropathy

Posted by Lisa @techi, Nov 3, 2017

I just want to know if anyone has used or is still using gabapentin for neuropathy. I had foot surgery in 2015 and l had nerve pain so my surgeon put me on gabapentin and it wasn't once a day or twice a day. He said 3times a day.. So this Monday on the doctors Dr. Stock was talking about the gabapentin and how he was taking it after his surgery and he read about people who were trying to wean themselves off off it and it was hard to do it and if you are taking an opioid it intensify the opoid has anyone had that problem. Because l sometimes take tramadol and l always ask if it's an opioid and everyone says no but when l went online they said it was so l am trying to not take them and when l went to the doctor this week l told them l am only taking the gabapentin 2times a day because l forget the third dose. I told her l am only use to taking meds twice a day so l want to know if anyone had a reaction or difficulty get off gabapentin?

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Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Nov 3, 2017
In reply to @confused1955 "I have been taking Gabapentin for 8 years for a pinched nerve in my spine. Now..." + (show)
@confused1955

I have been taking Gabapentin for 8 years for a pinched nerve in my spine. Now I have Mono Neuritis Multiplex and i take 800mg four x a day. Gabapentin is the only thing that helps the pain but it will do nothing for the numbness. Even Lyrica can't do that. I also take 9mg time release dilaudid 2 x a day and 2 mg dilaudid 2 to 4 times a day depending on pain. I usually take 2 but I have had bad days that have required extra. I was told when I started the gabapentin and opioids that I would be on them forever, so no point in worring about addiction. I am only able to be at home because I have a caregiver without him I would be in long term care as at this point I can manage my personal care but can't even open the fridge let alone any packaging that may be in there.

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Hello @confused1955, I'm sorry you are in so much pain. Do the doctors think all of the pain is caused by the pinched nerve in your spine? Did they offer any other treatments that might relieve the pinched nerve to reduce the pain? I'm sure it very difficult for you and it is good you have a caregiver to help you. The numbness alone is enough to deal with but add pain and it makes it that much more difficult. Hoping you have a pain free weekend.

John

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Mentor
Chris Trout, Volunteer Mentor | @artscaping | Nov 4, 2017

For those exploring Gabapentin, I will just add a bit of my experience with this medication in the hope that it might be helpful. Once my SFN was diagnosed, I began using Gabapentin for pain relief from the "needles" that ravaged my hands, wrists and lower arms with pain. After the first 6 months as my condition progressed, more of the medication was prescribed for night time to go along with the lidocaine based topical compound LPKA which works to take the edge off the pain as I prepare for sleep. So after experimentation, this is what works for me at this stage -- 300 mg in the a.m. and 900 mg one hour before bedtime. That allows me to drift off pretty easily and sleep well until the electrical pain zappers start at dawn. One day I got the dosages mixed up and took the 900 mg in the morning. And now I know why it works......although my pain was significantly reduced, I became a bit fuzzy and was struggling to remember things until it wore off. That's o.k. for night time but can be disconcerting during the day. I don't think I would want to be taking it 4 times a day. I will be meeting with my neurologist this month to discuss my future needs and options as the SFN has appeared to have added pain to the numbness in my feet. I also know that my partner has taken it for Restless Leg and it is also prescribed for dogs with a nerve condition called Syringomyelia (SM). So just because the medication was developed for seizures, doesn't mean that it won't work for other nerve related disorders. So it may be that each of us has different needs, different experiences, and different tolerances. There are no easy answers or road maps for this journey.....just lots of challenges and the will to cope with them as best we can.

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5 replies
Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Nov 4, 2017
In reply to @artscaping "For those exploring Gabapentin, I will just add a bit of my experience with this medication..." + (show)
@artscaping

For those exploring Gabapentin, I will just add a bit of my experience with this medication in the hope that it might be helpful. Once my SFN was diagnosed, I began using Gabapentin for pain relief from the "needles" that ravaged my hands, wrists and lower arms with pain. After the first 6 months as my condition progressed, more of the medication was prescribed for night time to go along with the lidocaine based topical compound LPKA which works to take the edge off the pain as I prepare for sleep. So after experimentation, this is what works for me at this stage -- 300 mg in the a.m. and 900 mg one hour before bedtime. That allows me to drift off pretty easily and sleep well until the electrical pain zappers start at dawn. One day I got the dosages mixed up and took the 900 mg in the morning. And now I know why it works......although my pain was significantly reduced, I became a bit fuzzy and was struggling to remember things until it wore off. That's o.k. for night time but can be disconcerting during the day. I don't think I would want to be taking it 4 times a day. I will be meeting with my neurologist this month to discuss my future needs and options as the SFN has appeared to have added pain to the numbness in my feet. I also know that my partner has taken it for Restless Leg and it is also prescribed for dogs with a nerve condition called Syringomyelia (SM). So just because the medication was developed for seizures, doesn't mean that it won't work for other nerve related disorders. So it may be that each of us has different needs, different experiences, and different tolerances. There are no easy answers or road maps for this journey.....just lots of challenges and the will to cope with them as best we can.

Jump to this post

Chris (@artscaping), Thank you for sharing your experience with gapabentin. It helps a lot. Are you getting ready to head west or are you still here in Minnesota? Wished I could escape the winter sometimes although I think it makes me appreciate the other seasons a little more.

Have a great weekend! John

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Mentor
Chris Trout, Volunteer Mentor | @artscaping | Nov 4, 2017
In reply to @artscaping "For those exploring Gabapentin, I will just add a bit of my experience with this medication..." + (show)
@artscaping

For those exploring Gabapentin, I will just add a bit of my experience with this medication in the hope that it might be helpful. Once my SFN was diagnosed, I began using Gabapentin for pain relief from the "needles" that ravaged my hands, wrists and lower arms with pain. After the first 6 months as my condition progressed, more of the medication was prescribed for night time to go along with the lidocaine based topical compound LPKA which works to take the edge off the pain as I prepare for sleep. So after experimentation, this is what works for me at this stage -- 300 mg in the a.m. and 900 mg one hour before bedtime. That allows me to drift off pretty easily and sleep well until the electrical pain zappers start at dawn. One day I got the dosages mixed up and took the 900 mg in the morning. And now I know why it works......although my pain was significantly reduced, I became a bit fuzzy and was struggling to remember things until it wore off. That's o.k. for night time but can be disconcerting during the day. I don't think I would want to be taking it 4 times a day. I will be meeting with my neurologist this month to discuss my future needs and options as the SFN has appeared to have added pain to the numbness in my feet. I also know that my partner has taken it for Restless Leg and it is also prescribed for dogs with a nerve condition called Syringomyelia (SM). So just because the medication was developed for seizures, doesn't mean that it won't work for other nerve related disorders. So it may be that each of us has different needs, different experiences, and different tolerances. There are no easy answers or road maps for this journey.....just lots of challenges and the will to cope with them as best we can.

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Just arrived in Idyllwild——sunny on the mountain. I really like MN and I LOVE my mountain. Best of both worlds.

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Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Nov 4, 2017
In reply to @artscaping "For those exploring Gabapentin, I will just add a bit of my experience with this medication..." + (show)
@artscaping

For those exploring Gabapentin, I will just add a bit of my experience with this medication in the hope that it might be helpful. Once my SFN was diagnosed, I began using Gabapentin for pain relief from the "needles" that ravaged my hands, wrists and lower arms with pain. After the first 6 months as my condition progressed, more of the medication was prescribed for night time to go along with the lidocaine based topical compound LPKA which works to take the edge off the pain as I prepare for sleep. So after experimentation, this is what works for me at this stage -- 300 mg in the a.m. and 900 mg one hour before bedtime. That allows me to drift off pretty easily and sleep well until the electrical pain zappers start at dawn. One day I got the dosages mixed up and took the 900 mg in the morning. And now I know why it works......although my pain was significantly reduced, I became a bit fuzzy and was struggling to remember things until it wore off. That's o.k. for night time but can be disconcerting during the day. I don't think I would want to be taking it 4 times a day. I will be meeting with my neurologist this month to discuss my future needs and options as the SFN has appeared to have added pain to the numbness in my feet. I also know that my partner has taken it for Restless Leg and it is also prescribed for dogs with a nerve condition called Syringomyelia (SM). So just because the medication was developed for seizures, doesn't mean that it won't work for other nerve related disorders. So it may be that each of us has different needs, different experiences, and different tolerances. There are no easy answers or road maps for this journey.....just lots of challenges and the will to cope with them as best we can.

Jump to this post

I spent a couple of summers at a church camp in Idyllwild - beautiful area. If I remember right we use to take a drive through the mountains on the Rim of World Highway in the summer and it was a real treat for us kids.

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Mentor
Chris Trout, Volunteer Mentor | @artscaping | Nov 10, 2017
In reply to @artscaping "For those exploring Gabapentin, I will just add a bit of my experience with this medication..." + (show)
@artscaping

For those exploring Gabapentin, I will just add a bit of my experience with this medication in the hope that it might be helpful. Once my SFN was diagnosed, I began using Gabapentin for pain relief from the "needles" that ravaged my hands, wrists and lower arms with pain. After the first 6 months as my condition progressed, more of the medication was prescribed for night time to go along with the lidocaine based topical compound LPKA which works to take the edge off the pain as I prepare for sleep. So after experimentation, this is what works for me at this stage -- 300 mg in the a.m. and 900 mg one hour before bedtime. That allows me to drift off pretty easily and sleep well until the electrical pain zappers start at dawn. One day I got the dosages mixed up and took the 900 mg in the morning. And now I know why it works......although my pain was significantly reduced, I became a bit fuzzy and was struggling to remember things until it wore off. That's o.k. for night time but can be disconcerting during the day. I don't think I would want to be taking it 4 times a day. I will be meeting with my neurologist this month to discuss my future needs and options as the SFN has appeared to have added pain to the numbness in my feet. I also know that my partner has taken it for Restless Leg and it is also prescribed for dogs with a nerve condition called Syringomyelia (SM). So just because the medication was developed for seizures, doesn't mean that it won't work for other nerve related disorders. So it may be that each of us has different needs, different experiences, and different tolerances. There are no easy answers or road maps for this journey.....just lots of challenges and the will to cope with them as best we can.

Jump to this post

There are quite a few churches with camps here. Most are tucked away in a valley surrounded by mountains. Timothy Leary had a compound here. There is a Ronald MacDonald camp for kids with cancer where my granddaughter taught horsemanship. Also the states largest Boy Scout camp and a separate one for the girls. Maybe soon they will join hands.

REPLY
annmayo79 | @annmayo79 | Dec 29, 2017

I take 1200 mg of Gabapentin and 50 mg of tramadol 3times a day for PN and they help but sometimes nothing helps near the end of 6to7 hours.

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3 replies
steeldove | @steeldove | Dec 29, 2017
In reply to @annmayo79 "I take 1200 mg of Gabapentin and 50 mg of tramadol 3times a day for PN..." + (show)
@annmayo79

I take 1200 mg of Gabapentin and 50 mg of tramadol 3times a day for PN and they help but sometimes nothing helps near the end of 6to7 hours.

Jump to this post

I've backed off Gabapentin from 600 mg 3/day to 300 mg 2/day after almost a year when I realized that I could deal with the pain but not the numbness in both legs and up into the groin and finding that Gabapentin did nothing for the numbness. I'm researching the possibility of having hand controls installed in my car as driving with the numbness is a dangerous nightmare. Has anyone had experience with hand controls?

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Gary, Alumni Mentor | @gman007 | Dec 29, 2017

Not to be alarmist, but I have had two things happen with Gabapentin. First, when my father was seeing a neuro doc for his cognitive impairment, she told him to stop taking Gab. immediately as it causes brain fog and impairs short-term memory. I was taking 4000 mg/day and weaned myself off it. I could never tell that it really helped with my pain (pancreatic), but my pain management Dr. said it would allow my opioids to be more effective, but I have noticed no difference w/out it in regards to my pain medication. I have, however, been more alert and my memory is not as fuzzy from day-to-day. This may just be the effect it had on me and my dosage was extremely high.

REPLY
keeptrying | @keeptrying | Dec 29, 2017
In reply to @annmayo79 "I take 1200 mg of Gabapentin and 50 mg of tramadol 3times a day for PN..." + (show)
@annmayo79

I take 1200 mg of Gabapentin and 50 mg of tramadol 3times a day for PN and they help but sometimes nothing helps near the end of 6to7 hours.

Jump to this post

Been researching hand controls for 6 months, and here in Florida it's quite a process. You have to be evaluated by a professional licenses evaluator, who then gives you a prescribed if approved. The hand controls can be installed either as temporary or permanent, but most mechanics prefer the permanent ones (which cost a bit more.) After installation you are required to take a test from DMV. I have not begun it yet, but like you my legs are dangerously numb and hand controls will be necessary to retain independence. I don't know what the procedure is in your state...I really don't want to sound negative or discouraging, but there are quite a few requirements in Florida. Good luck. I admire your tenacity.

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