Gabapentin use for neuropathy

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.