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Can Gabapentin make neuropathy pain worse?
Neuropathy | Last Active: Apr 15 7:27pm | Replies (312)Comment receiving replies
Lisa,
For myself Gabapentin made my PN worse and made my arms jump and twitch basically controllable, as soon as I quite taking it that was gone.
I can see where some people would benefit from Gabapentin or Pregablin (Lyrica types), but it is not for me.
I do feel that Pharma and the medical community really needs to look at less use of single molecule (man made) internal drug therapy of treating PN, as people are getting tired of treating only symptoms of PN. It maybe that possibly incorporating some of the eastern primary as an more interrogative approach maybe a benefit. Less Opiates (new FDA rules) is good, but at least give us a quality replacement for PN. PN is within the reachable sub-dermal regions even in the feet (dead skin layers) therefore a topical pain relief treatment approach should be very beneficial for people with PN, at least that is my view after living with PN for ~15 years.
Off my soap box, the answer for myself is Gabapentin and Pregablin (Lyrica) simply made things far worse, as it seem to affect the whole CNS and not the PN issue.
Replies to "Lisa, For myself Gabapentin made my PN worse and made my arms jump and twitch basically..."
I agree 100%. I gave gabapentin a good try and found it did not help with the pain at all. I also experienced body twitches all over, increased tingling in hands and an unbearable sensitivity to light. It did help me sleep though. I now take nothing but vitamins and a lot more turmeric that does help somewhat. I have SFN from diabetes.
Thank you for your opinion. I have had the same experience. I had an EMG that said I had length dependent neuropathy of my feet. The Gabapentin really made the pins and needles MUCH worse. I am now tapering off it. I honestly hated the drug and so far so good. I am going to ask my PCP to teleconference with me weekly so I have medical supervision. The doctor who prescribed it does not know how to get someone off medication. Withdrawal is not one size fits all.
I to believe that gabapentin is making my PN worse. What I've experienced in the 1 month since i started Gabapentin was that the PN pain - my feet are hot and feel like the skin has shrunk. Thay also feel heavy. My doctor has been increasing the dose from 100/300/300 morning/noon/bedtime to 600/600/600. On all these dosages, the pain begins around noon and continues until to fall asleep with it. When I awake 8 hrs later there is not pain! This pattern has continued since I started on Gaba. To me that says Gaba is causing the pain. My doctor started me on Gaba because I has an impacted nerve at L5/S1. I was fortunate to have surgery on March 30, 2020 that solved that problem. However because the impacted nerver will take at least another month to heal I was told to stay on the Gapabentin for the pain. Prior to the surgery I had a nerve conduction velocity test that showed I had mild PN in both legs and feet. But the pain I feel is anything but mild. Does anyone else who takes Gabapentin have symptoms like mine? Does PN pain disappear during sleep and come back during the day?
I agree...let's go for a cure not just massaging the pain and other symptoms i.e. WinSanTor is running trials on Pirenzepine which is touted as a possible reversing of nerve death and in fact, regrowing nerves! Check out their web site.
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If you don't mind me asking, what to you take or do for your PN now?