Can Gabapentin make neuropathy pain worse?

I fear we are endorsing pills when both the doctors and the patients do not have a good handle on what the meds can do to help our bodies, both good and bad. I personally have some neuropathy which comes and goes, and I am working on cause and effect without pills right now until I can find some causes that I can change to effect the pain. It seems to be trial and error here and some are desperate for a breakthrough in pain relief. I remember years ago being so desperate with pain I wanted to cut my arm off or shoot myself, but I had no gun and I refused to be a loser and quit. I finally was sent to a therapist who pushed and pulled until the pain was gone. Insurance did not pay at the time, and the problem returned, but the pills I took had serious side affects and I finally left that doctor.
There has to be safer methods to try and different doctors who can help without destroying our minds in the process. I don't have an answer today but I keep searching for us all, and I feel your pain and frustration. God keep us safe in the process. Dorisena

@sunnyflower
Are you sensitive to all meds Sunny? I'm surprised the side effects haven't eased up some.
I still have some pain but don't take any pain medication any longer unless I get a kidney stone. Then I load up big time. I have some sort of pain syndrome but if I take it easy it’s not bad. I also have shoulder pain caused from dislocations and surgeries from falling during seizures.

@ali1974
I’ve taken lots of seizure medications over the last 52 years, up to 30 a day. I guess I'm used to them. I only feel a little drowsiness when my meds are increased but that goes away eventually.
Take care,
Jake

Hi Jake,
I am sensitive to a lot of meds but not all of them.
Wow, you've been through so much! I guess we all have.
Take care, Sunny

I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one that has experienced this problem with Gamapentin. I began taking this medication several months ago for a pinched nerve in my back, and I have found that as I’ve increased the dosage, my pain has also increased. The other day when I began to notice blurred vision, nausea, confusion and some other negative side effects I completely quit taking gamapentine, to my surprise my pain has subsided. I’m not recommending that anyone go against their doctors recommendation however, I do believe that the medical community needs to better address the opioid epidemic versus putting individuals suffering from pain on alternative medications just as rapidly as they did opioids.

Hello @mccamankk, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thanks for sharing your experience with Gabapentin. You mention when you stopped taking Gabapentin that your pain subsided. Did you also notice a difference in your other symptoms after stopping Gabapentin?

Yes, the negative side effects ceased. My lower back still hurts but not not near the the extent that it was, it was a terrible painful now nightmare!

Hi John.. My first experience with Gabapentin didn't help at all.. BUT.. I was also taking Magnesium at the same time..
Now that I've been on Gabapentin again, without also taking Magnesium... it is a real blessing that it helps so much.. I do take around 1800 mg/day and my doctor said that is about the maximum dose that is effective.. It does have a half life of around 6 hours, so I take it that often.. Night time for me requires 3 pills to keep me pain free for those 6 hours and I can sleep well at that.. Otherwise my feet wake are in way too much pain for any rest.. Just a bit more info.. Magnesium cancels out the Gabapentin!

I had some neuropathy and leg cramps but they went away without any pills for pain, because I couldn't tolerate the pills, including gabapentin. My sister took Neurontin and only got worse because she would not control or change her eating patterns. My improvement has come with a low carb diet and some exercise, but not enough due to my back surgery. My question to those who are relying on doctor recommended meds, what are you eating? Have you seen any improvement with diet changes? Have you seen a nutritionist or studied all the nutritional information that is available on the web for help? Is there something else going on, such as a pinched nerve or spinal stenosis that may cause pain? I know what pain suffering is like, as my arthritis in my knees and back affected me for many years until I yielded to surgery. I learned about inflammation and am much improved, but wish I had begun the eating changes earlier in my life.
I urge those who rely on pills, which do not cure, to consider diet which can decrease issues immensely in time. Dorisena

@hotfooted
Neurontin never had any effect on my Neuropathy or my Seizures up to the then considered max dose. As far as your doctor stating1,800mg a day is the maximum dose he is mistaken. Although that may well be the most effective dose for you it’s not true for everyone. Like I said It wasn’t until my brother started taking 3,600mg that he got any significant relief. 3,600mg was the maximum dose but I believe it’s been raised to over 5,000mg but that doesn’t mean others don’t take more. I knew someone who took 7,000 mg. Neurontin/Gabapentin is a drug that can be increased as long as the person is able to tolerate any side effects. I admit 1,800mg is often the highest dose that most doctors are willing to give for Neuropathy however to say it is the maximum dose is definitely inaccurate.
Take care,
Jake

@mccamankk
i’m glad to hear you’re feeling better but all the side effects you mentioned are very common for many of the seizure medications. Depending on the severity of your side effects they normally would have eased up if not gone completely away within a few months. Many people are unable to tolerate them that long however.
Take care,
Jake