1. < Chronic Pain

Gabapentin side effects?

Posted by Sundance(RB) @sundance6, Apr 13, 2019

I am a regular on the Mayo Board! I don't know what I would do without it! Our doctors don't want to discuss openly the things about illnesses and side effets of drugs and other things. Anyway, my question to all of you is Gabapentin and it's side effects. I have been on it now for 6 months. My doctor raised me from 100mg. to now I am on 400mg. three times a day.
The problem is my tiredness! I happen to be in a friends office yesterday and she was taking some medicine. She said she was taking Gabapentin. I asked why and she said she had, had shingles back when and it still helped with the pain. I know the drug is percribed for many things that is why I take it for my issues.
I told her I had been taking it for about 6 months. She asked if I had been tired all the time, just out of the Blue. OF COURSE I SAID YES! She said it took her a year before she got out of the tiredness.
Let me know if any of you have experienced the same thing. Also let me know at what dosage you may be on? I know this is all confidential!
Again Thanks to The Mayo Clinic and Everyone who is kind enough to be open with their lives!
Sundance!

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Stephen | @wsh66 | Feb 14, 2020
In reply to @spondi64 "My Dr prescribed Gabapentin 300mg caps last Friday. I took one at bedtime & woke up..." + (show)
@spondi64

<p>My Dr prescribed Gabapentin 300mg caps last Friday. I took one at bedtime & woke up at 3:30a.m. in horrible pain. Has anyone else experenced anything like this?</p>

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Don't stand fro it. Get Lawyer and sue.

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Mentor
Rachel, Volunteer Mentor | @rwinney | Feb 14, 2020
In reply to @iceblue "Ya. I had no meaningful side effects to begin with - but here we are. I..." + (show)
@iceblue

Ya. I had no meaningful side effects to begin with - but here we are. I am disappointed because I hate the whole trial/error process of finding a medication that works.

I also wanted to comment on the effectiveness of opioids that I saw in another thread. T3's work for me, and I really wish I could find a doctor who would treat my SFN with that. I am very respectful of them and take only as needed. Honestly - I am resentful that I cannot be prescribed a med that I KNOW works and has minimal side effects if not abused, and instead am prescribed meds that 'may cause some patients to be suicidal'. Seriously. How much sense does this make? Rant over.

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I hear you and know how lucky I am to have a PCP who tusts me and prescribes an opiod.It is the only thing that helps my pain and allows me to function. And even that is not 100%...it's in addition to Lyrica, and now Nortriptyline. The nights when I have maxed my allowed number of hydrocodone and can't sleep from pain, I turn to an extra strength THC pill. Absolutely crazy.

REPLY
1 reply
lioness | @lioness | Feb 14, 2020
In reply to @iceblue "Ya. I had no meaningful side effects to begin with - but here we are. I..." + (show)
@iceblue

Ya. I had no meaningful side effects to begin with - but here we are. I am disappointed because I hate the whole trial/error process of finding a medication that works.

I also wanted to comment on the effectiveness of opioids that I saw in another thread. T3's work for me, and I really wish I could find a doctor who would treat my SFN with that. I am very respectful of them and take only as needed. Honestly - I am resentful that I cannot be prescribed a med that I KNOW works and has minimal side effects if not abused, and instead am prescribed meds that 'may cause some patients to be suicidal'. Seriously. How much sense does this make? Rant over.

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@iceblue Trial and error is what it is about as we age and now with narcs,opiods being taken off the market I just heard where Lyrica will be next . I have been fortunate that my Dr. still can give me my Tramadol I don't abuse it either . We need a new President who wont do this to us.

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3 replies
Donald | @donfeld | Feb 14, 2020
In reply to @lioness "@iceblue Trial and error is what it is about as we age and now with narcs,opiods..." + (show)
@lioness

@iceblue Trial and error is what it is about as we age and now with narcs,opiods being taken off the market I just heard where Lyrica will be next . I have been fortunate that my Dr. still can give me my Tramadol I don't abuse it either . We need a new President who wont do this to us.

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I agree for many reasons!

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Donald | @donfeld | Feb 14, 2020
In reply to @donfeld "I completely understand I just drug is a very deep dark experience. We are so desperate..." + (show)
@donfeld

I completely understand I just drug is a very deep dark experience. We are so desperate for anything that would work to help us with our pain now that they cramp down on opioids. What a shame things have turned out to be in this country for those who really need help.

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Overkill! Mainly stupidity and paranoia.

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dougsbunny | @dougsbunny | Feb 14, 2020
In reply to @spondi64 "My Dr prescribed Gabapentin 300mg caps last Friday. I took one at bedtime & woke up..." + (show)
@spondi64

<p>My Dr prescribed Gabapentin 300mg caps last Friday. I took one at bedtime & woke up at 3:30a.m. in horrible pain. Has anyone else experenced anything like this?</p>

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i have been on gabapentin for years . This is used for nerve damage (pain)

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Mentor
Rachel, Volunteer Mentor | @rwinney | Feb 14, 2020
In reply to @lioness "@iceblue Trial and error is what it is about as we age and now with narcs,opiods..." + (show)
@lioness

@iceblue Trial and error is what it is about as we age and now with narcs,opiods being taken off the market I just heard where Lyrica will be next . I have been fortunate that my Dr. still can give me my Tramadol I don't abuse it either . We need a new President who wont do this to us.

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AGREED

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Stephen | @wsh66 | Feb 14, 2020
In reply to @spondi64 "My Dr prescribed Gabapentin 300mg caps last Friday. I took one at bedtime & woke up..." + (show)
@spondi64

<p>My Dr prescribed Gabapentin 300mg caps last Friday. I took one at bedtime & woke up at 3:30a.m. in horrible pain. Has anyone else experenced anything like this?</p>

Jump to this post

It's on label use is for controlling seizure disorders. The reference to off label uses means Doctors prescribe it for other purposes but it has never been double blind tested for the off label uses. There is only anecdotal evidence that a drug may have other uses. It's how many of our drugs get to market for many different uses. It's also how minors end up being given drugs that have only been tested on adults. The latter situation is very common with antidepressants. If neurontin and Lyrica are really effective pain meds why haven't the manufacturers conducted the research to demonstrate that? I wonder...

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Stephen | @wsh66 | Feb 14, 2020
In reply to @lioness "@iceblue Trial and error is what it is about as we age and now with narcs,opiods..." + (show)
@lioness

@iceblue Trial and error is what it is about as we age and now with narcs,opiods being taken off the market I just heard where Lyrica will be next . I have been fortunate that my Dr. still can give me my Tramadol I don't abuse it either . We need a new President who wont do this to us.

Jump to this post

I'm not a fan of the current President butour problems with pain meds and the withholding of same began prior to his election. Why do you suppose the Congress and the Senate passed and President Obama signed a law forbidding the Drug Enforcement Agency from investigating the manufacturers of opioids? Primarily the Saclar family and the companies they control. This was April 2016 at the height of the deadliest drug epidemic our country has ever seen. Se the washington Post story, "The Drug Industry's Triumph Over the DEA". I believe it was because they didn't want the truth to be told about the origins of the addiction crisis in America which DID NOT start with honest Doctors and pain patients.

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1 reply
Stephen | @wsh66 | Feb 14, 2020
In reply to @rwinney "I hear you and know how lucky I am to have a PCP who tusts me..." + (show)
@rwinney

I hear you and know how lucky I am to have a PCP who tusts me and prescribes an opiod.It is the only thing that helps my pain and allows me to function. And even that is not 100%...it's in addition to Lyrica, and now Nortriptyline. The nights when I have maxed my allowed number of hydrocodone and can't sleep from pain, I turn to an extra strength THC pill. Absolutely crazy.

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What is a THC pill?

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