Gabapentin side effects?
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!
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Chronic Pain Support Group.
By the way...the mustard made me laugh!
I have/had arthritis in multiple areas and have surgeries for same. No, it isn’t fun, but I think back to how my one grandma walked sooo slowly and had to do steep stairs to use only bathroom they had. She had misshapen feet, hands, etc. I am grateful that in today’s times we have surgical and medical options! It has gotten cold and rainy and I am laying on a heating pack. Another thing they didn’t have back in her time. My spinal cord stimulator for spinal stenosis nerve pain is a god given miracle, IMO! Yay for modern medicine!
Don't Drown yourself with others misery. This whole thing is hard enough living with and coping with pain. Nothing can be improved by feeling badly about it. Find something positive to do. Do you meditate, do yoga, Tai Chi or some other form of mental exercise? They can really help. Perhaps try this. Picture your pain for our pain or everyone's pain as a person. See that person standing in front of you. Say to that person I love you and I forgive you. If it feel stupid do it again. Do it over and over until you actually mean it and you actually believe it. Do the same thing with anyone or anything that tends to depress you. This technique is really intended for dealing with your enemies, actual people you can identify but it might just work on a situation as well. If you want to know more about this kind of approach, Google Spring Forest Qigong and read a little bit about it. It can be a lifesaver.
How long have you used a spinal cord stimulator.? I my do. Is yours a tens electrode type or inplant
I would like to hear more about stimulators as have heard horror stories with battery problems and no relief. Please share
Are you telling us that you're having no pain and that you're doing normal activities or is there another side to the story because I've heard some terrible stories with stimulators and also some good ones. Please share
@wsh66 ...here are a few things along the lines you speak of. I've needed such today.
So much of this we already know but, gentle reminders help me.
@rwinney Glad you posted this a good reminder for us that use these and for those who never have for them to start .
A responsible pain clinic will give you a trial before they give you a permanent stimulator. They can test to see if you're going to be responsive to this type of therapy before you have surgery. I was tested and it was determined that a simulator would not be helpful to me. I was then tested by having a spinal tap where tiny amounts of Narcotics were leaked directly into my spinal fluid. This proved to be very successful so I had an intrathecal pain pump and catheter installed surgically in my abdomen with a catheter running up my spine. Search these haunts for wsh66 I've written extensively about the pain pump. For me, it was the way to go. Very pleased.