Neuropathy: Anyone have any experience with gabapentin?

I take gabapentin twice a day because it doesn't make me sleepy or dizzy or anything - it works - the pain subsides. I take Lyrica at night - it does make me sleepy but it also works. They don't give me any other side effects that I know of, I've been taking them since July 2018. I do not want to take prescription pain killers - they make me so sleepy I can't do anything. Peggy

hi Pfbacon, how is it you take both gabapentin and Lyrica? Does one work better than the other? you have no side effects from either? That’s great. I often wonder if I should try Lyrica, and if it would have no side effects but work as well if not better. Did the same doctor prescribe both? Thanks, Helen

Yes, my pain doctor prescribes both. We started with low doses then increased to an effective level. It took awhile. No side effects except that Lyrica makes me sleepy so I only take it at night. Peggy

@sjhedcon

I've tried every medication available for neuropathy pain as well as medications that are labeled for other kinds of pain. Gabapentin/Neurontin didn't touch my pain, so I moved on to the next one on the list. I don't remember what side effects I had with each one, but my wife tells me that it made my thinking foggy. Lyrica had such serious side effects that I was incoherent and was in the hospital for a few days. Most of the meds were just ineffective. I agree with what others have said - the list of side effects on every medication primarily covers the back of the pharmaceutical companies against lawsuits, and the list of side effects rarely happen. I read the list on every new medication warnings - they're amazingly all very similar - so I have a heads up on those remotely possible effects.

I hope that those lists don't keep you from giving meds a try. The one you pass by may be the one that's the right choice for you.

Jim

@pfbacon I know I am not allowed to provide medical advice so please don't take this as medical advice. I have been prescribed Gabapentin (which was originally an anti-epileptic drug) twice in my life: Once for Bipolar Disorder as a mood stabilizer until the medical community decided it was not effective for that usage; Once for nerve pain--it did nothing, no relief at all (but that is just my experience and may not apply to everyone). Recently, I read a medical article that questioned the safety of this drug. I know we all take medications that have many possible long-term bad side-effects, it is a quality of life decision, but given that gabapentin did not help me either time it was prescribed, I decided I would not be willing to take this drug again. Let me also tell you, and again this was only my experience, but when I took it regularly prescribed as a mood stabilizer I found I would often fall when I got out of bed at night. I consulted a doctor about this thinking the falling may be a sign of a more serious disease, and he told me that he would blame the gabapentin before suspecting another illness. I have not fallen when getting out of bed since I quit gabapentin many years ago. I was recently (as in about 3 years ago) tested for MS at the Mayo Clinic due to an abnormal brain MRI, and the test came back negative. I will not advise you whether or not to take it, only you and your doctor should make this decision. I just felt I should share my experience for your consideration. Neuropathy and chronic pain are no fun, so we each have to make the choice that we believe is best for our situation. I also take medications that cause daytime sleepiness and that is miserable too, so it is definitely a trade off.

Just curious, you don't have to answer. Is your neuropathy due to Diabetes? I think I may as a recently diagnosed Diabetic be experiencing some neuropathy.

@ilovedoodie when I was 9n gabapentin it didn't help me at all in fact for me it made it worst , everyone reacts different.I found Topricin cream works so I just use 5his and walking also is exercise for your feet ,legs ,

Yes, almost destroyed my memory! Got off it!

Different things work for different people. Please don't criticize gabapentin in any public forum. Criticism makes politicians control harder which makes it even harder for me to get. If it wasn't for gabapentin, I would have looked for something sharp to cut my wrists with. Humans can only take so much pain for so long, then, we break. I cannot live without it. I hope someone invents something that works well for you. Thanks! Peggy

I have been on 600 mg 3 times daily and Cymbalta 600 mg 2 times daily and am getting very very little improvement in my foot and leg pain from idiopathic small fiber neuropathy. I tolerate the gab with only minor memory loss. I am still looking for something to help with the pain and cold feet. I have been on different meds for about 3-4 yrs. I can sympathize with all of you going thru this terrible disease and wish I could share something positive.

My pain management doctor tried both of those medications and neither of them worked for me either. Fortunately, my pain management doctor continuously provided me with pain pills so I could still reduce the pain. I found out that not all pain management doctors will prescribe pain pills. I recently had to change pain management doctors and the first 4 doctors I tried to see said they would not take me as a patient because I was prescribe pain pills and I have been pain pills for 4 years. I recommend calling the doctor and telling them the medication is not working, you are in a lot of pain and as them what you should do about it. They are supposed to relieve you of pain.