@ Yes, you are correct. I am on Gabapenten. I take 600mgs at suppertime and again 600mgs at bedtime or a little bit sooner. When I wake up in the morning I do not have the foggy brain. This medication does about 85 percent og the job for the pain. I have only been on this for about 2 months. Hope it continues. Peach414144

@artscaping

Since you're taking 900 mg of Gabapentin all at once, I'm wondering if you are having any side effects? I was taking 300 mg twice a day, but I began losing my memory and couldn't think straight. I thought I was getting alzheimers at first. In fact, I volunteered to participate in a research study at UC IRVINE for alzheimers prevention. I didn't qualify because I didn't have the brain plaques they were looking for in the subjects. I was really worried for a while. It wasn't until I withdrew from the Gabapentin that I felt like a regular, thinking person again.

I hope the Gabapentin is working for you as it didn't work for my pain. Thanks Chris

Gail
Volunteer Mentor

@wsh66

Yes, I had to sign a contract too. I had told the pain doctor I used marijuana since it's legal in California. He told me the same thing you were told and I had drug tests every 6 months. I've never been drug tested before in my life. I passed because I made a commitment not to do other drugs or marijuana. When I make a commitment, I keep it. Of course he didn't know that. I waited until I was not having much pain and was withdrawing from Tramadol before I used it. I don't plan to see the pain doctor again, and I was successfully dismissed from his care. I recommend if anyone is going to try Marijuana, they need to discuss it with their doctors first.

Gail
Volunteer Mentor

I was also concerned from that Cymbalta I took It made me think I had Alzheimer's

@gailb Within an hour after taking the 900 mg of gabapentin about 9:30 pm, the needle like pain in my hands is nearly if not totally gone. I feel no foggy brain. Once in a while when chatting with friends I have what I call a senior moment but I have had those for several years. I am 76 and need all of my brain power. My neurologist did eliminate the morning 300 mg dose and add it to the night meds. I use medical marijuana during the day for pain control.

It's like I said your body knows what helps but for others it's something different if it works for you great I'm glad each of us has to find what works for them There,s no same solution for all.

I've talked with doctors about this issue, and specifically about taking larger doses. The best answer I received is that so called "addiction" becomes a problem when tolerance sets in (the drug stops working) and then we get to go through increasingly difficult responses to going off the drug. Oh yes, then we get to try out other drugs to see what will work in its place. Sometimes I feel like a lab rat. We all know that the final phase of a drug trial is when it is turned loose on the general population. Nevertheless, I would be devastated to be cut off from the drugs I take, given my pain level. This is why I am on the search for complimentary therapies, such as yoga, chiropractic care, and laser treatment. Love & blessings are helpful too!

I don't like it either. An emergency room nurse told me they don't use it cause I makes the patients feel sicker.

I cut my Gabapentin down to 200mg this morning and will probably stay with this for a couple of weeks. When I first started I took only one for the stinging in my hands and it worked. I no longer have the stinging, but the doctor suggested I might try upping the dosage to help with the pain of my herniated disc, but I didn't see where it helped.

Glad to here this strategy is helping .This is what the Dr told me ,it takes your body 2weeks to adjust then if it helps adjust again good luck