Can Gabapentin make neuropathy pain worse?

Posted by cwallen9 @cwallen9, Apr 16, 2019

I started getting peripheral neuropathy pain about nine months ago in my feet and hands right after I received a cervical steroid injection. I started taking gabapentin about 7 months ago. I have gradually increased my dose from 100 mg a day to 1500 mg. I can't say that it has decreased my pain at all. In fact, my pain has gotten steadily worse. I was just wondering if it is possible that gabapentin can sometimes make neuropathy pain worse. My EMG and biopsy results are negative for short fiber neuropathy so far.

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Profile picture for cameron2020 @cameron2020

I've asked my doctor about letting me have drug holidays from each drug I'm on to see if I still need then all.

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@cameron2020, I may be too motherly with this comment. However, if your medications need to be carefully tapered off, you may not want to go chose to take a holiday from those. And some will need you to build up your acceptance of them when and if you return to that medication. Be careful......tapering off meds is tedious and takes quite a bit of time. Also, some meds you take are for maintenance, e.g. kidney meds. You may not want to upset the apple cart with those if you include them in you study.

Good luck to you and be careful.
Chris

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I have just started gabapentin (300 mg, 3 x day) for peripheral neuropathy and find my neuropathy gets triggered for about thirty minutes every time I take a pill.

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Profile picture for mictim @mictim

Lisa,

For myself Gabapentin made my PN worse and made my arms jump and twitch basically controllable, as soon as I quite taking it that was gone.

I can see where some people would benefit from Gabapentin or Pregablin (Lyrica types), but it is not for me.

I do feel that Pharma and the medical community really needs to look at less use of single molecule (man made) internal drug therapy of treating PN, as people are getting tired of treating only symptoms of PN. It maybe that possibly incorporating some of the eastern primary as an more interrogative approach maybe a benefit. Less Opiates (new FDA rules) is good, but at least give us a quality replacement for PN. PN is within the reachable sub-dermal regions even in the feet (dead skin layers) therefore a topical pain relief treatment approach should be very beneficial for people with PN, at least that is my view after living with PN for ~15 years.

Off my soap box, the answer for myself is Gabapentin and Pregablin (Lyrica) simply made things far worse, as it seem to affect the whole CNS and not the PN issue.

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I agree...let's go for a cure not just massaging the pain and other symptoms i.e. WinSanTor is running trials on Pirenzepine which is touted as a possible reversing of nerve death and in fact, regrowing nerves! Check out their web site.

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Yes, @cwallen9, gabapentin can make neuropathy worse. At least it did for me. Had neuropathy in my hand due to nerve damage in shoulder. On gabapentin, my lower arm and hand were on fire. Eventually, I couldn’t even get out of bed. When I finally stopped it, I went back to ‘normal’. Eventually, luckily, my neuropathy resolved on its own over time with physical therapy. Wishing you the best of luck.

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I have been taking Gabapentin for about 8 years for fibromyalgia and I now have neuropathy. I have tightness in my toes and feet. So far I have no pain and I hope it stays that way. Is the Gabapentin helping I hope so, but I do not know, but I will never go off it as I am afraid if I do, then I could t get pain. I am taking 2400mg a day.

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I too have severe pain in my feet the Gabapentin is hit-or-miss for me. I can take one tablet and it eases my pain in my feet and everything is fine and then the next 8 hours I can take another tablet and now I've got all these shock/burning 🔥 sensations in my butt in my legs and my arms and my chest. I just don't know I've tried to adjust my dosage and I just can't seem to get it right

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I've taken Gabapentin for the past 6 years for PN (left eyebrow/lid). It seems every few months its effectiveness decreases. Options? -- It seems I've tried them all while avoiding the scams proliferating the Web.
I have not ruled out opioids.

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Profile picture for flaco505 @flaco505

I've taken Gabapentin for the past 6 years for PN (left eyebrow/lid). It seems every few months its effectiveness decreases. Options? -- It seems I've tried them all while avoiding the scams proliferating the Web.
I have not ruled out opioids.

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Welcome @flaco505, I'm sorry to hear that the gabapentin is helping less and less for you as the months go by. You are right, there are a lot of scams out there trying to get your money and it's wise to do your research.

Is it just you left eyebrow and eyelid affecte by PN? Do you mind sharing a little more about your diagnosis and symptoms?

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Damaged nerves are almost entirely limited to the left eyebrow /lid. I lost @ 25% of the vision in that eye but am aware that it could have been worse. Tylenol or similar do nothing for me. Aspercreme is somewhat useful, but it migrates and seeps into the eye socket. I've received conflicting advice on whether having the new vaccine would be worthwhile. It amazes me how over the years Farma has shown no interest in helping those with PN.

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Profile picture for flaco505 @flaco505

Damaged nerves are almost entirely limited to the left eyebrow /lid. I lost @ 25% of the vision in that eye but am aware that it could have been worse. Tylenol or similar do nothing for me. Aspercreme is somewhat useful, but it migrates and seeps into the eye socket. I've received conflicting advice on whether having the new vaccine would be worthwhile. It amazes me how over the years Farma has shown no interest in helping those with PN.

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@flaco505 - I found some information that sounds like your symptoms and was wondering if your doctor mentioned the supraorbital nerve damage as the cause. It does mention surgery as a possibility for treatment.

The Supraorbital Nerve: Anatomy, Function, and Treatment: https://www.verywellhealth.com/supraorbital-nerve-5084917

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