Can Gabapentin make neuropathy pain worse?

Hi, I have peripheral neuropathy, mainly feet, stopped gabapentin and was switched to pregabalin, 150 mg 3 times a day, and have had no episodes since I started, No more serious itching and hot needles in my feet, just absolutely normal, Also have had quad bypass in 1980, rot oblation, stents, and stents, and lately heart failure and permanent A Fib.....Still clicking along but trying to find out why calve muscles hurt so much that I can not walk far. Feels like claudication, but doctors say it is not, so am at a loss. But back to Pregabalin, it has been a godsend. Terry PS forgot to say it is sold under brand name Lyrica

Great to see your post @ch665296f. I find your comments important. And your questions are now my questions. I use 600 mg of Gabapentin at night for the tingle tangles in my hands and feet. I don't know about lumbar spinal stenosis and its possible impact on bladder issues. However, @jenniferhunter may have an important response. She will get back to you soon.

I am just wondering if you have ever explored "sling surgery" for incontinence. Let me know if you have and how it worked for you.

May you be safe, protected, and free from inner and outer harm.
Chris

Thanks for the info. I would like to try dupixent and would like to take you up on finding contact.
Ira

@ch665296f Thanks Chris @artscaping for inviting me into this conversation. The simple answer is that spinal stenosis with spinal cord compression can cause incontinence. I had cervical cord compression, and the anesthesiologist who was doing an epidural injection for me told me that compression of the spinal cord in the neck can cause bowel and bladder dysfunction and incontinence. He said if that happened, it was an urgent situation to talk to a spine surgeon to prevent the damage from becoming permanent. I was looking to see where nerves to control the bladder exit the spinal cord, and that is in the sacral area. If you have central canal stenosis in the lumbar area above this, it may contact the same tract in the spinal cord because these nerve axons are very long with nerve cells that connect in a chain and are mapped to their function to get all the way to the organ they service, in this case, the bladder. It's likes a bundle of wire that makes a cable and you can damage that same internal wire at the top end of the cable or lower down and cause the same effect.

I apologize for the late response as I was away from Connect for awhile participating in an art related function. I don't have experience taking Gabapentin. I was looking for research about Gabapentin and found this study that says incontinence can be a rare side effect of Gabapentin. Wow. I didn't know this. Here is the link:

From the National Library of Medicine:
"Gabapentin-Induced Urinary Incontinence: A Rare Side Effect in Patients with Neuropathic Pain"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4553197/

I hope that helps. Have you discussed this with your doctor to see if there may be something else you can take other than Gabapentin to manage your condition? A pharmacist may also be a good resource for this question, and then you can take the answer to your physician.

Good evening @irajoyce. Boy......you have been bothered by the "itch" for quite some time. What are you using now? Let me see if I can help you with some contact information. And the second question......do you currently see a dermatologist for the itching? I think you will need to have a dermatologist present your case to the Dupixent folks. It did take some time. We had to try other treatments, like heavy-duty ointments. Some were for the face, others for the arms. Some were very strong with limited use instructions. I have tried them all. When it got really bad, I had to have testosterone.

My dermatologist presented my case to the Dupixent folks. After submitting the proof, they accepted me as a patient. In fact, I just gave myself an injection this evening. You self-inject every two weeks in alternating thighs. There is no pain or discomfort.

Here is the contact information. http://www.dupixent.com. Phone: 844 387-4936. You cam speak with medical professionals and they are very helpful. This is Step 1. Step 2 is to fund the purchase. Dupixent is prepared in a Speciality pharmacy in Maryland. It must be packed in ice and kept refrigerated until you are ready to inject. There are two pens in every box.

I have not had any irritation at the injection area and no side effects.

The other issue that may arise is the Co-pay. Are you on Medicare? For some reason, Dupixent is not on the Medicare formulary so you have to request an exception. There is a form to complete and submit. My daughter helped with all of this for me because she has spent 30 years helping dental patients with their insurance issues.

You may also have to prove that Social Security will reject classifying you as a low-income candidate. If they don't then you will receive assistance. If they do, then the Dupixent company will review your request for what is called Dupixent My Way.

The health folks at Dupixent also have Zoom meetings to discuss and attempt to resolve any issues. I know this probably sounds like a lot of work, and it is. However, it is worth the effort.

Please check in with me if you decide to pursue this product. I will always help as much as I can.

May you be safe, protected, and free from inner and outer harm.
Chris

Dear Chris
Thank you for your information regarding Dupitrex. It was thoughtful and informative. I will keep you informed if I go this route. So far I have managed with various doses of Gabapentin but like most I am super tired even if I just use it before bed. I read from one guest that it goes away. True??

@irajoyce Are you asking if the fatigue that might be caused by Gabapentin goes away? If so, I’ll tell you that my experience is that your body adjusts however it’s going to after a certain amount of time. I’ve been on it 6 years, it probably took about 6 months for me to know my new “normal” from the medicine. I don’t get dopey and I don’t need a nap because of it. I’m down about 8 hours a night with hopes to log 7 hrs of sleep, though I sit and read a lot during the day because my PN disability limits activity; my body is fatigued but not because of the medicine, it’s due to the extra effort required for me to do things and the recovery my muscles and body need. Though maybe I sense the drug adds a little brain fog, my memory is pretty much intact. That’s my experience with Gabapentin anyway. Everybody reacts differently.
If you’re asking about whether Gabapentin helps with itch and makes it go away eventually, for me it’s NO! It doesn’t help me at all. My itchiness is absolutely nothing like @artscaping had had the experience with. For now I’m tolerating it with Lipikar lotion, but I have been following Chris for ideas along the way and the steps to take if it gets worse, and have regarded her as the expert on this unfortunate part of the journey for a lot of folks. I hope you get resolution soon!

I took lyrica for a year for night pain. Sunday I had bad pins and needles from it. Tried some gabapentin last night and it was worse. This class of meds is hard to take for some.

When I switched from Gabapentin to Lyrica there was a rebound effect from stopping Gabapentin cold turkey.

Lyrica does not seem to be as effective so far for me.

Also how do you know the “pins and needles” are from medication and not just PN progression?