Gabapentin side effect, feeling lost in space: How long will it last?

1000% AGREE!!
Something has to change.
Like everything, someone puts a bomb in their shoe, and millions have to take off
their shoes to board a flight, too many examples to list!!

After hip replacement I was prescribed Gabapentin…I visited my Primary Dr complaining of my inability to “think straight”, and I agree with your “lost in space” description. She immediately told me to stop the drug, and never take it again. It has that effect. Why oh why do they even prescribe it!!!

I agree with you that getting painkillers is difficult. You have to remember though, not all doctors believe in the same thing. To get the pain management doctor I have now I had to go to a physical therapist for rigorous testing. It put me into a few day flare-up without anyway to get out of it. I built trust over a couple appointments and had an open conversation before I explained about the severity of pain. I'm on a pain contract now because of this opioid crisis, and it's understandable because he is CYA-mode. In my opinion, if you don't have a doctor who will prescribe what is needed, go find another one.

@aquamarine4220 I really appreciated your comments.

Gabapentin is not a pain medication per se. It was developed as a seizure drug, but has been used “off label “ as an effective treatment for diabetic neuropathic pain. One way Gabapentin works for pain is through sleep. Deep sleep (stage 4 sleep) is necessary for the release of growth hormone, which mediates the pain threshold. So the way Gabapentin aids pain control is by raising the pain threshold through deep sleep. It is most effective for the pain relief of diabetic neuropathic pain. This action is probably through another mechanism rather than the improvement in sleep.

Every new doctor I have seen the last 10 years mentioned Gabopentin as a solution to my neuropathy. Tried it 4 times. Three times during extended hospital stays with no help. This drug was designed to help with epilepsy and its usage has been over prescribed to help with a myriad of problems that were not originally intended by the drug company. Drug companies love to recoup research expenses by pushing alternative uses. No question people have had success with the drug for problems other than epilepsy but in my opinion this is far from a miracle drug. Neurofeedback is the future of pain management not drugs. Our brain has trouble understanding pain. Neurofeedback which is in its infancy in some major hospitals basically reprograms the brain to send positive signals to our damaged nerves.

After trying gabbapentin off and on for almost 10 years, I couldn’t deal with the side effects. I talked with my doctor almost 6 months ago. She gave me the name of an OTC med and how to take it. I checked with Mayo and they were good with patients trying it along with Dr Scholls compression knee socks. The medication is Alph Lipoic Acid, twice a day 600mg a day and give it a week. I totally stopped the Neuropathy and the medication worked great. I do have one place on the outside of my left leg that burns occasionally so I put the socks on for about an hour. It really works for me!

I took gabapentin for years at the highest dose possible. Then it began to cause nerve pain in my feet. I became suspicious so I weaned off it and sure enough the neuropathy went away. I’ve tried to use it a couple of times but the nerve pain would come back in my feet. It was helping with my pain but the burning pain in my feet isn’t worth it. My doctors say that it is very unusual. I also can not take Lyrica either.