neurontin????

Hi and welcome to the message board.

Neurontin (Gabapentin),  ., I took Gabapentin for quit some time to help with migraines. its not bad as far as side affects go , at least not for me.. just made me tired.. and of course did nothing for the migraines.. I have been instructed by my Medical insurance its a Sub for Lyrica also . we all react Diffently to Meds though.

you can check it our at Wikipedia.. I just normally type in google and search for info on my new drugs.

Best of luck ... keep in touch

ya it did help me sleep .. that was the best part of this Med..
are you starting it today ? You'll find quit a few of the Meds they want to give us say they where created to help with seizures. kinda freaked me out to start with to ..
Do you have Fibro ? and other issues ?
I have Fibro , poss. CFS . plan on having that new test Ran the XMRV .
and a bunch more stuff going on.
you have come to a good place. we have a lot of great people here , lots of good advise and positive input.. we all have our bad days. and its nice to be able to come to a place where the people really do understand what your going through.. remember you are not alone in this.. we are here to support you as much as we can.
if you like to laugh check out the soap.. as the fibro burns. its great.. one of our members writes this and shares with us., I just love it..
Great Big soft Fibro hugs.

Hi Angels...yes, some of us do feel sick when we are in a fibro flare.  Personally, I feel like I have the flu....body aches, headache and I always wonder if I have a fever but my temp is about 96.7.

The symptoms for fibro are endless and everyone describes their pain differently.  Mine is a burning , flu like ache. 

Welcome and...no post is too long on this forum so don't worry about that!

Huggies

Donna

My sick feeling isn't like a cold or flu. I know that feeling and this isn't it. It's just so hard to explain because it's something that I never felt before.

 I just don't know if I have the strength to handle another illness. I have never been this depressed before. Even when I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis and I could barely walk, I felt as if there was hope. Even when I was diagnosed with vulvodynia and suffered from intense constant burning where no woman should ever have to burn, I felt there was hope. In both cases, I found the right medication that worked for each illness.  Vulvodynia is gone and MG is under control with medication.

But I am so worried now, that I won't find anything to help with this Fibromyalgia crap. I really am not in as much pain as other people are from what I have read on here but I am afraid that one day I will be and there won't be anything to help me. Vulvodynia and Myasthenia was enough on my plate.  I am just so mad that I now have to deal with something else. What scares me most is that I won't be able to tell the fibro from the MG and my life will always be a constant state of weakness and pain.  I need my rest in order to keep MG under control but I can't sleep due what I am feeling in my body.

I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful children that I have pretty much neglected for the past 6 months because I have been sick. They don't deserve this and no matter how hard I try, I can't get my focus off of my illness and onto them. I feel so awful about that.

I'm just so scared. How can I make it? I pray to God that it won't get worse. I just don't understand what good is going to come out of me having to deal with another illness. I have never felt this hopeless. I am tired and just want to sleep again but this just won't let me.

Post Edited (Angels777) : 12/31/2009 12:04:48 PM (GMT-7)

Angels, You will find the strength to live with it because you must. I felt the same way, over-
whelmed when i found out I had MCTD (Lupus, Scleroderma and RA) along with my Fibro.
It does feel like piling on. Having multiple illnesses does complicate things but you will get to
know what is what. I have learned to differentiate my pain and flares.

In the beginning I was terribly frightened too and there are still times I do get upset and scared.
Worry will not help us. We need to focus just on today and believe thing will get better.
You will find you are stronger than what you think.

I'm sure your husband and children know that you love them. They love you too and want what
is best for you. Sending prayers and gentle hugs your way.

Hugs, Robin

Hi Shari and welcome to our family. You are not alone we are all here for you and we understand everything you are going through. We all take it one day at a time and pull together to get each other through each day.

 

Finding out I had fibro was a very hard pill for me to swallow too and I was very depressed for a long time over it, I have depression and anxiety problems as it is. Many with fibro have low serontonin and are on anti-depressants, I take amitriptyline and celexa. I was on amitriptyline when I got fibro and I do think it was helping the pain for a long time but I'm not so sure now but won't stop it to find out, tried cutting down and went into a horrible flare for two weeks.

 

When I have a bad flare I feel physically ill too like my body is fighting itself or something. It is hard to explain.

 

As hard as it is try not to stress and project yourself into the future, stress really is a fibromites worst enemy. Anytime I get upset about anything I can feel it in my body right away. I know we can't keep all stress out of our lives but we can control how we react to it some. I am a worrier by nature and I work hard on changing that. I don't stress when a flare starts anymore cause I know it can end as fast as it starts and the more relaxed I am the quicker it will end.

 

Many of us have multiple problems we are fighting. It's funny that a lot of us have auto-immune problems, gotta feeling there might be a connection there.

 

Read the fibro 101 thread it contains lots of great info and ask all the questions you want. Heat is our friend and the cold is our enemy. Can't wait to get in a nice hot massaging shower myself today.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Thanks for all the nice replies. I really do appreciate them. In my case, heat can be the enemy with Myasthenia Gravis so I am in such a quandry over this. So many meds for fibro are a no no for MG. That is why I am so upset. I don't know how I am going to survive with both of these illnesses. I am making myself sicker by worrying over this. I have spent every waking moment today thinking about my Fibro. It has taken over my mind so much that I just don't know what to do to get it out of my head. THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR ME AND I KNOW IT.  I have got to get it off of my mind but my body won't let me.

Howlyncat,

Are you saying that you had a seizure from taking neurontin??????  I'm supposed to take 100 mg at bedtime tonight for the first time. I'm really scared now.

Post Edited (Angels777) : 12/31/2009 1:41:09 PM (GMT-7)

Well, i took my first pill last night before bed. I still woke up about 4 times during the night for some reason. It wasn't really due to pain or anything. I just kept waking up but I did go back to sleep. I actually had two dreams last night so I guess I was able to get to the correct stage of sleep that my body needs. I hope that is a good sign of things to come because I haven't been able to dream in a long time.

I feel a little different right now. Kind of tired and sort of light headed. Probably just some side effects which I hope don't get worse when I take my next one tonight. I can be sensitive and a bit paranoid now to taking new medication. I am only on 100mgs of Gabapentin right now and I hope that is all I will need to calm things down for me. I hate taking new medication. I already take so many pills as it is for my various health problems. But the pain and burning in my arms has pretty much subsided which is great. I still have some heaviness in my arms and legs but that could be due to the MG. I also feel a bit calmer which is a great thing. My husband is very grateful for that!

Just wanted to let you all know how my first dose went. I may be back with more questions and I am thanking you all in advance for your responses and encouragement. Please keep me in your thoughts.

Wishing you all a Happy and HEALTHY New Year!

Shari

 

Post Edited (Angels777) : 1/1/2010 10:16:16 AM (GMT-7)

Hi Angells,
I'm happy for you that you had a good nite with the gabapentin. Just a thought here. You mentioned low vit D. Low levels of Vit D can cause a lot of muscle pain and fatigue, so some of what you are feeling might dissiptate once you get your D levels normalized. It does take a while. Also, have you had your thyroid checked? Seems like a lot of people with FM are also hypothyroid and if you are low in thyroid, that can also cause fatigue and muscle pain. My doctor told me that the gabapentin takes a while to build in your system, so as you continue on it, it will hopefully help you even more with your sleep. I do understand your frustration but as others have said, stress can really trigger more pain and fatigue for us, so try not to stress over this. I know that is easier said than done. You might want to check into Yoga, or meditation, some kind of relaxation. It won't cure you, but it will certainly help.
Gentle hugs,
Miriam

Angels, hi and welcome to the fibro family! I take 1500mg of gabapentin, up from my initial dose of 900mg that started last February. Everybody is different - I have found that mine works best for me if I take it with my dinner, and then will get sleepy a few hours later. My rheumatologist told me that gabapentin was the precursor to Lyrica. I take gabapentin, Cymbalta, tramadol for pain, and flexeril. I also have migraines, and used to take topamax which is good also for seizures. Others on this forum have other diagnoses besides fibro, so they will have good advice for you as well.

I can really, really feel my pain levels shoot up as soon as I go a day without the gabapentin. I also started with nortryptaline, which worked for a few days and then like you, started giving me insomnia. Now I take 120mg Cymbalta, which doesn't seem to do harm, but I can't tell if it does any good because I am also depressed. Ah, our lovely fibro world.   Just don't cause yourself undue worry because your body will feel it- fibro causes magnified response to stress and other regular stimuli. Back in February when I was diagnosed, I was falling-down tired and crying every day from pain and fatigue. I am in my first realy major flare since then and I know that hopeless feeling you have. I know that with me, a lot of that feeling comes from fatigue. Be kind to yourself, let yourself rest when you need it, and we are here for you. This is a really nice place to 'talk.'

Shari
A lot of people start at or get moved up to 600 mg three times a day, but many others get along just fine on 100 mg at bedtime or, like me, 100 mg three times a day. Once a day was good, but for me, three times a day made even more difference. I can't figure out why docs prescribe huge doses right off the get-go. (Mine Rx'd 300 mg to start and, as a former pharmaceutical rat lab tech trained in observing reactions, I saw this was way too much for me!)
It really does make a difference, helps, if you take gabapentin an hour or so before bedtime if you are on once a day. It helps with getting to sleep.
If you decide you need it more often, make sure if it is three times a day that you actually take the doses 8 hours apart. Breakfast, lunch and bedtime is NOT 8 hours apart.

I don't know why, after you get used to this drug, the bedtime dose helps with sleep and a morning dose doesn't make most people sleepy. Maybe there is something about pain relief that helps with getting to sleep. I do know, from my experience, that the AM dose cuts my pain about an hour after I take it. This means it is being metabolized into the effective compound. (Things that are not metabolized into the active form start working in just a few minutes.)

For many years I have kept a log of my reactions to meds (also foods) including the time taken and the dosage. It has helped me keep track of the many meds (and foods) I don't tolerate. I carry a typed page of my med intolerances and another for foods. I have it on a mini cruzer thingy, but docs still prefer paper. I have a notebook on the kitchen counter, highlight in red bad reactions. The log also helps me keep track of when I take my meds, so I don't double dose or simply forget doses. This was first suggested by my allergist, and it worked well enough for me to figure out I am sensitive to sulfites (not sulfa or sulfates).