Gabapentin side effects

I just get groggy from Gabapentin and feel sort of slowed down. I really have to push myself to accomplish much of anything, but it sure does help with nerve pain and stiffness. I take 300 mg a day, but sometimes I can get by with two of the 100 mgs instead (I'm one who REALLY hates to take any meds whatsoever!).

Amitriptyline puts me to sleep! Even in small mgs, if I take it, I have to be lying down within about an hour and a half. Evidently, I have become very sensitive to it. However, that may be because I took it for years for chronic diarrhea (it dries out the system). I haven't taken it in a while, but used to take 50 mg.

I've had something going on with my stomach, too, but I think it's a combo of the very cold air and tightening of muscles. I don't have a fever, but have too much acid in my system. Feeling a little better today than I did for a few days, so now I wonder if it isn't some mild virus. I do have a slight dry cough and a bit of congestion. Not sure! It doesn't seem to be related to the meds, though, as I didn't take any meds for a couple of days.

Here's an odd little tip that helped my stomach:  I tuck a kitchen-type of hand towel inside the bottom of my bra and tuck the other end just inside my pants waistband.  Weird--yes!  But what it does is provide a little more warmth to the stomach area--it seemed to help, believe it or not.   And hey--nobody knew it was there except me!

Hope you're feeling better soon!!

I take 300 mg 3x/day, and can take up to an additional 700mg per day (I have 4 each of 100mg & 300mg capsules/day). When I first started, for maybe a month the 300's made me sleepy, so I only took those at night. Now I can take 600 mg's any time and I can't tell I took them except the most times it calms some of my fibro pain. I only wish it did it every time I needed extra!

I have a client, however, who says that 100mgs zonks her out for 12 hours and that she's still foggy after waking up. Just goes to show we're all different, I suppose.

luvsminis - thanks for the towel tip, might try that! :o)

Also - did you have any withdrawls from amitriptyline when you cut down? Ive been on it about 6 months at 50mg and i think its stopped working for me...it has given me a lot of mouth problems (i think) and the doc wants me to cut it out to see if its that causing it. She didnt mention about withdrawl symptoms though, I know there will be some as its an anti depressant

Shame as it worked well on my pain for a while :o(

I forgot to mention, Wackers34, that I fold the towel in half first, before I tuck it in. It does seem to help my issues, a little. At least, it softens the bands from the bra and pants, making a bit of a cushion.
Weird, but works. :)

I take 300 mg at noon and 900 in the evening. I don't notice it making me sleepy, but I suspect it may well have a part in the increase in overall spaciness that I deal with all the time; I don't know where to begin to get my stuff organized (gee, I think I might have mentioned this before :) ha ha!

Anyway, just one more drug I'd like to be off of - - but it sure does help with the nerve pain, so - - not right now.

Debbie