Posted 1/26/2014 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
I was recently put on Gabapentin by my rheumatologist (he suspects I have fibro). I was on Plaquenil for about 2 years for osteoarthritis, but stopped taking due to the constant nausea the last year that I just couldn't handle any longer. The past six months I have had excruciating pain in my hips, knees, wrists, and shoulders. Some days it felt like muscular pain other days it felt like deep bone pain (most mornings I get out of bed and sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies cereal, I snap, crackle, pop all the way to the kitchen). My rheumatologist also told me to start taking Vitamin D again, after I stopped it about 9 months ago following a visit to the ER where the nurse told me to stop taking it (I don't remember why).
I started Gabapentin three weeks ago. The first week was amazing; pain free and I felt happy, two things I about forgot how they felt. I had minor side effects (dry mouth, swelling of my left hand) and fatigue and forgetfulness but nothing any worse than what I normally experience. Week two, dry mouth disappeared, still sort of happy, but no desire to go any where or do anything. The numbness in my left hand spread intermittently to my left arm and leg, even the left side of my face. I also started the vitamin D in week two. Halfway through week two I had a terrible migraine (haven't had one in about three months). I called my RH Dr. and he said to cut the Gabapentin dose in half for the next week and to call him back.
I felt the after effects of the migraine for three days, worse I have had it in years. After a little goggling I found out that magnesium deficiencies cause migraines (in all my years of suffering through them NO ONE ever told me that). The migraine hit the day after my period ended, and I found out that your period depletes your body of magnesium, and Gabapentin also lowers your magnesium levels. I further discovered you can't take a magnesium supplement when your magnesium is low because the supplement will lower your levels more. You have to eat food rich in magnesium to get your levels up, and then take the supplement to help keep the levels up. On day three I went out and bought bananas and almonds ate a good dinner, woke up the next morning and felt human again.
I am afraid to go back to the original dose of Gabapentin (2 100mg pills three times a day) I don't want another migraine and three days of hell.