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"Electric" sort of pain or pricklies...fibro or med side effect?

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Posted 6/26/2015 5:00 AM (GMT 0)
Sometimes it's like a needle lightly pricking the skin; sometimes it's like a cold feeling; sometimes it's more electric socket prick feeling. I've had the latter a couple times last 15 secs or so, I think in my foot and hand. But they all can be all over.
And I mean all over--not in the sense every part of my skin is covered, but just a few at a time, here and there. Even in my eye, ear, teeth and in 'private' areas.

Can this be a side effect of Gabapentin? My reg doc thinks it's not, that it's part of 'fibro'; my ND thinks it's side effect. I just want it GONE. It affects my mood, my anxiety, it can be hard to work or concentrate.
Posted 6/26/2015 11:07 AM (GMT 0)
Hi phixgrrri,

I've learned through the years not to completely trust my doctors when it comes to medications.

Did these symptoms begin when you started taking Gabapentin?

I was on Gabapentin for a short time and it caused big time leg spasms with me. With my mother-in-law it caused her legs to give out from under her.

Here's a reputable link to the side effects of this med:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/gabapentin-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20064011

We need to be our own best detectives when it comes to using medications and not fully rely on our doctors. I was told by my rheumatologist that I'm medication sensitive after trying me on many varieties for my fibro. She said most people with fibro are medication sensitive.

Post Edited (almost medfree) : 6/26/2015 5:17:11 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/26/2015 11:26 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, I agree with almost Medfree. If you noticed these symptoms after taking the med, then it could be the meds.

I have not taken Gabapentin myself, but have tried to describe my pain as "electrical shock" at times. Fibro is confusing for me.
Posted 6/26/2015 12:23 PM (GMT 0)
I get "electric" pain regularly, but for me it started before the meds and the gabapentin is the only thing that helps. I'm with others in that if it started after the med I'd give serious consideration to it being a side effect. Only problem is that gabapentin can be hard to get off of.
Posted 6/26/2015 1:06 PM (GMT 0)
Pretty common with any drug that targets the central nervous system - called parathesia
Posted 6/26/2015 2:42 PM (GMT 0)
Forgot to mention while I had this mildly on the drugs it was total torture for about 14 months once I stopped taking them - some people have no withdrawal but mine was hell
Posted 6/27/2015 9:38 PM (GMT 0)
Well it's not typical parathesia as it's not pins and needles. It's a usually subtle electrical shocky prick feeling. And the pricks are not all in one place--its one here, one there.
My regular doc said I could try going down on gaba (my idea) a bit. Or switch to Lyrica (he said I could just stop gaba and go right to lyrica w/out any weaning--which I'm scared to do).
I've gone down from 300 to 200 of gaba for 2 days now.
Posted 6/28/2015 3:53 AM (GMT 0)
I know antidepressants are well known for shocks so maybe other CNS drugs can do it also
Posted 6/28/2015 5:23 AM (GMT 0)
I agree w the Peers here. If it began w new GABA med, then that's your answer. I used to have electic, creepy crawly, water feelings but only in arms, fingers shoulders and in general the larger muscles that are used most often, I called them kisses but they weren't nice; generally meant spasm in muscle was about to begin.
I absolutely can't tolerate GABA, Lyrica, noratriptylne (sp) ect. And while I am fairly certain it's my fight or flight stuck on fight, creating a dysfunction in my brain wiring, my belief in the true fixing of fibro from these meds is out. However, I think that anything that helps any one of us is welcome.
I hope you advocate for yourself about this. Research symptoms and point out that we react in odd and individual ways to meds.
Let us j
Know what happens and what you discover
Bk
Blessings
Posted 6/28/2015 10:59 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for those replies. I can certainly see why my doc would think what he does. Like you, my ND thinks its the med.
After listening to an interview with a peripheral nerve surgeon explaining how sugar could be the cause of fibro (among many other things), I'm thinking it very well may be the fibro causing this. I know both meds can cause it as well.

I'm curious though...when you first thought you might have fibro, was it symptoms that stayed consistent or did new ones keep appearing? For me new ones keep coming--so it's hard whether or not to attribute it to the med or not. B/c they started ON the med...but maybe that's coincidence?

Btw, that interview I spoke of I linked to in the "diet and food discussion'. I think it's really worth hearing. I hope it doesn't get taken down as its only meant to relay info esp important with our 'condition'.
Posted 6/30/2015 8:06 AM (GMT 0)

phixgrrrl said...

I'm curious though...when you first thought you might have fibro, was it symptoms that stayed consistent or did new ones keep appearing? For me new ones keep coming--so it's hard whether or not to attribute it to the med or not. B/c they started ON the med...but maybe that's coincidence?

The reason I went to a doctor at first was pain. My knees and feet hurt a lot, and the first person I saw attributed the knee pain to Osgood–Schlatter disease, but when that condition subsided while the pain worsened, I went to another person with blood tests, who found everything normal, and referred me to the doctor who diagnosed fibromyalgia. With time the pain worsened more, then my back started hurting, headaches began, and for about one year my symptoms have remained more or less the same. I was diagnosed in 2012, around the week I turned 16. To answer your question: your symptoms can change with time, and they may worsen, but this does not mean it will happen for sure.

I hope this is helpful.
Posted 7/1/2015 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I started getting the electric shock and pin prick feelings a few months after my symptoms initially started. I still get them every now and then. Sometimes it just feels like my entire body's nerves are just buzzing which is this weird coldish pain type of feeling. I've noticed that one more so when it's cold and rainy outside. Oh - and I'm not on any meds and haven't been.
Posted 7/4/2015 2:27 AM (GMT 0)
phix, I have that electric feeling all over a lot. I think it's just part of fibro mess for me. I've had that inside nervous feeling many years, before I was diagnosed with The Mess (wha' I call fibromyalgia). I take one tramadol every morning, one cymbalta every night for The Mess. That routine helps me cope. I still have the random electric feelings though. Reckon I'll just keep learning to live with that. I used to think that's the way every human being felt.
Posted 7/4/2015 10:11 AM (GMT 0)
I can relate to what's being said in here and I see it like this for myself:

My body was OVERWHELMED through the years due to my poor diet, my toxic environment both physically and emotionally, and having to overdo--being expected to do too much. My fibromyalgia symptoms gradually worsened and my number of fibro symptoms increased.

Some of this I contribute to the many prescription meds I was encouraged to take. Thankfully, after a time, I was assertive enough to not believe everything my doctors were saying about my need to take these meds. And I'm grateful to have a rheumatologist that recognized my sensitivity to some of them.

During these past few years, since I've cleaned up my lifestyle in every way possible including surrounding myself with supportive people with big hearts, this is not the case. I am not becoming worse. I am making small improvements and making strides to become more positive.

Happy 4th! I wish the best for you all.

Post Edited (almost medfree) : 7/4/2015 4:16:05 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/7/2015 8:08 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your replies. I had really hoped it was the med. I still dont really know.
I've lived with a wonderful mom but very controlling, unempathic dad my whole life. My mom died in Dec so it's just me and my dad. I dont make enough money to move out. And my "IBS" has been acting up bad since maybe November. I was dx'ed with Fibro I think beg. of this year. I had symptoms of it last year and I thought it was due to me stopping my calcium (since it felt like bone pain). It went away for a bit but then came back, even after I went back on the calcium.
Posted 7/7/2015 9:18 PM (GMT 0)
So sorry to hear about your mom, phix.

I hope you have some supportive people in your life besides our forum.

All the best.
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