Gralise and Fibromyalgia

I have searched and found a few threads mentioning this medicine, but they are all very old. Hence my new post.

My pain specialist has just written me a scrip for this. It is a gabapentin, which is the same as Neurotin. She has indicated that it helps with fibro pain. However, I am very skeptical of taking this medicine. First and foremost because it is Neurotin, and I have never heard anything good about that drug. My BIL was on it and almost killed himself (in fact, did shoot his leg off). I suffer from clinical depression and have for years. So before I take it, I want to know a bit more from those that have, or are, using it, and how well it really worked for you with your FM.

Thanks!

Hi, and welcome! I'm so glad you decided to join our group. We have good members who love to help one another and, as a bonus, we really do care about each other too. I think you will like it here.

Quite a few members take gabapentin with no problems and do get good results most of the time. Maybe, if the pills can be cut in half, you can try it slowly. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about this first. I do not take this medication so I'm m no expert about it.

I use ibuprofen with food, Tylenol, magnesium malate, vitamin D 3, and a muscle relaxer called Robaxin that has made a significant difference in my pain. I also walk daily and pace myself when doing things. All of the above help me be in control of my pain.

Be sure to read Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum. There is a ton of info there andnyou will learn a lot.

M looking forward to getting to know you better. Don't hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you. Hope to hear more from you soon.

Sherrine

Thanks, all.

Sherrine, I can no longer take ibuprofen. I have taken so much over the past few years that I have damaged my kidneys, showing stage 2. Because I have GERDS, all the tylenol and aspirin eat my stomach, causing me horrible pains. So I do take an opiate at this time. I'll have to post a "get to know me" post with all the my issues, lol.

DMB and Couchtater, do you treat your depression with anti-depressants?

Yes, I take paxil.

Good morning!

I started with gabapentin and then my doctor put me on Gralise-- which is time released gabapentin. I felt better.

At one time the insurance company didn't want to pay so I went back on gabapentin.I could tell the difference. My doctor put me back on Gralise and I noticed a huge difference.

No side affects at all for me. I have been on it for probably 7 years now.

Fibromyalgia is such a tricky malady. There actually have been no drugs,diet or supplements that have been proven effective if you actually check the research--- but there is always something that works for someone! That's the frustration.

So try. in the end you have to way more quality of life against your drug fear. After a while it became very clear for me.

I take 1800 milligrams daily. You only take it once a day after your evening meal.
I also take cymbalta,zanaflex and Percocet.

Hoping for the best for you-- one moment at a time.
Lizzy

Post Edited (Lizzy55) : 3/11/2017 7:51:09 AM (GMT-7)

I have been on gabapentin for years. When my Dr recommended switching to Gralise I didn't want to entertain it, mostly because after the insurance discount, the patient portion was $585.00

He talked me into it, I always go past my maximum out of pocket as it is so I gave it a shot. I believe it decreased my overall pain by around 30%, which is significant. I was surprised but relieved as well.

Of course my insurance fought back and said they won't cover it anymore, he appealed, he lost. I cannot have it anymore. I was given the patient copay program of 4 months for $25.00. It is sad to think that in a few more months I will again be in the pain I was before the med. I would pay for it if I could afford it but it is over $800 a month and who can afford that?

I don't know why it works so much better, my Dr explains that the absorption rate is 80% higher. He did some math and said I would need to go back to 3300mgs of gabapentin a day. I was on 1800 before. I am not going to do that. I guess I will go back to the pain and keep trying other things to help control, heal, whatever you call it.

I wish I could write the drug manufacture and beg them to try and get it approved for the treatment of chronic pain or figure out if they already did. I really do think it could help more people. Gabapentin offered a small amount of relief but I still was suffering most days. Gabapentin is like $20 a month so of course, my insurance says I should use that. Gralise won't be eligible for a generic until 2024 from what I am reading, that is a long time away.

I don't want to seem like a weirdo writing the manufacture though, I couldn't seem to find if anyone did that before.

Anyways, I just wanted to pipe in with my experience. Nothing I am on currently really helped as much as this Gralise did. I have been on it for around 7 months I believe and have been much better. I feel the impending doom of when I run out of the last pill. Have been on butrans patch, gabapentin (currently gralise) and Tramadol for years. Also try to eat an ant-inflammatory diet, take curcumin, d3 and chiro/acupunture.

I have been looking into programs for financial support and I won't qualify for many because of my income but it is literally over $800 a month, even a comfortable income cannot cover that. I mean, that is more than a lot of peoples mortgages. I did get the $25 copay but only for four months. I saw one for 12 months but I need to reach out to the place that has it and ask why they only said I could do 4 months.

I just saw my pain management doctor, which is a joke, but he said if I don't want to go back on gabapentin I should try horizant and gave me a 10 day trial. It can only be approved if you have RLS, which I do have and have for years but I never thought about it much because when you are in pain it is hard to sleep no matter what.

So now I have to look into this horizant because I have a good chance of getting it covered.

Really sad when you find something that works, at least works fairly well, and then they rip it away from you.