Gabapentin

My pcp is pushing pain meds because I'm hurting so bad. I told him I wasn't interested in any pain meds especially opioids. So he prescribed gabapentin. After I looked up the side effects I've decided not to take it. One of the big problems I'm having right now is chest pain, tightness and short of breath. He knows this! ALL are side effects caused by gabapentin! I have no faith in my docs. He sent me for c/t scan, ekg and echocardiogram. He recommended hbot son that's something I'm going to look into. Whay do you guys think? Should I take the gaba? Anyone here ever been on it? What was your experience with it?

I take it but can only take the 300mgs. The 600mgs made me feel drunk....and I hated that. But doing well on the 300's. No side effects for me....I did feel a bit loopy the first few days but now I'm fine. However, when I'm in severe pain, they don't seem to touch it.

What mg did your doctor prescribe?

It can become addictive especially at higher doses. Withdrawing can cause symptoms and you have to come off slowly.

Patty

Yeah see, anything that i have to wean off of is not for me unless it's absolutely necessary. I don't think this is. I'm not going to fill this prescription if i can help it. Before all of this lyme crap i didn't even like to take an advil. Not a pill person. Thanks for all the replies they have been helpful.

I was prescribed Gabapentin by my PCP when I first started to get stabbing pains in my knee and neuropathy in both legs and feet. It did take the edge off. Two years later after seeing a neuro then a rheumy I started seeing an LLMD that kept me on it for the nerve pain, but recommended taking it at night only which did help me sleep better.

I eventually weaned off after about 7 years and haven't taken it for the past two.

I was on Gabapentin for around a month for pain related to neurological problems. It made all of my problems become worse and it caused ataxia which I hadn't had before. Ataxia is where your left and right side do not really communicate very well causing coordination problems. I had to stop shaving because I was unable to tell how close I was to the opposite side of my body causing me to gash my skin with the razor. It also caused me to panic so bad I couldn't leave my home at all. My dr. wanted to increase my dose but my Psychiatrist told me to get off the Gabapentin as soon as possible since I am also on Lamictal (which is the same class) for mood stabilization. I would rather deal with the pain than the side effects!

You could try it short term and see if it works. If you get some pain relief, it may be worth it.

If it doesn't, you shouldn't have any withdrawal coming off.

I think I gave it about 4-6 weeks...slowly increasing to 900 mg daily (300 x 3).

No improvement - if anything it made my nerve pain worse...

So, I weaned off that dose in about 2 weeks - no withdrawal at all.

WV Mike said...
Maybe i'll try it for a short while like you suggest girlie. I am in alot of pain especially spine.

My worst pain is my thoracic spine area/left shoulder blade ...nerve pain...it's horrid. Of all the pain(s) I've had - the back area is/has been my worst.
When the pain is somewhere else - like my knee - I could sit down and rub it...tend to it...but the back area is difficult to reach.

I probably should have raised the gabapentin even higher but I thought I should have noticed something on the 300 mg 3 X daily.

I didn't have any dizziness...with it.

WV Mike said...
My pcp is pushing pain meds because I'm hurting so bad. I told him I wasn't interested in any pain meds especially opioids. So he prescribed gabapentin. After I looked up the side effects I've decided not to take it. One of the big problems I'm having right now is chest pain, tightness and short of breath. He knows this! ALL are side effects caused by gabapentin! I have no faith in my docs. He sent me for c/t scan, ekg and echocardiogram. He recommended hbot son that's something I'm going to look into. Whay do you guys think? Should I take the gaba? Anyone here ever been on it? What was your experience with it?

I fully understand you feeling "pushed" into these drugs. I managed NO pain meds for over 45 years but after 6 spine fusions massive tumors removed from my spine and left breast that also required a full Mastectomy (I am a man by the way) and just too many other things to list, they spent 9 months misdiagnosing me with MS-ALS-Agent Orange on & on & on, never ending and still fighting with everyone. So I now HAVE to take very high doses of Opioids and will till I die, also Gabapentin. Been maybe 6 years since I began that drug when the neuropathy got SO bad I was honestly suicidal (and I am a VERY happy fun lovin type guy) and while I began a light dose, I hated it since I felt stoned. In the past years my dose has been gradually upped to now at 600 mg 3x daily and now I feel NO side effects from it. I am sorry to say I can't remember all the other side effects I had when I began it at first, just too long ago. But again, not a single issue with it now. Problem was, back then I had to hold a job and simply could NOT under the influence of that drug. Now retired, I find it a lifesaver and a very helpful drug for me. But now with severe Polyneuropathy, it done NOTHING to help it and no other drug does either. For panic attacks that began last year they now added Duloxetine 60 mg x2 per day but having serious side effects and unable to urinate so while it supposedly also helps with the Polyneuropathy as well, I just can't take it as prescribed. I do force myself to take it when sever panic or uncontrollable sobbing attack begin. It is humiliating for me to even admit to these things existing in my life but is is, what it IS and sometime it may help others to discover they are not alone so I admit to it and maybe it will at least help someone know they are not alone? I hope you find help that works better for you than I have experienced. Many kind & loving people here for you but in the end, it is an awful & lonely place still, , this world of Lyme disease....

PS-If the is any positive side, it is that your doctor is at least WILLING to try treating you at all. Many these days will not.

Thanks ricky and mike. Mike i'm sorry you have been through so much. You are in my thoughts and i feel embarassed for complaining at all. Thanks for sharing your story.