hi I'm Katie 41 with fibro diagnosed 10-12 years ago

[k8t1976]

hi hope everyone is well as can be I have just been given gabapentin, as with all medication I read the side affects and to be honest I am wondering if this drug really works been taken off co codamol amitriptyline and told not to have naproxen because of its serious side affects but looking at the side affects to this gabapentin I am asking myself is it worth risk taking any advice would be appreciated gentle hugs

[Pinn2007]

Hi Kate, I found Gabapentin quite harmless compared to Amitriptyline. I think everyone reacts differently to different medication and as I’ve found my way through the hole Fibro minefield I came to the conclusion that if I’m one of the eight people in a hundred that the drug has success with then why not give it a go! If at any time I felt unwell or uncomfortable with the Meds I stopped and returned to the doctor to try again, I’ve been taking Pregabalin now for 4yrs and it’s been a miracle drug for me but that said it’s poisoning me at the same time. So we keep the dose low and watch for the signs of over dosing and adjust accordingly.

I hope this helps, I understand it’s a nightmare but sometimes it’s ‘better the devil you know’ and others it’s ‘You don’t know until you try’......... Good Luck

[Miss68]

Hi Katie, it’s difficult to give advice about medication as everyone reacts differently to them. Personally, however, I didn’t get many side effects with gabapentin but I also didn’t get much pain relief either. I take pregabalin which is a much better drug of choice for me. I’ve been on it for over a year this time, minimal side effects which disappear over time and offers better pain relief when taken alongside other medication. I take it for a benign spinal cystic tumour which was my initial diagnosis and fibro occurred as a result of this. Sorry I can’t offer better advice for you Hun. Take care and I hope you get pain relief that works for you. Gentle hugs xx

[Golfer15]

Good morning k8t1976, hope you get the medication sorted out. I dont have any experience with Gabapentin but as you say you have got to expect some side effects. Im on amitriptyline which works for me. Im on just a low dose. As pinn had said everyone reacts differently to different medications. Have a good day.

Take care

David

[redmaple-5]

Hi Katie, I was prescribed Gabapentin and did not find it helpful. I had quite a few side effects. I now take Pregabalin which I have found helps lower pain level, but I do worry about the unknown effects the drug could be having on my body. Xx

[Hidden]

You sound like you tried a few things, ?gabapent & pregab dont suit everyone, you do need to give them a month to decide if they are for you, personally I found the side effects awful.I have found conventional pain relief better, and also alternative therapies like hydro and more recently aqua aerobics for beginners,, in the week my daughter goes for a swim and I sit in the jacuzzi also very kind to fibro muscles. Naprox are a bit harsh too as you might find you need other meds with them to protect your stomach and gullett. I started on amitrip many years ago and reduced it to a child dose off a spoon- I still couldnt get along with it so I was stopped, all trial and error to get a balance that will keep you pain free.. good luck hun.

[Dizzytwo]

Good morning Katie, here's wishing you a warm welcome to the forum. You may like to lock your post. This stops it going onto the Internet for everyone to read. This link will show you how to lock this and further posts. If you need help please ask and I could lock this one for you

healthunlocked.com/fibromya...

I have had Fibro for more than 30years.I don't take medication because of side effects so sorry I can't comment on your question.

But please remember we are all different and some find it helps others don't. Yes the list of side effects can be frightening to read but that does not mean you will get them. You may get no side effects at all. They could make you feel worse.

Sorry there is no way of knowing how they will or will not effect you personally until you have tried them. Xx

Momo

[k8t1976]

thank you for your replies and insight I am just worried due to the fact I have my grandsons full time who are only 2 and almost 1 and as you can imagine keep me on toes so last thing I need is side affects to go with the fibro

[Treewade]

Gabapentine seemed to send my brain to sleep and stopped me wanting to do stuff so all the weight I struggled to lose over a year I gained back in three month my go took me off them I'm bk on good old paracetamol and physio going to get the tense going too lol but cos I react to codine and anti inflaitaries I'm better with paracetamol and they still work xxxx you got to go with what works xxxxxxx

[carol789]

Hi Kate I've been taking Gabapentin for over a year now. It took about 3months to get used to it. I put on weight initially, but to be honest, I think that was from not being able to do much activity due to pain and low mood. I did also get lots of spots, that were like boils, this has gone now but did leave slight scar on my face. I can't be sure it was from Gabapentin but side effects do mention this so who really knows. I was very poorly with the Fibro and I do think it is stress related. I do notice my symptoms do start coming back if I miss my Gabapentin, so I do believe it works, but took ages to get into my system. Do stick with it if you can. I have gone back to work and have many days now when I feel "like me !" But always looking over my shoulder. It does flare up but a relaxing environment and magnesium salt baths and vitamins seem to help a lot and of course healthy eating does seem to help a lot too. I also have a wonderful cream from rheumatologist capsaicin cream, it is fantastic for my knees and other pressure areas. I have had stress in work lately and can say hand on heart that it does effect my Fibro symptoms. At my worst over the year my Gabapentin was increased to 9 tablets per day, I'm now down to 3 and been managing, but this week gone back up to 4 as symptoms flaring again. I am lucky, can spot signs when I need to relax or more sleep, work mostly being supportive, I am worried tho as my supportive manager is due to leave.

Try and stick with the Gabapentin if you can - I will say that I have not tried any different fibro medication so unable to compare. Paracetamol, ibuprofen really don't help me at all.

Very best to you. This is a really helpful forum, really helped me with hints and tips of what people found helps their Fibro. I will say Fibro is a big learning curve, takes a lot of getting used to, if we ever can.