Medicine

[Hpeace93]

Hi, I’ve been recently diagnosed and given the anticonvulsant medication Gabapentin. After reading side affects I’m terrified to take them, I was wondering if anyone else has had them and if so their experience on them? Thank you x

[Cat00]

Thats why I don't read the side effects I get my husband to read them so that if any of them occur someone knows what going on but there are so few drugs that have negligible side effects I would end up not taking anything.

I was on Gabapentin for many years the only side effect I had was weight gain but I found that distressing enough but I was anorexic (due to ill health not body issues) at the time so everyone else thought it was marvellous. I found Pregablin much worse in than Gabapentin in that respect. The only thing I would say is that the withdrawal is hard and I had to come off it a few times (for pregnancy) and I learnt to ignore the doctors advice and gave myself 2 months to come off rather than the 2 weeks the doctors give you.

[Fadeddenimcutoff]

I have been prescribed these after having to stop amitriptyline because they made me feel mentally detatched and did nothing from the pain. I have decided not to take the gabapentine for many reasons, i have decided to avoid taking medicines that make you reliant on them to the point of becoming addicted. I have enough problems without adding more by being on by pills.

[LisaSnow FMA UK Volunteer]

Gabapentin has been life saving for me when i had my worst pain. It helped me to get back to regular physical activity which in turn decreased my need to take it long term. So if you are suffering right now, it is worth giving it a try.

[Hazel_Angelstar Administrator FMA UK Staff]

I'm on Pregabalin which is a similar drug with very little side effects

Its important to remember that by law, ALL possible side effects must be listed - however this does not mean that you will get these when taking the medication, and some side effects are extremely rare

[Socialbutterfly00]

hi lovely,i have had gabepentin and started 2 weeks ago,for me personally it made me feel terrible!but others settle with it,i wont be continuing with it,but obviously everyone is different,take care of yourself xx

[Hidden]

Hello, I have been on gabepentin and pregabalin in the past, and I suffered with weight gain, low libido, low mood and felt like a complete zombie on the higher doses. They bpth helped with pain initially bit then stopped working. The withdrawal from both was horrendous and i had to taper down very slowly, much slower than recommended. Personally I wouldn't recommend either, but some people get on great with them. I'm currently on amitriptyline, and whilst it also has caused weight gain, it does help with the pain and helps me sleep!

If you decide to go ahead, start with a low dose and see how it affects you before increasing, and if you have to stop taking it make sure you come off it slowly too x

[Rubydooby22]

Hi Hpeace93. I have been on gabapentin for 3 months now and I feel better than I have done for 3 years! I haven't had any side effects so far and they have really helped with the pain.

All Meds have side effects, it doesn't mean that you will get any of them. For me the good they do outweighs the bad they might do.

Give them a try, you might be surprised & not have any side effects. You can always come off them again if you are not happy on them or they don't work for you, but at least you would have given them a try.

Take care x

Rubydooby22

[CWillo]

Hi

I have been on Gabapentin for a while now and it really helps with the pain. I take two per day only along with codeine because when I first started on a higher dose I had hallucinations so the GP reduced the dosage and now it works really well for me. I have been on it for 5 months now with no other issues. Hope this helps however we are all different and may respond differently to different medications.

[worried4me5]

Hi, I've been on Gabapentin for nearly a year now. I started taking them last year and initially, I felt like I was a bit spaced out and walking around with 'no fear', lol. I felt like a puppet on strings initially. That effect wore off after a couple of days, then I was fine.

However, they worked much better for my peripheral neuropathy than they did for the pain but in conjunction with my co-codamol, they seem to compliment each other well.

Nothing I have tried takes away the pain completely but I live a better, more active lifestyle with them than I could without.

I also think that it depends on how bad your starting pain is. I think I'm more in the moderate category if you can call it that. I've just recently increased the Gabapentin (started on 300mg x3 per day) and I'm now on 400mg x3 per day.

I too looked at all the side effects and yes they are really scary to read. It didn't stop me taking them as I always try it for myself first before I decide whether I'm going to stick with a medication and give them time to work (or not).

Good Luck x

[Persianbelle64]

Hi Not everyone has side effects.

The pain relief was helpful but the weight gain for me wasn’t. A case of catch 22 sadly.

To be fair I have side affects to many antidepressant type pain killers they offer you. For me it’s a case of trialing and error.

But it doesn’t mean you will have any side effects.

[Inthesticks]

Hi Hpeace93, I took Gabapentin for 3 years and it was wonderful while it worked and would

recommend trying it. I didn't have any bad reactions and felt so much better. But

unfortunately my body got used to it and it no longer worked, so my GP put me on

Pregabalin which after a while started to make me nauseus so I asked him if there was

something else. At the time Duloxetine had just been approved for general prescribing so he

put me on that. I've now been on Duloxetine for 5 years and it's as good for me today as it

was when I first took it. It's been my life saver.

I haven't got anything bad to say about Gabapentin and suggest it's well worth you trying it.

I hope it works for you and wish you well.

[25rosclare]

For every drug on the market there will be someone who has a bad side effect and someone who thinks it is marvellous. I have been on Gabapentin for quite a few years, and it has been great for me. There is no one drug that solves Fibromyalgia, it is a case of trying out drugs and finding out if it helps you. Always keep an open mind... if you trust your doctor and he has prescribed it then he probably thinks it can help you. Good luck x

[Dogwalkingsunshine]

Hi was put on them to help me sleep .I was fine with them had to come off them ,as had to go on meds for something els .Only problem I had was weight gain but from what I heard not everyone has had that problem. Hope this helps .

[Evonne02]

Hi Hpeace93

Ive been on them for about 5 years now due to acute pains that Morphine just took the edge off. I take 1 three times a day and 2 at bedtime. Each tablet is 300mg. It doesnt help me sleep as i have poor sleep issues. But it has allowed me to walk around a supermarket to do my shopping, do my housework myself, cook, wait in a queue, wash the dishes, vacuum, mop the floirs, clean the windows, and walk to the corner shop. When i initially took it the room span for about 30 minutes each day. As each day passed i felt less pain in my joints and decided it was worth it because i was told i would be in a wheelchair soon so i was more than determined to make it work. I live alone and wanted to feel 100% assured that i could look after myself and be as self sufficient & have trust in myself as much as possible. Everyone said "enough, stop taking them now!" but i saw a light at the end of the tunnel together with regular checks from my gp. It took 2 weeks for the room to stop spinning, but i achieved all the above as the room spun just after waking up. In addition i dont have to pay those fees for help with anything as i do it all myself. Yes ive gone from a size 10 to a size 14, but im happy about that and dont resemble Skelitor anymore. I feel lighter, healthier, quicker in my responses as i can cook healthy foods instead of getting takeaways, my family, neighbours & friends are not put upon anymore and i can come or go as i please now. Im happier, more self sufficient and that wheelchair isnt coming into my life anymore by the looks of it. But the choice is yours. Only you can decide if you want to make that choice and take that risk. You can always change to something else if it doesnt suit you. I wish you the best. Please let us know how you get on 😍

[Hpeace93]

thank you all so much for replying, Duloxetine is one I’ve had before and I know my body reacts well too, but after reading these I’ll certainly give this one a try and let you know how I get on! X

[Willow0207]

Hey , I am currently on Pregablin ,6x100 Duluxatine,2x60 Tramadol 8x100& Amitriptyline 2x 2.5 my pain is high , I’m waiting on a knee operation but I’ve go to a size 10-12 upto 16-18 , wen I started Pregablin I had a side effect of dizziness aww!! It was bad but Dr said it wud settle down & it did after 2 weeks . So I’ve been on them for years & all was good until the last few moths say more!! About over a year I’ve been twitching started a little wen on the fone like now the mistakes are really annoying so it’s taking so much longer to write, then it started in my arms , legs & from the waist up i just jump & twitch, I can be holding a drink & just Chuck it lol sounds & looks funny & im the biggest to laugh wen it’s a glass of juice & luckily been on my own wen it’s been hot coffee & have to strip down 😂 But I have an appointment with the Pharmacy at the end of the month . Another thing i do ( I swear I’m not crazy ) please somebody say they do the same !!! Is chucking myself out of bed , completely crazy chucked out & landing in all 4’s at the bottom of the bed , I’ve scraped my back down the bed , I’ve hit the side of my face & another time banged my head which lead to eye & I’ve never seen a bigger black eye, I have pics & he’s going to be shocked , so let’s see if Pregablin is to blame x sorry if I’ve rambled on a bit i can talk forever good luch to all xxx

[Latics1989-90]

Hi

I tried it but it did nothing for me!! Im on many pain killers. My problem is that my meds caused me to have compensated cirrhosis!! I still have to take them because I wouldn't be able to get out of bed in a morning otherwise!! I have an hour or less sleep per night!! I zone out but don't know when it's going to happen!! I've fallen out of bed, off the toilet & can find the only thing on the floor to stand on and slip!! I have to laugh or I would cry🤣😂 though ido feel down sometimes. I then give myself a talking to & say that there are many people who are worse than me!! I fo hope they work for you. Please let us know how you get on

Lots of love Lynne xxxx 🥰🥰