Medication question

[Tuscany]

Hello everyone. I have asked this question before but it was a while ago, and I want to see how people feel about this currently. I have been on Dihydrocodeine for a long time. They have been effective at helping with pain, but I am starting to struggle on the dose I am on. It just isn't enough to control the pain. Is anyone on Pregabalin or Gabapentin? Do you find them effective at getting rid of it for a few hours? Do you suffer any side effects? I really want to get on an even keel with medication in the new year as it is a big source of stress for me and I am willing to try something else. Any thoughts and shared experiences on this would be very welcome. Thanks everyone.

[trip77]

Hi. I am on Tramadol 100mg long release tablets along with Gabapentin 100mg and Amitriptyline 30mg. I find that while I'm on this concoction, they just about relieve my pain enough for me to meander through the day doing odd jobs around the house. I cannot say for sure if they would work for you yourself, but I haven't had any real side effects (apart from slight constipation), but I think that that is down to ALL the meds I am on.

I find that the Gabapentin has helped improve my sleeping a little, in that it calms the twitching in my legs etc enough to relax into some sort of level of sleep. Apart from that, I haven't noticed any difference in pain levels since I started taking them and I have still had to have my dose of tramadol adjusted while on them.

I hope this helps you out a little.

[PrincessNoo]

Hello. Neither Gabapentin nor pregabalin worked for me and both made me ill. I was previously on Tramadol and 50 mg of amitriptyline. I started having infusions of Lidocaine and came off the above. When the funding for Lidocaine stopped I was put on Duloxetine which works well. I also take paracetamol. I am on pramipexole for my legs bi have the option of taking amitriptyline if needs be. X

[Sammyd66 in reply to PrincessNoo]

hi there I’m waiting to start the licodaine treatment how did you find it was there any side effects and did it help with the pain. Thankyou

[Cat00]

Gabapentin and Pregablin made me put on weight, neither helped enough to bother with the side effects though. I don't take any meds for fibro now.

[PrimalGirl]

Gabapentin does help with the pain and it saved my bacon in the beginning of my treatment, but I did find that it began to fuzzy up my head after months of use, even to the point that it worsened my ability to handle the lower pain levels. I did end up discontinuing it's use, but had to resume occasional use of Tramadol and Tizinadine. I also took up using mature Kratom leaf powder as a tea, I don't use it every night because I don't want to build up a tolerance to it, but it does help calm the pain quite a bit. (Please do your research about Kratom... there are sources out there that sell tainted product). If I were in your shoes, I might still give the gabapentin a try, at least for some short term relief. Hope this helps.

[Aitch64]

I have been on pregabalin for almost 6yrs now, side effects went away once system got used to it over a short time, it stopped my restless legs and helps keep intense pain at bay for me, I also take tramadol when having a flare up after doing too much at once. Hope this helps!

[Blev]

Was on gabapentin 3 x 300mg daily and 2 x 30mg duloxetine

Weight gain, heavy sweats horrible.

For the past 3 months I have been slowly reducing my doses of both.

I would say that the gabapentin is worth a try you may not get the same issue with them as I did.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Blev]

That was rather a high dose of Garbapentin I'm not surprised you were having side effects.Have you considered slowly tapering the Garb to about half but maintaining the Duloxetine dose ?

You could also try swapping from Garbapentin to Pregbalin once you get to the half Garb dose , initially alternating the Preg and Garb while the system gets used to the change, then doing the full replacement with Oreg by the end of a week.

Duloxetine seems to have a good effect for many people with a lower dose of Garbapentin or Pregbalin ( it has less side effects and is gentler on the stomach than Garbepentin) and the standard dose of Paracetamol a couple of times a day to clear any minimal inflammatory pain. That combination with pacing your activity and some gentle exercise in your comfort zone has been researched to be effective.

[Blev in reply to Blearyeyed]

Yes I thought so too, the doctor even told me I could go to 4 three times a day however when I went to pain clinic I was told that this was excessive. So I am now off the gabapentin, I have reduced dosage over the past few months, I’m still struggling with pain, fatigue etc. Now looking at new meds when I eventually get a doctors appointment.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Blev]

I'd written another reply below to the original post that you might find useful as you consider your options in the New Year , hope that you get things managed soon. Take care , Bee

[Exca]

Hi I'm on pregabalin I'm currently on 100mg aday some days I could do with more I think but I feel very drugged up and also it makes my joints painful so I'm staying on 100mg . I was on 450 mg aday but pain management told me to try and come off it but I'm unable to move with pain relief. It very good at helping with nerve pain so give it ago.

[64notout]

Been on Gabapentin a long time now. I have had no issues with weight gain and do find them useful.

[25rosclare]

Hi, I have been on Gabapentin for about 6 years now and it suits me. I find it does help as I take it three times a day and the second dose I take at 2.00pm, is easy to miss. When I have missed this dose then 2 hours later I am struggling a bit and wondering why I am feeling so rough. Like everything some people don't get on with it but I do.

You do need to 'work your way' into taking it. When I first started taking it I had a complaint with an item from Tesco. Everything went wrong, the till on the counter did not work, then they couldn't find the item on their computer etc. It took them 45mins to complete the refund and they thanked me for being so laid back about it. I couldn't tell them it was a new drug that I was on. Gabapentin must help calm your body, at least with me it did. Good luck with what you choose

[Dex10]

Hi Tuscany

I have tried all these things to no avail. I now take nothing and am learning pain management techniques. Believe me I have been there in the amount of pain you describe and desperate to be feeling better. Pain management is not easy but the benefits are amazing. I feel saddened to hear about people suffering the way I did and being given even more medication….. personally it’s not the answer in my opinion. I live with psoriatic arthritis and Fibromyalgia.

I do hope you can find a solution and wish you well.

[Evan-Hansen]

I’m on Gabapentin and have been for 15 months. I’m on 1200mg. I have fibromyalgia and it helps a lot with the pain which I’m grateful for. My experience is weight gain and memory confusion and brain fog which is Fibro related. I’m reducing the Gabapentin in February through my choice and replacing it with duloxetine, but doing this very slowly under medical supervision. My advice is talk to you doctor and trust them. We can all give advice, but everyone is different and what works or doesn’t work for one person maybe totally different for you. Don’t be put off by other reply’s, we’re not medically trained and do not know your bodies response.

[Blearyeyed]

Trying Pregbalin starting at 50 mg then slowly increasing the dose if required upto 150mg in combination with your current medication may be a good option.Pregbalin is gentler on the stomach , causes less constipation, is more effective at lower doses and has slightly less of a drowsy effect than Garbapentin. It's not usually offered first because it is slightly more expensive than Garbepentin.

Duloxetine has been researched to be very effective in combination with Pregbalin 100/150mg and standard dose paracetamol a couple of times a day to counteract any inflammatory joint pain that can come from activity when you are less physically active.

Milnaciprin has also been proven to be more effective than drugs like opioids and either Garb or Pregbalin , or as a combination with other medications.

Depending on the individual Amitriptyline can kill or partially cure. If you suffer from Autonomic symptoms as part of your Fibro profile it will often cause you more palpitations and insomnia . If your main issue is pain and brain fog it can do the opposite help with pain and improve sleep. It's the one medication you will know does not suit you within a week as you will not sleep much and get rebound joint pain.

I'm allergic to Codeine medications , plus I know codeine based drugs can cause the Codeine cycle. It's what produces it's addictive effect because as it reduces in your system it can cause rebound pain or headaches making you think you need another dose or more of it.

Are you having yoghurt or food before your dose of Dihydrocodeine?

Or did they give you something to settle the stomach?

Codeine based medications do cause stomach issues with regular use so having some yoghurt or your meal before it can help prevent things like stomach pain and acid instead of using a PPI.

You may find that as you bring in the other medications and start to increase them you will be able to taper down or taper off Dihydrocodeine.

Most of the drugs need weeks to taper up to a dose for you to try and upto 8 weeks for your body to adjust to before you see significant improvement. If you get to three months have increased the dose and have not found at least a 20% reduction of pain on any drug it probably won't work well for you no matter which dose you try and it's better to taper off it and try something else , as if doses get too high you often replace pain with other side effects that reduce your quality of life just as much.

All the meds reduce your absorption of vitamins and minerals and use large amounts of water so taking a combined vitamin supplement , additional B 12 and Vitamin C and D with the recommended amount of water a day ( water or unsweetened green tea of any natural flavour or juices or milk) can reduce the effect of low vitamins and internal dehydration on your Fibro symptoms.

Very slowly building up physical activity doing some gentle walking , hydrotherapy and low impact exercise like Tai chi , Qui gong , Somantics , Isometric and Low impact Pilates stretches in little batches ( a few minutes a couple of times again ) does help reduce the pain associated with stiffness , loss of muscle strength and hypersensitivity to movement. Working out a gentle exercise regime that suits you does help Fibro pain management by as much as 25%.

[PVK1954]

I have been on both and neither had had the necessary to completely take away the fibro. Sometimes they may reduce fibro (who knows as fibro can come and go) but I found to much of either medication produced very uncomfortable side effects (mental and physical). It can be about finding the one with the right dosage is best at a particular time for you but I think fibro always finds a way! I have found the best to be functional (ie not in bed all day) is to find distractions, mine is two main coon cats I have had since kittens. You have to find a way when the cat litter needs urgent attension, a cat is crying in the distance (usually the kitchen), or is unwell and needs constant observation. From there I found I was 'doing with fibro' rather than just 'being with fibro'. From atropied muscles I have moved on to playing badminton four times a week after retirement age and when the meds don't seem to be working tramadol pain killers help me quieten the beast but have to pay for it later.

[Elaine200756]

Hi Tuscany, I have been on Gabapentin for a number of years now. In addition to muscle and joint pain I have nerve pain. I find taking Gabapentin along with Tramadol for nerve pain helps. I understand that Gabapentin dampens down the nervous system, which is affected by fibromyalgia, so should be helpful for you.

However, each of us is different and our bodies react differently to various medications prescribed for us. I would like to add that I have never had any side effects with Gabapentin. I hope this helps you. Take care xx

[Tuscany]

Hi everyone. I am very late in replying because I lost the post and all of your replies. Our administrator very kindly sent me back the post. I wanted to say a very big thank you to all of you for your replies at the back end of last year. I have found this very helpful. I think I am going to give the Gabapentin and Tramadol combo a try for a while, and see how I get on. Thanks again to all of you xxxxx

[E8L8dh]

Hello Tuscany

I have been taking Turmeric for inflammation which really helps me. I started taking it along with Gabapentin which is actually for nerve pain 3 x 300mg 4 times a day along with other painkilling medication. I managed over a period of time to lower the dosage. I also looked for alternatives for other prescribed medications. I would recommend trying the Tumeric and if it helps then look at alternatives to help you with other symptoms. I hope this helps.

Sending healing thoughts

[CM1EDSUK]

I think this thread just goes to show how we are all different, & unfortunately there is no one size fits all. As far as I'm aware I don't have fibro, rather have a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, with which it has some similarities.

My last GP prescribed Fentanyl patches, which after several years of use (& side effects), I decided to very, very slowly wean myself off. After this, my pain levels were not noticeably different. I'd also tried Tramadol, but never again, as I had the the most horrific hallucinations after a couple of doses. I can't take Amitriptyline as it lowers my already low blood pressure, & paracetamol is ineffective, & can't tolerate codeine.

I've tried both Gabapentin & Pregabalin, & have now been on Pregabalin for a number of years. As Blearyeyed said, it can be taken at a lower dosage, with equal pain relief, but fewer side-effects; I found Gabapentin too sedating.

Honestly, I feel there is a pathway that helps with both meds + alternative ways, at least that's my personal experience. I use this natural breathing method daily which you will see also helps in reducing pain: nbt.nhs.uk/sites/default/fi...

As ever, you should be guided by your GP, & hope you find something that works; often it's a combination of things that is the more effective, so do be open to giving things a try.

[Tuscany]

Thank you for your reply. I agree that a combination of things work. I think I would be OK with slightly more Dihydrocodeine, but the doctors won't prescribe it, so I am constantly dealing with stress surrounding medication. I have an electric blanket on my bed and a weighted blanket that I sleep under. That definitely helps and helps me sleep at least. Hot water bottles against my spine on the sofa is good too. But I wouldn't be able to stand it without my meds as well. Take care.