Gabapentin

[cozreece]

Hi all im back to the rheumi next week and im going to ask for Gabapentin as my pain/aching has become unbearable since the cold weather came in . Can you please leave me your views of this drug how it is taken and what strength etc all info greatly appreciated THANK YOU X

[Amanda]

The chocolate teapot,sorry pain Dr (don't get me started!) put me on Lyrica a couple of weeks ago with nearly disastrous effects.My Gp took me off it immediately with NO gradual withdrawal as I was in such a state.I started on Gabapentin this week,I'm now on day 3 and no effects so far.I have to take 1x100mg each day for 1 week.1x 100mg twice a day for another week then 100mg 3x daily from then on.I'm hoping it will relieve the burning pain and numbness that I have.

[Hilly]

Hi I started off on 100mg x 3 times a day then after roughly 6 weeks or so my Dr upped it to 300mg x 3 times daily as the pain was getting bad again. That was OK for another 7 or 8 weeks then I had to go back to Dr last week as pain getting bad yet again so he has now upped it to 400 mg x 3 times daily. I'm not sure if this pattern is normal , I am at the rhumy on Mon so I'm going to ask him . Hilly xx

[pottyness]

i am on day two of gabapentin so i am just begining too. doc wants me to stop taking diazipam at bed time so shes given me this to help relax me so i dont wake up in a tight pain ball. i did my achilese tendon in the four days off diazipam as i needed the loo in the morning and my ankles wouldnt warm up so i fell out of bed and bounced off the walls to the loo and it wasnt till that night that i noticed i could hardly walk, it was also obvious i had been grinding my teeth again[in pain] and my wrists hurt probably from clenching them. next night i took the diazipam and booked back in with the doc. so now i have gabapentin and can keep taking the diazipam for a couple more weeks till it kicks in proper.

the first day i got a bit of a dry mouth.. but nothing compaired to going onto amatryptonlne two months ago... that lasted 5 weeks. this was just one day and today i am fine. i have been a bit more layed back than usual but nothing to write home about.. [the kids say i am chilled out no rows etc] but i know this will all wear off soon then i will be alowed to go up to one 100mg three times a day. i am told i can go quite a lot further than that before it starts to go too high then you come off them having put something else into place. i supose it must have made a little difference pain wise as i am not as strung out today as i normally am... but i still hurt all over just probably not as bad. and i got up this morning with out as much pain as i had when i stopped the diazipam... but then i am taking it aswell at the moment.. if it gives me a couple of years i will be happy as my kids really are usless at helping and great and making me scream.....so good luck cozreece hope they help you.. x

[Spirit]

I started 1x300mg day one, 2x300mg day two, 3x300mg day three. after about 6 months that was gradually increased and now I'm on 600, 600 and 900 doses (3 doses) per day.

It helps - mostly. My only problem is heartburn, but that is from the capsules I think as can't even take paracetamol in capsules...

(to put the whole thing into context, I also take 4 x 1g paracetamol per day, 1x40mg citalapram, and 3 to 4 x 30mg DHC per day.

Gentle hugs

Spirit x x x

[irishjools]

I take 600mg 3x a day. Have found that it helps but still in pain most of the time, I also take tramadol, tramadol, calcium, omeprazole and 150mg of sertraline. Had reduced sertraline to 100mg but after being turned down for esa and dla my depression and anxiety increased and so had to increase it again. Does anyone know if there is anything I can take to help me sleep? Big soft hugs to all x x

[newtalk44]

I took Gabapentin 12 mths ago for 3weeks. gradually raising from 100mg to 300mg over 5 days. It made my pain a lot worse, gave me bad nausea made me have a vile temper. I went back to my GP with my husband, he told the doc that he had never seen me lose my temper like it before plus I felt a lot worse. I was told to stop them staight away.

He then tried me on Morphine after taking the tablets I was violently sick for 3 days. Got in touch with GP he said to go back to my Co-codomol 300mg X 2, 8 times a day. I took them for 1 day I was sick again with these. I stopped taking them and I now find I can't even take Paracetomol without either being sick or very bad nausea. The doc said he has tried me on everything that he dare give me, because I have to take so many other medications for other things I have wrong with me. So now I just have to put up with the pain!! Some days I think life is just not worth living but I look at how many others who are far worse of with terminal illnesses.

I found out the other month that a friend of mine her husband was put on Gabapentin. It made his temper so bad that he lost it and had her held up against the wall trying to strangle her. So not him, he is normally the most kindest, caring man you could wish to meet. His doc took him of it straight away when he found out.

Take care and hope you find something that does work for you. Hugs from Anne

[angib53]

hi all , im new here lots of hugs to you today , i will be seeing my doc again next week he put me on nortriptyline 3 week ago , at first it helped me sleep , well for a week , im still in constant pain it has helped with my anxiety but i do a little and pay the consequences after , my doc has mentioned gabapentin so he will prob put me on them aswell , my tramadol just knock me out for half an hr and it takes me a while to come round , i sleep in the afternoon for bout an hr anyway i get soo tired , also naproxen which do absolutly nothing , !! my love to u all and tc xxxx

[cozreece]

Thank you everyone for your replies It seems the pros and cons need to be weighed up i think i was just hoping it would be a miracle drug lol . All i no is something needs to be done because i need some form of relief from this unbearable illness .I do take Amitriptoline at night which helps me sleep so thats a plus i guess .Hugs to you all and thank you so much xxx

[charlie_red]

Hey! I started gabapentin 3 weeks ago, 300mg three times a day .. I felt no different! So this week the doctor has increased my dose to 600mg three times a day so just waiting to see if it has any affect. I'm also on morphine and amitriptyline as well.

C x

[hjones]

I started on 100 3 time days and dr told me to up it as i wish until i found a dose that works for me. I didnt think it was helping me at all so i decided to come off it thats when i realised that it was actually helping so i went back on it slowly upping my dose so i now take 400mg 3 times a day. I just need mine in higher dose tablets as the 400 3 times a day is 12 tablets per day and with that i also take 4-6 tramadol and vit d tablets!

[tiddles1234]

I am on gabepentin 800 3times a day wes on 900 that made me dizzy so they lowered it one don't no how good a I still in pain and a patch on as well just be careful of dosage

[1954bf]

I have taken gabapentin for few yrs now I take 900 in morning 900 in afternoon and 900 in the evening.I am ok on them.