Neuropathic pain

[mathematics]

Does anyone take gabapentin for neuropathic pain and what side effects did you get? My husband has been prescribed them and is worried about side effects such as sleepiness and driving.

[Amore55]

I took it in the past. I found it helped with pain, but it caused dizziness and groggy feeling for me. So, I didn’t continue to take it. That was years ago.

[mathematics in reply to Amore55]

Thank you he is going to give it a go and the doctors are going to review him. How do you deal with neuropathic pain?

[Amore55 in reply to mathematics]

Thankfully my MS has retreated into the background of life at the moment. I have been really healthy for quite awhile now, so no pain meds. I’m very fortunate and grateful. Took many things in the past. Please let me know how you feel. 🤗

[mathematics]

Good luck hope you stay well

[Jesmcd2 CommunityAmbassador]

Hi mathematics I'm really sorry that you're husband is having to go through this. Here is a site you can get info on other meds if gabapentin isn't the right fit for you. mymsaa.org/ms-information/s...

I, personally, have been on gabapentin, and Lyrica. Found tramadol works best for me!

Let us know how you make out ok? 😊 🤗💕🌠🦈

[mathematics in reply to Jesmcd2]

Thank you for link will have a look at it

[starlight5 in reply to mathematics]

I also found tramadol works best for neuropathic pain and for spasticity. Gabapentin, lyrica, cymbalta, baclofen, tizanidine did not help. I hope gab works for your husband.

[mathematics in reply to starlight5]

Sounds as if you've had to keep trying glad you've found something that works my husband is fed up with the pain he's getting at mo thank you for your reply.

[greaterexp]

I found that most of the grogginess subsided over time. However, my short term memory was somewhat affected, so I scaled back to just 300mg at bedtime. It does seem to keep the pain at a tolerable level. It’s always trial and error to figure out what is effective, while not having intolerable side effects. There are other options for neuropathic pain, so if it doesn’t help, there are other meds to use or add to the regimen.

[mathematics in reply to greaterexp]

Thank you

[Cutefreckles72]

Hi mathematics, Neuropathic pain is hard to deal with. I take gabapentin 3 times a day 600mg. So, for it has controlled my pain with no side effects. It helps me rest at night and during the day I am fine.

[TonyiaR7 in reply to Cutefreckles72]

I take 300 mg 4 x day then over time I had to take 300 mg 3 x day and 900 mg at bedtime. Since I tried Cymbalta 30 mg, I am able to come taper down. I had so much burning/cold (like frost bite) pain. I was dizzy and groggy but my body adjusted since we went up slowly and now taper down slowly. When I first tried the Cymbalta I couldn't focus and was tapering off Neurontin. Your brain has to het rewired. Gabapentin is off label drug for epilepsy and Cymbalta is off label for depression. I have tried different meds for nerve pain. Long time ago Tegretol which work great for nerve pain but side effects; especially dry mouth (couldn't talk). Lyrica is like Gabapentin (Neurontin). It worked except caused me blurry vision. I had difficulty seeing. Everyone responds differently. It is trial /error.

[Cutefreckles72 in reply to TonyiaR7]

Hi TonyiaR7, sorry you had a bad experience with Gabapentin. Like I said so for it has come down my nerve pain in my legs, arm and hand. Everybody is different, especially when it comes to medications. .

[TonyiaR7 in reply to Cutefreckles72]

I didn't had a totally bad experience with Gabapentin; I just couldn't tolerate a very high dose. 1200 mg was my max. So we needed to find a different medication.

[mathematics]

Thanks for replying thats brilliant if you are finding it helps with no side effects. Take care

[jorrell]

I have tried gabapentin and it sucked the energy right out of me,put me in a grumpy mood. It helped with the pain a tiny bit. At the time, my nerves were telling me that my legs were burning down to the bone. Narcotics, such as Oxycodone do nothing for nerve pain. Eventually, in my nervous system my legs burned off on their own. This was all due to peripheral neuropathy and its stages. In my case it was random sharp pains at first, then tingling that went to burning and then nothing. I can still use my legs to walk, but you could radically perforate my feet and I wouldn't feel it.

Naproxin seemed to help the most without side effects.

[mathematics]

Thank you different meds seem to be working for different people take care. I think ms is so difficult sometimes because you can look so ok on the outside whereas you are having major problems.

[BlanketTime1]

i no longer drive, but i don't really experience side effects from gabapentin. hope it works out okay.🤗

[Robsmom]

Hi,

I took Gabapentin for a little over a year and yes it does make you sleepy for a time until your body gets use to it. I would nod off whether I was still too long. I stopped taking it because it really didn't take away my pain and it was very expensive.

[mathematics]

Thank you for your reply my husband is going to give it a try take care

[Elizt3]

My neuropathic pain started about 12 years ago in my feet and hand. I’ve tried about five different meds for it and gabapentin is the only one that helped dampen it the best. Cymbalta, Tegretol, Lyrica, tramadol, and another one or two really didn’t do anything for it. I remember when I started gabapentin, I had a good week of feeling quite groggy but it did subside. The doctor wanted me to go up to 800 3 times a day. That’s definitely too much for me and I feel quite numbed to everything when I go to that high of a dose. I take the lowest dose to have enough of an effect on the pain. I’m typically around 300 3 times a day. He recently added nortryptiline at night, and I think that helps me keep my gabapentin dose during the day to the lowest possible. I also use compression sleeves on my feet and sometimes wear compression sleeves over my calves. They help disguise the pain a bit as well. At this point, I think the neuropathic pain is my main, overiding, most distressing symptom of MS that I deal with. It’s relentless. Also, I believe exercise helps me deal with it as well. When I’m less active, or sedentary, it’s more intense. Good luck.

[mathematics in reply to Elizt3]

Thank you for your reply my husband is going to start on it and hopefully it will only as you say make him groggy for a good week take care. He is finding the pain in his arms etc debilitating at present.

[Elizt3 in reply to mathematics]

I don’t know if compression wear would help him as well? I think they make compression sleeves for arms. Best wishes.

[GMGelfling]

I took Gabapentin for a while. I found it had absolutely no effects on me, good or bad. My brother, a diabetic, took it, too. He felt the same way about it as I do. It was pretty useless.

[mathematics]

Thank you it seems to work for some but not others the gp is going to review him so if they do not work they might try something else. Hope that your pain is controlled now.

[palomino27]

I found gabapentin helps mostly upper body nerve pain. Lyrica helps lower body more.

Both are hard to get off especially lyrica

[mathematics]

Thank you

[Irishgirl76]

I got dizzy but it has been the first treatment with every new doctor. I did read that over time it can affect heart so I would check with pharmacist. I also have neuropathic nerve pain. I see a ms specialist in August and I will let you know. Take care especially driving. You and husband in my prayer.😇

[mathematics in reply to Irishgirl76]

Thank you we are looking at side effects as my husband does have heart problems. We picked it up from the chemist today and he is starting them Sunday.

[152114randal]

Please try methadone. My wife had terrible pudendal nerve pain and it helped her. Don’t let anybody poh poh it. Give it a try. Very inexpensive and at least for my wife very effective. Have the doctor write “for pain” on the prescription. Good luck to both of you.

[mathematics in reply to 152114randal]

Thank you for your advice

[mrsmike9]

I took it in the past. No side effects but no help either so stopped.

[mathematics in reply to mrsmike9]

Sorry it did not work hope that you have found something that does. Glad you said no side effects though.

[hairbrain4]

I tried Gabapentin for a while & it made me groggy & my memory worse. I felt like I was in a fog most of the time. Lyrica worked better. I now just take 500mg of Naproxin for pain 3x a day & it does the trick. Blood work every 6 mos to keep an eye on liver function as that can be a side effect of Naproxin. My husband takes 600mg of Gabapentin 3x a day & 900mg at night. He has diabetic neuropathy. He doesn't seem to have any side effects other than it does help him sleep better at night. He started out at 300mg 3x a day & has worked up to the current dosages due to more pain over the past 10 years. I hope you can find the right dosage for your husband that works.

[mathematics in reply to hairbrain4]

Thank you for replying my husband has to take the tablets then work up the dosage. Take care and both of you keep well

[ahrogers in reply to mathematics]

Glad they are starting him at lower dose then slowly increasing. I take it to prevent vertigo and it really helps. I only take 400mg at bedtime so making me sleepy is a good thing. I have not had any side effects and have been on it 2-3 years now.

[mathematics in reply to ahrogers]

Thank you

[Sagesewer]

Hi,I took it years ago with either 100mg and 300 mg. Had the same reaction of feeling like I was in a cocoon, couldn’t wake up and get out of it. I decided to deal with the nerve pain instead of that side effect.

[mathematics in reply to Sagesewer]

Thanks for you reply it is helpful to know how other people have reacted to it.

[Sagesewer]

Glad to help.

[Jessie70]

I take 600mg of Gabapentin 3x a day. I don’t have a drivers license since 2019. I was suffering from seizures so I decided to be safe and smart plus I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I can’t report any noticeable side effects.

[mathematics]

Thank you my husband was given amitriptyline but only for his acute pain his GP said and took him off them after a few months as the pain is chronic and starting to resurface again we are going to have to get the GP to give him tablets long term. It appears in UK that doctors are not always prescribing tablets even if recommended by consultants this is in general. Sorry you had to give up your license but it is safer if you are getting seizures. Take care.