Nortriptyline dilema regarding peripheral neuropathy

[YogiBerra]

I was prescribed Nortriptyline almost 30 years ago for sleep maintenance. In 2019 I stopped taking after reducing it to 10 mg. In a matter a few days I developed tingling in my hands and feet. My primary care physician put me back on it and the symptoms cleared up. Then in 2021 I meticulously titrated it down to 1 mg and I began to have similar symptoms. This second time when I increased the dosage the symptoms did not subside. I have all sorts of tests (blood work and MRIs) and no cause has been determined. My neurologist prescribed Gabapentin which reduced the symptoms a bit. A few months ago he asked me to begin to reduce my dosage from 25 mg. I am now at 20 mg and plan to go to 15 mg, then 10 mg and report back to the neurologist. Nortriptyline is sometimes prescribed to treat neuropathy. I read "If you were taking it to help with pain, you may notice that the original pain returns and/or worsens upon withdrawal. Even if you were not taking it to treat pain, you may experience some soreness as your body readjusts to functioning without this drug." I'm at a loss as what to do.

[WhoolyBully]

I have degenerative spine disease. I started having neck pain 3 years ago which was improved with physical therapy and strengthening exercises but still uncomfortable.In July 2021 I injured my back and began haveing bad pian in my lower back and radiating to my right lower leg with numbness in my toes. I was started on Gabapenten gradually up to 1800 mg per day and I had epidural steroid injections in the L4 and L5 vertebra. Within two weeks of I became 99% pain free not only in my lower back but also in my neck. So I believe the Gabapenten is practically eliminating my nerve pain. However it does have some unpleasant side effects and I gradually reduced my dosage to 1200 mg per day with no loss of effectiveness. I am now, after talking to my doctor, gradually reducing my dosage to see waht happens. There are different versions of Gapapenten. The dosages you mention are much smaller than what I am taking so yours may be a different version.