New here and hoping for advice.

[Pt4027]

Hi all,

If you get to the end of this ramble, well done!! lol, I guess I am just looking for advice, shared experiences and a little support.

My history is that I had bi-lateral slipped upper femoral epiphysis as a child. Treated not with pins (the usual treatment these days) but with bone grafts and skeletal traction. The left hip was ok, the right hip has never been good and has degenerated over the years.

Seven years ago I was given a total hip replacement at age 40. Again not wholly sucessful, due to the complications from the original surgery, since then I have always had stem tip pain in the right thigh which I have learned to live with.

Approx 6 months ago, the pain increased to a point where I simply couldn't walk at all. Xrays showed no problem with the mechanics, so Physio treated me for muscle problems, now I can walk, tentitavely with crutches.

I am told that the muscle is fine, and the mechanics are fine. However, I am still in a lot of pain. The diagnosis now is Chronic Pain, and I have been referred to the pain clinic and prescribed Gabopentin, which I started 4 days ago and feel very strange indeed.

Thanks in advance.....Paula

[Bananas5]

Welcome on board Pt4027

Hope we can help. We are a good bunch with years of assorted experiences between us and will listen and lend an ear.

And welcome to the Pain Concern forum too.

Glad you have had a referral to pain clinic.They are the ones who will explain about living with cp - how to manage that pain with therapies, physio, drugs etcHow to pace yourself which is my soap box topic!. There is however usually a long waiting list and we can help you here. If you want.

Now to gabapentin. The marmite drug. It either loves you or hates you. Never anything in the middle

You haven't said what dose you are on? It must always be started low and increased. In the same way if you have to stop taking it - very slowly and i can't emphasise that enough.

If you are feeling wobbly after 4 days that may be cos it is a new drug but tell me the dose first.

Hope this helps.

Pat x

[Pt4027 in reply to Bananas5]

Hi Pat, thank you, it does help.

I have been given a dosage that increases gradually over a 2 week period.

I started the first day at 300mg, now (day 4) I am on 900mg (spread out over the day in three doses).

By the end of the two weeks I will be on 1800mg per day.

Paula x

[Bananas5 in reply to Pt4027]

Too fast. Much too fast.

Should add 1 tablet of 100mg per day. Stick on that for a few days or longer is best up to a week.

Then you add another tablet x 100mg for a few days

Then 3rd tablet x 100.

So you will increase 100 mg per few days.

Years gone by pain clinic produced a leaflet with a table of what I have just described. It was almost too simplistic but very useful. Now it has stopped.

Doctors are often unaware of the correct way to increase, and worse decrease, gavapentin.

x

[Pt4027 in reply to Bananas5]

That is probably why I feel so spaced out, nauseous and slightly disconnected from the world then. My thoughts don't seem to be my own at the moment.

Unfortunately I have been given 300mg capsules so there isn't an option for me to split them.

I will stick with it over the weekend and hope that the side effects decrease, but I will give my GP a ring on Monday.

If Gabapentin is going to work for me (given the marmite theory) when might I expect to feel a reduction in the pain?

On another note, I am hoping to find out a little more about the how and why of Chronic Pain generally.

Paula x

[Bananas5 in reply to Pt4027]

Oh yes you have hit the nail on the head as to why you feel like you do.

Surely they started you off on 100 mg 3 times a day? Please don't tell me you went straight in at 300mg once a day? That was only 4 days ago.

You can not expect any pain relief on this sort of dose. Your body will be going frantic trying to adjust and not coping.

Ring surgery first thing Monday and tell him .

What do you want to know about chronic pain? The injury, many are never diagnosed, is long gone but the nerves are still sending messages

Fire away and will answer where i can or you can google. Some excellent sites.

Pain Concern who run this site have very good info.

x

[VELoce21]

When I went on Gabapentin I did so starting at a very low dose, it took weeks to get up to my therapeutic dose of 600mg 4 times a day. It sounds like you increased it over too short a time. However not all medications suit everybody. I wouldn't want to be without them. I was given the leaflet with instructions by the pharmacist at the pain clinic. I hope you get some relief soon as pain just wears you out. Take care and welcome. 😍

[Pt4027]

Thank you for all the replies, I have been looking around the forum and aim to join in where I can. VELoce21 , thank you, yes it does wear you out, physically and mentally.

Today is Sunday, and I have to say that I feel somewhat better, still experiencing side effects, but....I will very tentitvely say (just in case I jinx it!) that I think the pain is a little better.....fingers crossed.

Paula x