Gabapentin

[Jeaniem130]

My surgeon prescribed 300 mg a day for the nerve pain and numbness in my feet and legs that remain after my L5 S1 fusion eight weeks ago. He said if I need to up the dosage or continue the gabapentin when the script he wrote runs out I will need to see a pain management doctor. I take it with extra strength tylenol and sometimes a muscle relaxer it helps minimally at best but from what I hear the gabapentin dose is too low. Can anyone share any experience with this?

[WIgranny]

Hi. I'm on 300 mg three times a day for nerve pain in leg started a couple of months ago after 5 years on amitriptylineIt seems to work as I'm sleeping better unless the hot flushes get me!!

[Jeaniem130 in reply to WIgranny]

Glad to hear that dose works for you. Guess I need to get my dose increased.

[Linelover15 in reply to WIgranny]

HiI was told by consultant to stop taking Gabapentin as “ doesn’t work for sciatica”!!

[Defenders in reply to Linelover15]

He's right, it doesn't work for Sciatica, which should go on it's own, eventually!

[Defenders in reply to WIgranny]

Hi, I’m on Gabapentin for severe leg pain from severe degeneration of my lumbar spine. I also have peripheral neuropathy in my lower legs from taking Ciprofloxacin antibiotic (diagnosed). Gabapentin works for the severe leg pain but doesn’t help the neuropathy! I’m prescribed 300mg morning and afternoon but 600mg at night, so 1200mg a day. Hope this helps. I’m in the UK xx

[Trenholm]

I take 1 a day for nerve pain. Don’t want to take more because of side effects. All they do is make me sleep. GP says I should take 3 a day

[cyberbarn]

It is worth remembering that all people process drugs differently. Doctors often start at a lower dose to see how you get on with it before increasing the dose. So it makes sense that a pain management clinic would be the next step if you feel that your pain isn't being controlled enough by that dose.

[NaturesArtist]

Hey, sorry to hear of your troubles. I took Gabapentin for a year or so back in 2004. I had to have it stopped in the end as it made my memory so bad I was like onset early dementia. It doesn’t happen to everyone, but some people are more prone to getting this side affect. It also made me quite hyper. It turns out I have bipolar 1 as well. It was undiagnosed back then. Once it was diagnosed in 2007, I was told I’d never be able to take it again as it is not ideal for people with bipolar!

When I went onto Gabeprntin for chronic pain and nerve pain from damage, it was day one 300mg in the morning, the second day take 300mg twice daily, then it’s 300mg three times daily. It can be given at a higher dose. I’m not sure what that is though.

Hope this helps 💜🤘❤️

[Emma2017]

I was on gabapentin 3x 600mg but had to switch to pregabalin due to side effects. Pregabalin is given at much lower dosages as it is stronger I believe.But whatever dosage you start at your body gets used to it and then you need a higher dosage. I was on the maximum dose in the end but as I mentioned before am now down to just 50mg a day (prob equivalent of about 300 to 400mg of gabapentin). It’s a difficult drug to wean of if you have been on it for a long time.

I would say that 300 is a low dose to start on, maybe have a word with your gp to see if you can have a higher dose like 3 x 300. Good luck.

[greekqueen]

I have been taking 300 x 12 a day, maximum dose for 10 years for nerve pain and it works amazingly with no side effects apart from initial dizziness.

[Jeaniem130]

Thank you all for your responses. My surgery was l5 s1 fusion, laminectomy and foraminitomy 8 weeks ago. I am hoping I don't need the gabapentin long term but I have to plan because my script is almost out. In two weeks I will have an xray to see how the fusion is progressing. Some days I think I am making good progress and then like yesterday I needed ice packs for pain.

[Cappo]

Hi Jeaniem130I have been going through multiple problems for around 51/2 years your doctor puts up the dosage i ended up on 3600mg a day but my meds have changed quite a bit over this time i'm on a cocktail of meds including pregablin and bupernorphine patches unfortunately nothing seems to be stopping the pain but the patches are helping with sleeping but still wake up in pain i went to pain clinic a couple of weeks ago i had a bad experience with him in the end it turned out he could only help if it was one isolated spot that was the problem but he could not do anything for me as my pain is all over so i would say ask your gp if they can increase your dosage as you are still in pain hope this helps and fingers crossed you get sorted good luck :}

[Jedza]

Hie I am on 600mg for 3years at times I feel the difference when I take the tablet at times nothing at all. Have spoken to the GP many a time but she insists that’s the highest dose she can prescribe for me. I take 1 three times a day. I hope your doctor will increase the dose for you

[Amkoffee]

It is important that you not stop this drug abruptly. Which means that if you wanted to stop it, you need to start tapering now or get more from your doctor.

[Jeaniem130]

Got really lucky. I called my GP today and they will prescribe, so I don't need pain management clinic. They even had an opening today which is highly unusual.

[Mitch48]

Hi there, I’ve used to take 3600 mg Gabapentin for nerve pain but reduced it to 2700mg years later because of the effect on my cognitive function. It helps with the cervical (C5/6 & C6/7) & lumbar (L3/4 & 4/5) radiculopathies that I have following several surgeries (ACDF X 2) (3 Laminectomies/3 Foraminotomies/2 Disectomies & a Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion). I changed over to Pregabalin but was put off it by weight gain & changed back. I take the usual meds including Baclofen & Naproxen, along with Fentanyl, Oramorph & Duloxetine. The problem I have encountered is than in 18 years since I was initially injured, there hasn’t been a great deal of new drugs identified as being beneficial to nerve pain. Hence being able to roughly predict what fellow chronic pain sufferers will mostly be prescribed. Unless there are breakthroughs such as identifying a new drug that can help with pain; or it may correspond with larger budgets being allocated to both research and pain clinics, there won’t be much change for patients in the next two decades either!

Kind Regards,

Mitch

[Jeaniem130 in reply to Mitch48]

Wow, you have been through it all. I hope you get some relief with the meds you take. I had the cervical and lumbar radiculopathy pre surgery so not new but feels worse in feet now. I had the L5 S1 fusion, laminecctomy and bilateral foraminotomy but so far am avoiding the c6- c7 treatment.

[Mitch48 in reply to Jeaniem130]

Hi there, thanks. My feet are worse too, it was pure pain before - both feet/ankles & legs/buttocks/back. Now it’s still pain in feet/ankles but I have a mainly numb right foot/lower right leg too, including terrible ‘lightening’ type shooting pains down my legs & in my feet. I still have back/buttock pain but it’s not nearly as bad as the pain I have when sitting down. I had to have emergency surgery as I had Impending Cauda Equina & Spondylolisthesis, involving 2 vertebrae.

I hope you find some relief from your pain too.

Kind Regards,

Mitch

[Jeaniem130 in reply to Mitch48]

I had spondylolthesis too and bilateral pars fracture.

[Mitch48 in reply to Jeaniem130]

Did you have Spondylolisthesis and Spondylolysis (Pars Fracture)? Its just with the misspelling of Spondylolisthesis?

Regards,

Mitch

[Jeaniem130 in reply to Mitch48]

Yes I did. Apparently my brother and I both had this at birth, so congenital.

[Mitch48 in reply to Jeaniem130]

My goodness! It’s surprising what we’re born with. Both my knees had congenital knee deformities & I have congenital Hemangiomas (venous bodies) in my vertebrae which can form anywhere in the body, on the skin they cause ‘Port Wine Stains’. I find everyone’s experiences of their health fascinating to listen to.

Kind Regards,

Mitch

[Jeaniem130]

Dr. said to move up to 600 mg for a week then go to 900. So far the 600 is not helping. I was on 300 mg a day for 6 weeks, seems to me there would be no need to increase so slowly??

[bgp244X]

Hi my gp wants me to come off gabapentin 100mg three times daily because she says if taken with diazepam for instance it can cause dementia!!

[Jeaniem130 in reply to bgp244X]

That's scary to hear!

[Breathless1943 in reply to bgp244X]

I take Diazapam,besides a multitude of other drug,and for the life of me I can’t understand why doctors give us drugs that can cause something else.I was given a drug for my heart,which caused an under active thyroid then I was took off it and given another drug. Bit to late now,that’s just another health problem to add to the many I’ve already got.

Sorry,just that I seen your post,and it just winds me up.

[Greenfingers2]

Useful to hear these experiences! Anyone take gabapentin for damage caused by surgery? My scar tissue seems to have come to life after 4 years of being quite numb! Doctor suspects damaged nerves. Thanks, and all the best!

[Defenders]

Hi, I'm on Gabapentin 300mg morn & afternoon but 600mg at night! This is for severe leg pain due to severe degeneration of my lumbar spine. I also have Axonal Sensory Neuropathy & Peripheral Neuropathy in my lower legs and feet. Gabapentin works for the severe leg pain but not the neuropathy. You have to titrate the Gaba until you find the dose that suits you. 300mg 3xdaily is a good dose for me but because my CRP (C-Reactive Protein) level is so high (inflamation), Dr increased GBa to 600mg at night. Be careful because Gaba can make you very floaty in the head so easier to fall. Do balance exercises to help this. Good luck xx

[Sarek]

Hi there sorry to hear about this.

I am on 1500mg of Gabapentin per day for chronic nerve pain (and other undesirable sensations - like stinging and tingling) across my body that arose for no diagnosable reason - so there is no operation or drug to fix it. The Gabapentin helped in the short term but does stop pain flare ups and I always have a background level of pain. I have benefitted from pain management. This will not take your pain away as such, but will help you deal with it and be more productive. Many such pains do go away, but some stay to become chronic. I recommend some (scientifically driven) websites that will tell you what pain management is all about. Please do not think these are saying "its all in your head", but rather that pain can arises for many complex reasons that we don't understand and traditional drugs/surgery won't improve it.

I hope things get better for you :

flippinpain.co.uk/

my.livewellwithpain.co.uk/

paintrainer.org/login-to-pa...

(I found the last one particularly helpful with its step by step plan)

Have you contacted painconcern directly> They provided me with lots of helpful info on gabapentin and pain management. painconcern.org.uk/contact/#

[Hidden]

When I left the hospital after my 3 week stay in 2017, I had severe neuropathy in my feet. It was so bad that they were actually very painful to the point I couldn't sleep at night. My GP prescribed Gabapentin but my Nephrologist said no more than 300 mg/day. I didn't stay on it long because I didn't like the way it made me feel. It's been 5 years and my feet are still pretty bad. I've been seeing a pain management doctor for 2 years for my lower back. She prescribed low dose Hydrocodone and I can tell you it doesn't have any effect on neuropathy.