gabapentin

[PNist]

Hello everyone, I am taking gabapentin 600 mg day/600 mg night (1200 mg per day) plus Cymbalta and magnesium for the last 12 days. And I haven't seen ANY improvement at all. Is this normal? How long should I wait before coming to any negative conclusions? 

[Cardinal]

I don't think 12 days is long enough. I haven't been on cymbalta, but I heard it could take up to 3 or 4 weeks to start doing anything. Gabapentin also is supposed to take a long time to build up, and also 1200 mg per day is considered a low dose. I think most people take 1800 - 2400 or sometimes more. I tried up to 3,000 mg per day, and saw no benefit. I tried magnesium - both tablets and rubbing on the oil on my skin and didn't notice a benefit. Some people do get benefits from the cymbalta+gabapentin  combo, so I'd give it a month (and increase the gabapentin to 1800).

[Joolibee]

It took about 3 months for me to feel any improvement with Gabapentin, but it did start to help after a couple of dosage adjustments. I'm not convinced I've had any benefit from magnesium. Haven't tried cymbalta. 

[Hidden]

You could try pregablin? Both didn't help me, although my mum takes this and swears by them ...

[PNist]

I did try Lyrica and Laroxyl and didn't see any benefit at all. I wish I had because pregabalin had no side effects. Thank you for your answers. I think I should give it a couple of more weeks then. 

-Cardinal: Have you seen any benefit from conservative treatment? If not, can you tell what helped you? 

[Cheryl37]

Be careful how you take your meds together.  I have read several different places that magnesium should not be taken within 2 hours of gabapentin because it will lower effectiveness of the gabapentin.  I take gabapentin Round 7pm and then magnesium at 10pm just to be safe.

[juliapiper]

I took gabapentin for 9 months, 2 x 300 mgs per day.  There was no improvement in pain - it just made me feel rather zombie like so i didn't care as much.  Started to get bleeding gum problems and discovered they dry out the mouth (similar to anti depressants) which can then lead to tooth / gum issues.  Decided to stop and although I was on a low dose, coming off gabapentin was horrendous - couldn't sleep for days, paranoia, anxiety, etc.  Did some research and apparently very difficult to come off.  Now I try and live with the PN and when it is bad / a flare up, I use a TENS machine - recommended by team in Nantes.  Four pads on lower back.  Certainly eases and no side effects at all.  I would say be careful of gabapentin.  

[1bluefairy in reply to juliapiper]

I ended up with a spinal inplant, like an internal TENS. That's helped me the most. You can adjust strength and pulses. Went to this because TENS was helping. No pads and wires to deal with, or batteries dying. Surgery involved though, no regrets.

[sido48 in reply to juliapiper]

Hi Julia it`s recommended when coming of these drugs to do it slowly ,over a period of time ,take two a day then two a day missing a day for at least two weeks the cut to one a day for a month then start missing a day for a few week`s,a lot depends on the dosage folk are on ,always best to ask the doctor or your doctors pharmacy

[Ladydidi]

I was on gabapentin up to 3000 mg day for about 9 mos, didn't help at all.  I had no problems weaning off of it slowly. Haven't tried cymbalta but am on 75mg 3x day of lyrica for about 3 yrs now and was trying to wean off thinking it wasn't helping until I wasn't taking mid day pill and realize how much is was helping, I couldn't move in pain without it. As far as magnesium I take the liquid 2ml per day just to help w poop!  It does help!  Plus I also take 1/2mg methadone at night for pain in place of Percocet that I'd been on for 3 yrs. I'm trying to find new meds to help w pain. But to answer your question...you need to give gab way more time and be at a much higher dose (3000mg) or more but go slow to increase, took me 6 mos. my doc said 3600mg but I didn't bother as I don't feel it helped. Best of luck.

[Hidden]

I know this sounds like a patronising question but... what are you expecting from the medication? Would you like some relief, total relief, to be sedated and relaxed to detach from the pain, or something else?  I feel that we, as those who experience all kinds of pelvic pain problems, can hope for too much from doctors and medication...  And, when it so often doesn't work out, it's disappointing. 

I've really had to change my mindset since having these problems.  No longer can I expect to go down the route of seeing a doctor, taking a medicine, maybe having a scan or seeing a specialist, then finding some relief or cure (i.e. the sort of approach I'd previously been used to with any kind of medical problem). It's new territory.  Now it's about trying everything I can: seeing what works and what doesn't.  

Keep being creative with what you try and stay as positive as you can (I know it's hard...).  Research things, reduce stress as much as possible and allow yourself time to sit and think things through and to be yourself.  Stay mobile, stretch your legs and do whatever exercise you can manage - and involve the whole body too.  I've generally found that working on the neck, shoulders and upper-back will have an effect of the pelvic regions, and flexing the ankles and calf muscles will also help too.

Keep going!

[ncoplin]

I am coming off of Suboxone which I was put on 3 yrs ago to get off of Fentanyl. The withdrawal is horrendous. Even though I am coming down very, very slow. Now that I have decreased the Suboxone, my pelvic and pn pain is coming back. I was taking 2mg a day of Suboxone and it was great. No pain. The insurance company and the doctors say I shouldn't be on it and I have to come off. I too have been taking a small dose of Gabapentin and my pain doc is slowly increasing it. I am up to 1500 a day. I take 900 at night and it zonks me out. My back pain is better but the pn and pelvic pain is getting worse. Has anyone had SUCCESS with Gabapentin and Pelvic Pain?

[1bluefairy]

Everyone is different, but it never helped me. Mg. where increased several times, by the time it was strong enough to help, the side effects out weighED the help, unfortunately.