Gabapeptine v pregabalin

[Bluepainter]

Thank you everyone for your continuing advice

I am trying to get as much information as I can before seeing the GP about coming off ropinerole.

I note that advice has been given that if you need more than 1200mg of gabapeptine you should switch to pregabalin. Is there a reason for not starting with pregabalin initially?

[Elffindoe]

There's a couple fo reasons for trying gabaopentin first

1) If you live in the US, pregabalin is more expensive. However, this shouldn't be a problem in the UK.

2) Since gabapentin is less potent, this means it can be increased in smaller steps than pregabalin making it more precise.

Other than that, there is no real reason for not starting with pregabalin. It dose have advanatages over gabapentin in fact.

[Bluepainter in reply to Elffindoe]

Thank you for your advice

[Walrob66]

Hi Bluepainter,I started Gabapentin when I was first diagnosed with RLS. It worked well for two months, but then became less effective. I increased my dosage and reached 1400mg, but it didn’t seem to help.

I’ve recently switched to Pregabalin, and so far can say, it’s been a massive improvement.

Obviously everyone is different, but for me, Pregabalin is working well so far.

At the beginning my GP (I’m in the UK) said, to be honest, the main reason to try Gabapentin first, was because it’s cheaper than Pregabalin.

[Bluepainter in reply to Walrob66]

Thank you for giving your experience

[Mightily564 in reply to Walrob66]

Hi can I ask if the Pregablin makes you feel hyper, I have 3 x 50mg daily and am struggling with no sleep. I wonder if it’s common.

[Walrob66 in reply to Mightily564]

Hi,No. It’s actually the opposite, and the whole reason I’ve been prescribed Pregabalin. I take it before bed, which enables me to sleep through the night.

[WideBody]

I wish I would have started with pregabalin. I am not sure the side effects if I did. I take pregabalin only at night so, it has no daytime side effects. Pregabalin is definitely more consistent.

[ELECTRONTRAV]

Hello Bluepainter,I take 100mcg Pregabalin before bed, I certainly helps but is not the complete solution for me, I will investigate if a larger dose is a possible solution so that I do not have to use the Neupro patches (Rotigotine) that I cut down to half a mg. These patches are Dopamine Agonists and if I can wean myself off them I will. I was originally started on Ropinirole (in my innocence of RLS) but would never have used them if I had known what a problem they would be. As a man Pregabalin has one unfortunate side effect but apart from that they seem to be reasonably innocent as far as I am concerned.

[Runedrun26 in reply to ELECTRONTRAV]

How long were you on ropinerole and how much did you take.

[ELECTRONTRAV in reply to Runedrun26]

I started with 0.25mg but that only lasted for about 4 months when I had to increase the dose to 0.5mg and it continued like that until I was taking 1.5mg and then I thought I was starting to augment so I was put on to Neupro patches 2mg, however recently I have been trying to reduce them and now I have 0.5 mg during the day and and add 0.5mg before bed. However I am hoping to wean myself off them altogether and the Pregabalin by using Targinact. I will need to talk to my doctor to get that prescribed to replace the Neupro and Pregabalin

[Bluepainter in reply to Runedrun26]

I have been taking it for 14 months and at the moment take .25 at 6.00pm and .5 at 10.pm. Getting symptoms during the day now which I didn’t have before.