Rhythm Of Life (1969 Motion Picture Soundtrack)

[Johnny-One]

I am on a powerful drug called Gabapentin, and take 400mg each night. The Neurologist I was seeing said I could take up to 1,000 mg each day, but suggested I should find my own balance. At 600 mg I found it was affecting me the following day, so stepped back to 400mg.

The drug does not help you sleep. For me it treats the neuropathic pain and restless leg syndrome caused by my severe headaches; I have been a long term sufferer. As a side effect it relaxes my body and ensures I now get seven hours sleep each night, which in turn helps control my narcolepsy during the daylight hours. I say control; it helps me to stay more alert during the day. Without the drug I fell asleep more, and even now if I am not busy during the day, say at work, then I still fall asleep.

I am on call every one in five weeks, which in itself is usually not an issue because we get so few call-outs. However, the week before last I was just about to take my Gabapentin on the Wednesday evening at 21:00, which means bedtime, and I got a phone call. It took me until 04:00 am the next morning to resolve the issue, and then got back up at 07:30 and went to work. Needless to say I did not take my drugs that night. I was fine during that Thursday, but the tiredness hit me bad on the Thursday night and, although I worked from home on the Friday, I do not think I was much use to anyone until late on the Saturday.

For someone who suffers from Narcolepsy and Headaches I think the Rhythm of Life is so important. I know I am important for my knowledge at work, but I also know people would get by without me, and know no-one is indispensable. For this reason today’s song I have chosen is the Rhythm of Life, sung by Sammy Davis Jr., and of course from the musical Sweet Charity by Cy Coleman and the original lyrics by Dorothy Fields.

And the rhythm of life is a powerful beat,

Puts a tingle in your fingers and a tingle in your feet,

Rhythm in your bedroom, rhythm in the street,

Yes, the rhythm of life is a powerful beat.

[4fishylady]

Just a word that might cause you less stress about gabapentin. A neighbor/friend of mine, 55 years old, has Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, CRPS (or RSD Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy), which is a horrible chronic burning pain in her leg and foot. She is on 600 mg. of gabapentin 4 x's a day, plus several other high powered pain medicines. It seems that there is always someone else in worse shape than we are. Hope you find relief for your issues. I take 300 mg. gabapentin at bedtime and 1 mg. ropinerol in the afternoon and at bedtime for my restless leg symptoms.