Gabapentin (Neurontin)

[Barefoot TJ]

I have been taking Gabapentin (the generic for Neurontin) for about a good month now. I started with 300 mg, then went to 600 mg two weeks later, and now I am at 900 mg (with plans to up it one or two more times). I spread the dosage out throughout the day as is prescribed.

I sleep much of the day and night away. I am up total about 4-6 hours, and when I am, I am mindless. I am dizzy, exhausted, and unable to think clearly. (I wonder if my posts and emails make sense and if I am ticking anyone off. Hee. Hope not.)

Anywho, I thought these side effects were supposed to go away with continued use. How much more usage do I need before I can live normally?

I don't want to stop taking it because it is actually helping with the burning and throbbing in my toes (although I still have attacks of extreme pain now and again, just not as often), but I haven't been able to get outside to walk the neighborhood to see if it "sticks."

Any ideas, help, suggestions...please?

 

[dutchie53]

It does take a little bit more time than most people think it should before it feels better. I usually waited about 1-2 weeks after upping my dose before going up again.
It is also a gradual improvement and not a overnight cure. Like I said before, maybe I was lucky as I have no side effects from gabapentin. Currently on 300 mg twice a day.

 

[NickW]

I took it for a couple months and it never did work for me. We upped the dosage a couple of times, but I don't remember the exact mg that it was. Glad to hear it works for you even a little bit.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

It does help a bit. I went 12 hours without a dose, mostly because I was sleeping and then having to plan to drive my kid to school, but I noticed while I was sleeping that my toes were starting to throb and burn again, and that's only from missing 12 hours! The Gapapentin does nothing for the tingling, numbness in my toes when I am walking or the walking-on-knots pain I have. I wonder if upping the dose more will help with that.

My massage therapist is supposed to be back tomorrow, so I hope to see her again to have her finish trying to break up the scar tissue in my feet. I'm hoping that the knots and numbness is from scar tissue pressing on the nerves, although she says she can feel new, small neuromas (and I can too).

 

[dutchie53]

It will not cure the numbness, it will help with the pain and discomfort. It should help with the tingling though. IMO tingling is still better than pain.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

My experience is that the tingling always led to numbness, and the numbness always led to pain.

Tonight, my toes are burning and throbbing like I have never even taken Gabapentin. Have you ever had regression while on this medication?

 

[dutchie53]

Some days were worse then others, but I do not think I had regression. There is some numbness that is always there, but I have not had tingling since I forgot my meds at home a couple of weeks ago when I was out of town. It took about 4 days of starting the meds again before the tingling went away.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

The last two nights and days have been horrible in terms of regressing. I can tell since that "toes about to pop open" feeling is back. And what's worse is the PF is coming back too, since I don't like walking with weight on my forefeet. I am going to go to four a day and see if that helps.

 

[dutchie53]

You can do that, but hold at 4 for a couple of days at least before going up again. That is the same route I took until I got to where I was comfortable. Remember that this is for discomfort and not a solution or cure.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

The neurologist said I would possibly have to take this for the rest of my life. No cure there. No solution there.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Oh, did you ever take two or more pills at once? Like I'm taking 300mg 4 times per day now, spread out throughout the day. Have you ever doubled the dose? Would that be a bad idea for me, just to see if it would help?

 

[dutchie53]

I was up to 1200 mg four times per day. With my facial pain, now only 300 mg twice per day for the feet.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Wow! And you never had tiredness or dizziness?

 

[dutchie53]

The tiredness was minimal and always blamed the kids for that one. Dizziness I experienced was mostly from pain, I do not remember getting that from Gabapentin.

 

[dutchie53]

TJ, any improvement yet?

 

[Barefoot TJ]

The last two nights have been good. Maybe this is a some days/nights are good and some aren't. We'll see.

I saw my massage therapist this evening, first time in a month since she went back home to Thailand. She continues to break up the scar tissue and buildup around the nerves, so hopefully, this will resolve through her help, then I can get off the meds.

Thank you for asking.

 

[RunningPirate]

Since you're already taking an RLS drug with mixed results, have you tried this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabapentin_enacarbil

It is a variation on Gabapentin (so, the same, but different) - not sure if your Dr. would prescribe (it would be off-label usage) but might be worth a shot...

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Thanks for the note. I wonder how effective it would be in comparison to what I am already taking, since, from what I understand about it, is you don't get 100% absorption, but then again, being on this drug robs me of thinking clearly, or even wanting to much lately (hence my lack of care taking on this site in comparison to the past), so I probably am not understanding what I am reading, and you probably aren't understanding what I am writing. sigh.

How's that for a run-on sentence?

 

[jldeleon]

Nerve pain is the most difficult type of pain to treat. That is because the stimulus to nerves is so variable, hence, so is the pain. If you cannot resolve the stimulus to the nerves, you will always have some nerve pain no matter what you take. I would really stick with the massage therapist and ask her to show you how to massage your feet yourself -how to break up the scar tissue yourself. You may want to go to a dermatologist to find out if there are other ways to break up the scar tissue faster or more efficiently.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I would really stick with the massage therapist and ask her to show you how to massage your feet yourself -how to break up the scar tissue yourself.

That would be a consideration if I also didn't have nerve damage in my hands, fingers, and wrists. But thank you, Mrs. D.

Not sure how deep the dermatologist looks under the skin. I will stick with the meds and the therapy though, and if the therapy actually does what it's supposed to do, then I will get rid of the meds.

I could tell that without the medication, last night and this morning would have been miserable for me.