Hi Mike,

I was taking 1,200 mg of Gabapentin 3X a day and am now taking 1,800 mg of Gralise 1X a day. Both of those dosages are the max of what's approved by the FDA for those meds. I've been on the Gralise for about 3.5 months, and, prior to that, Gabapentin for several years.

Speaking from my experience, I've found a similar level of pain relief. Maybe a bit less with Gralise than with the higher dosage of Gabapentin, but my nerves feel more leveled out with Gralise, once a day, than with Gabapentin three times a day. If I was late with that afternoon dose of Gabapentin, for instance, my feet might start to feel prickly, or my energy would feel prickly or jumpy. (And then I'd know I was late with my afternoon dose.)

It's hard for me to tell, though, whether I feel the same amount of pain relief. And I have to ask myself, even if an insurance company is paying for it, if it's really worth the significantly higher cost of Gralise (which is still under patent). It's been only a few months for me, though, so I'm sticking with it and I do appreciate that it is a once-a-day dose rather than multiple times a day.

When I read the Gralise package insert, I saw that Gabapentin and Gralise are better absorbed when there's fat in the stomach as well. I do notice Gralise works better when I'm taking a full meal rather than a partial one. My dinner can happen anywhere from 5pm to 11pm, but I find it still better to take with that meal.

I do have some gabapentin to take if I feel 'jittery' or have some extra nerve pain to stave off. Don't be afraid to experiment (within whatever parameters you discuss with your doctor), or ask your doctor to increase your dose to see if it will help.