Patti, sorry for your sitch, but I don't think you should be so worried about taking the Gabapentin, especially the low dose he recommending. The side effects for that low dose are probably very minor if anything. I take 3600mg a day and really only get tired from the Neurontin (Gabapentin is the generic version). Now, I have a really high tolerance to meds, so I know my case is a bit different, but I think you should still give it a try. I find it works real well for PN pain. My situation is a bit different than yours as I hav full body SFN and the pain level is way more than Neurontin can deal with alone, so I take a high level narcotic with it.

As MrsD (who is a real knowledgeable poster here) has said, keep following the threads on this forum and you can get a wealth of information and ideas. Keep your chin up and know we all feel for you and your sitchuation.

Jay