Hello:

This is another fluid retention and weight gain story.

My husband has been taking 300 mgs. of Gabapentin nightly for over 3 years and in that time he has gradually put on about 50 to 60 pounds.

He has had pitting edema on and off in his feet and legs for probabley close to 10 years. He has taken triazide 10mg. most of that time and lasix when he had bad spells. He is now on Coversyl Plus HD 8mg / 2.5mg I daily.

He has worn compresstion stockings for about 2 years of the 3-ish years he has been on gabapentin.

For the last year we have been very neglectful in getting them on as he cannot put them on himself and last yr. starting in May I had some health issues (shingles and an aortic valve replacment) and could not put them on.

By Christmas time I was getting well enough to be able to put them on but didn't, just lazy, he is so paying the price now but they are being worn everyday now.

Over the last few months he has also got what they think is fluid in his arms but not in his hands and fingers. He has gone for lab work and it has taken up to 5 tries to find a vein.

They have always had a bit of trouble finding a vein. The lab work has all come back okay so far, they took more blood on Thurs.

He went to the dr. and he put him on 40mg Lasix and that hardly did any good.

He also got weighed at 365 or 366.

He went back and the dr. told him to double the Lasix (80mg) and the next week his weight was at 380.

His arms still look the same but we thought that his feet and legs were quite a lot better.

When the dr. saw that weight gain he got really excited and started phoning speclists and he is now waiting on an appt.

This is just guessing but we wondered if the dr had got the first weight wrong because he was just peaking in from the side of the scale and not looking straight on and my hubby didn't have his glasses on at the time.

Anyway the question is I know that a lot of you take way more gabapentin than 300mgs but do you think the edema could be from it.

And have any of you had the edema in your arms or we were wondering if it could be a layer of fat being he has put on so much weight.

We retired about 3 yrs ago and he mostly sits and watches tv by the hour. The most walking he does is from his chair to the table to eat which is about 12 feet and into the bedroom which is 50 or 60 feet away. He says he can't walk much farther because of his sore back. Back is mostly sore when walking.

Sorry this is so long but thought is was all important to say to get the big picture.

Thank You so much in advance.