I have been in severe pain for over five months now. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia many many years ago. I'm 46 now and have had it since about the age of 12. Most of my pain is in the upper shoulders and neck area. About six years ago, the pain did go down into my legs and feet and I was unable to walk for a couple of years. Five months ago I woke from a sound sleep only to find that my left shoulder was in severe spasm and I could not move my left arm or turn my head. My doctors thought this was due to slip discs in my neck, (C6, C7) and with a nerve root pressing on one of the discs. I tried stretching exercises and working out a spinal center only to deteriorate and find myself homebound with VNA services. My daughter also ended up on crutches with severe leg pain and went to an orthopedic who suggested that she too has fibromyalgia. I'm wondering now if this isn't my current problem.

My doctor started me on Neurontin this morning. They told me it would take 2 to 3 weeks to begin working. After taking my first dose an hour later the pain began to dissipate for the first time. I was shocked. I know this was not in my mind because I didn't even expect it. As you can imagine I was ecstatic! To feel relief after so long was wonderful. I took my second dose about an hour ago, but now I sit here in the same pain and nothing has happened. Can anyone tell me what stopped the pain and why it has come back??

I am also being sent for a brain MRI to be tested for MS. I was supposed to go tonight but that first dose of Neurontin made me very sleepy. I simply couldn't walk to get to the car. Now I sit here wide-awake and in pain once again. I have no idea what's happening to me. All I know is that I was in the emergency room last night, given a very high dose of dilaudid in addition to the MS Contin and Vicodin I'm already taking. I'm going out of my mind with muscle spasms and what feels like my skin contracting and burning.
If anyone has any suggestions or answers for me please leave me a message or post. I so appreciate it! Thanks.

I don't know what's going on with that. My wife & I have both taken gabapentin, and it worked with the very first dose. How much did you take? Very often, patients are started on a low dose, and that dose is increased over the next few days until the desired dose/effect is reached. It's possible that your body responded to the first dose, but you may need to build up to a higher target dose to get the full effect. 2 to 3 weeks sounds long though.

Gabapentin is also known to cause drowsiness in some people, and (I'm not saying this to scare you - just to let you know) there are interaction warnings about combining it with hydrocodone (vicodin) and morphine (ms contin) which could intensify that drowsiness significantly. Both can also increase the level of gabapentin in your blood (see third link below). I'm a little surprised your doctor (and/or pharmacist) didn't mention that.

http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactio...-0-71-747.html
http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactio...-1147-677.html
http://shingles.emedtv.com/gabapenti...pentin-p2.html

Doc

try a good quality of Magnesium supplement, such as Magdelay or mag64

Thank you Doc for your response to my question. I started with a 300mg dose of the neurontin. I was to begin with one cap daily but the pain has been so incredibly intense that my doctor had me start the dose twice daily instead. I do know about the site Drugs.com and use it often. I was a hospital Pharmacy Tech for several years before becoming disabled so I keep a close watch on my medicines. I feel that a pharmacist is a much better resource for the pharmacology of drugs than a doctor is as docs only receive very few classes in med school on the subject. My ex-husband is also a clinical hospital pharmacist as well...
The issue that I often have is that I seem to often have what my doctors have called my reactions to drugs as "paradoxical effects". Very often I react oppositely to what the drug is supposed to do for me. I'm not so sure if I'm explaining this well right now as I am on alot of meds but I do know now after what u have explained to me that the first dose I took must have been what took the pain away. Why it isn't working now I can't explain. I think my doctor is confused by the fact that nuerontin is also used to treat depression and it does take a few weeks to take effect in those cases.
As of tonight I do feel somewhat better but for some reason the pain seems to come and go. I can only hope that eventually it leaves for good. Thank you also for the warning about the dizziness and fatigue. I am falling asleep without notice and very weak in the legs but have been all along since this happened to me. I use a walker and a cane now. Have a shower chair and nursing services, and I suppose my doctor felt that at this point I am so debilitated it was worth taking the risk of the side effects to try and stop the pain and keep me from being hospitalized. My biggest fear is a collapsed lung due to the depressed respirations at this point. I do have COPD and am also still a smoker. I have tried desperately to stop the smoking but can't seem to quit no matter how hard I try. I think this may be due to the PTSD that I suffer with as well. I do keep up with my inhaler now and make certain do several deep breathing excersises each time before I go to bed for the night. I've been told this will help to prevent collapsed lungs from occuring. Hopefully I can avoid that problem.
I want to thank you and everyone else here on NT for all of the great support and information. I have told my VNA nurse about this site and she is relaying the information to her sister who also suffers with fibromyalgia among other things. She was very pleased to have the information as was I. I hope you and your wife are well and happy... Thanks again. Sweet Pea.

I agree. I think pharmacists are an often overlooked and underrated member of our support teams. Many questions people save for their next doctor visit could be answered much more quickly & accurately by (picking up the phone and) asking their pharmacist - not to mention pharmacists don't charge for consultations!
Is there any way we can help you with that?

Doc