[marcusdolby]

Hi everyone !!

I am a 45 year old male from Charlotte NC that was just diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy. I have been on Lortab to manage my pain until I was able to see a neurologist. My insurance company did not need a referral but ALL of the neurologists did. Took me 2 1/2 months to get to see one.

Anyway I am not long winded so here goes.

I was recently put on Neurontin and Cymbalta and yikes !!! Made me feel like a zombie and wouldn't trust myself behind the wheel "much less with a power tool in my hand, I am a contractor" so I have missed work and medical bills are mounting. I have been on it for one week and hear the side effects might get better. Its not doing much for the stabbing stinging pain also.

My Doctor told me he didn't want me doped up on lortab so he switched me to these medications but truth be told I am more doped up on these pills than I ever was on 2 lortab.


One more thing, Family history: Father has it, Brother has it, now I have it. Both are on narcotic pain pills to deal with the pain.

Does anyone have any insight on Neurontin and its long term effects?


Thanks for reading,

marcusdolby.

[Dr. Smith]

Originally Posted by marcusdolby

My Doctor told me he didn't want me doped up on lortab so he switched me to these medications but truth be told I am more doped up on these pills than I ever was on 2 lortab.
....
Does anyone have any insight on Neurontin and its long term effects?

Hi Marcus, Welcome.

In my personal opinion, your doctor's statement may heve been more political than medical, having to do with the current environment and the politics of pain. You're definitely not alone in feeling "doped up" on gabapentin (Neurontin) and duloxetine (Cymbalta), and gabapentin is only effective for about 1/3 of PN patients.

Around 30% of patients can expect to achieve more than 50% pain relief and a similar number will also experience minor adverse events; the most common of which are somnolence and dizziness.
http://www.eapcnet.eu/LinkClick.aspx...hI%3D&tabid=38

As far as long term effects...

The FDA has issued this warning:
"Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), including Neurontin [gabapentin], increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior in patients taking these drugs for any indication. Patients treated with any AED for any indication should be monitored for the emergence or worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior, and/or any unusual changes in mood or behavior."

The FDA also mentions an "unexpectedly high incidence of pancreatic acinar adenocarcinomas" [cancer] in male rats that received gabapentin. The agency adds the unhelpful caveat that the, "clinical significance of this finding is unknown." In other words, no one knows whether this animal research means that men will be at higher risk for pancreatic cancer. This is not the sort of thing that the FDA requires drug companies to follow up on because the long-term research needed to detect a cancer signal can be quite challenging and expensive.

Gabapentin Side Effects:

• Dizziness, vertigo
• Fatigue and or tiredness
• Unsteadiness or incoordination
• Abnormal thinking, anxiety, hostility, confusion, amnesia,
• Depression, suicidal thoughts, mood changes
• Fluid accumulation in feet, edema of face or extremities
• Digestive distress, indigestion, loss of appetite, gas, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• Dry mouth, dental problems, gingivitis
• Blurred vision, double vision, unusual eye movements (nystagmus)
• Headache
• Withdrawal seizures (never stop gabapentin suddenly!)
• Blood disorders
• Skin rash (alert your M.D. immediately if this occurs!)
• Upper respiratory tract infections, fever
• High blood pressure
• Palpitations
• Tremor, jerky movements
• Joint pain, joint stiffness, arthritis
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/...-side-effects/

Doc

[marcusdolby]

Originally Posted by Dr. Smith

Hi Marcus, Welcome.

In my personal opinion, your doctor's statement may heve been more political than medical, having to do with the current environment and the politics of pain. You're definitely not alone in feeling "doped up" on gabapentin (Neurontin) and duloxetine (Cymbalta), and gabapentin is only effective for about 1/3 of PN patients.


As far as long term effects...


Doc

Thank you for the info and response.

[Kitt]

Originally Posted by marcusdolby

Hi everyone !!

I am a 45 year old male from Charlotte NC that was just diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy. I have been on Lortab to manage my pain until I was able to see a neurologist. My insurance company did not need a referral but ALL of the neurologists did. Took me 2 1/2 months to get to see one.

Anyway I am not long winded so here goes.

I was recently put on Neurontin and Cymbalta and yikes !!! Made me feel like a zombie and wouldn't trust myself behind the wheel "much less with a power tool in my hand, I am a contractor" so I have missed work and medical bills are mounting. I have been on it for one week and hear the side effects might get better. Its not doing much for the stabbing stinging pain also.

My Doctor told me he didn't want me doped up on lortab so he switched me to these medications but truth be told I am more doped up on these pills than I ever was on 2 lortab.


One more thing, Family history: Father has it, Brother has it, now I have it. Both are on narcotic pain pills to deal with the pain.

Does anyone have any insight on Neurontin and its long term effects?


Thanks for reading,

marcusdolby.

What type of peripheral neuropathy does your family have? How does it affect all of you? Have you seen your neurologist yet? Thanks.

[marcusdolby]

Originally Posted by Kitt

What type of peripheral neuropathy does your family have? How does it affect all of you? Have you seen your neurologist yet? Thanks.

Yes I saw my Neurologist last Friday "a week from yesterday" Both my Brother and my Father have non specific meaning they couldn't find a reason why we have it. Neither is diabetic and they couldn't find any defiances that would cause PN.

I am having a Nerve Conduction study Monday and my blood tests have all come back normal.

Thank you for the response

marcusdolby.

[Kitt]

Originally Posted by marcusdolby

Yes I saw my Neurologist last Friday "a week from yesterday" Both my Brother and my Father have non specific meaning they couldn't find a reason why we have it. Neither is diabetic and they couldn't find any defiances that would cause PN.

I am having a Nerve Conduction study Monday and my blood tests have all come back normal.

Thank you for the response

marcusdolby.

Let us know how the EMG/NCV test comes out. Thank you.

[Bluebelle]

Hello, and welcome! To make a long story short, I started neurontin, leviteracetam, and nortriptyline - no narcotics! - 5 days ago, for peripheral neuropathy and laarge and small intestinal neuropathy, and yesterday, 1st day in 4 long years, I was pain-free!

Do not give up on your treatment of this! Get your doctor to mix and match meds. until you get what works. I did, and man, it is sheer bliss!

Best of luck to you! Read through the forum - I did, thats why I am pain-free today.

Thank God!

[Ronh]

Originally Posted by Bluebelle

Hello, and welcome! To make a long story short, I started neurontin, leviteracetam, and nortriptyline - no narcotics! - 5 days ago, for peripheral neuropathy and laarge and small intestinal neuropathy, and yesterday, 1st day in 4 long years, I was pain-free!

Do not give up on your treatment of this! Get your doctor to mix and match meds. until you get what works. I did, and man, it is sheer bliss!

Best of luck to you! Read through the forum - I did, thats why I am pain-free today.

Thank God!

Bluebelle can you describe the large and small intestinal neuropathy pain?

I have abdominal pain right now to go with my foot PN.

[marcusdolby]

I guess I was hoping for some more responses about anyone dealing with PN and is also on Neurontin and/or Cymbalta.

Just experience from long term real life users of these drugs.

anyone?

[Dr. Smith]

You may get more responses by posting something in the Peripheral Neuropathy Forum.

It hasn't been all that long either; not everyone checks in here every day. I'd give it a few days to a week.

Doc