[zorro1]

twice I have taken 600mg of it and the next day I get big pain in my right ankle like a broken bone plus knee pain and swelling of knees and right foot. same symptoms on 2 attempts why? it did help the burning just from one tablet though but had to stop due to swelling and joint pain

[cyclelops]

Swelling means some kind of inflammation. Were you more active on the neurontin? I don't know what else it could be.

[mrsD]

Neurontin and Lyrica cause edema (swelling) in the feet, legs and hands in some people. When this happens, nerves can get further compressed, and MORE pain may result.

[plgerrard]

If you check this site, and scroll to the bottom, you will see that "swelling of the legs, ankles or face due to excess fluid retention" is one of the common side effects.

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100001829.html

Question for you: Are you taking brand name Neurontin or generic Gabapentin?

The reason I ask is because different generics can actually have different side effects for different people. For several years I had taken the Apotex generic Gabapentin. But, when my pharmacy switched to Greenstone generic Gabapentin, I started having horrible side effects. I emailed my doctor about it, and here was his response.

There is a difference in generic formulations allowed by law that can make a difference in effectiveness of medications and side effects. One option is to ask for the same generic each time, the other is to request Brand Name Only. If you need a RX for the latter let us know.

I was fortunate because my pharmacy started ordering the Apotex special for me, or I would have had to pay $300/month out of pocket for brand name.

So, your side effects may only be related to the generic you are using, and a different brand generic may not give you those side effects.

[mrsD]

Greenstone brand is actually owned by Pfizer, who holds the original patent on Neurontin and Lyrica.

In fact people who received generic Xanax (also a Pfizer drug) would demand the Greenstone brand of that!

Some companies vary in the fillers used, etc. But just so you know Apotex has been having manufacturing problems and is not supplying some drugs reliably today. (FDA citations etc).

Here are some discussions about Apotex:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post627829-92.html

This link gives a list of recent recalls at Apotex:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/compl...c_2009-eng.php

It is a pretty long list of "problems" but gabapentin is not listed on this one.

[plgerrard]

I knew Greenstone was Pfizer, but I had no idea about the problems with Apotex. Makes me wonder if that is why my pharmacy switched to Greenstone.

I know I can't tolerate Greenstone, are you aware of other companies that carry Gabapentin? I might ask my pharmacy to order a different brand, so I can see how I tolerate it.

[mrsD]

Listed in the Orange Book....FDA...

Teva
Sandoz
Watson
Actavis
Ranbaxy

Not all of them make the 800mg.

Here is how to look up a drug and see who else makes it:

Go to www.fda.gov
Type in the search "orange book"
Select the first entry that comes up
Search by active ingredient: in this case gabapentin
(generic searching is best).

And it will list all the FDA approved generics.

(Searches have some generic address which does not work for linking to others)

[cyclelops]

I must have misunderstood. I thought ONLY the knees were swollen. Would it make just the joint swell, and not the peripheral edema?

[mrsD]

dependent edema is strange. I got swollen knees from dependent edema from the blood pressure drug Norvasc.

I guess it depends on the physiology of the person and/or the presence of arthritis or other inflammation already there?

[cyclelops]

Yeah, I suppose it does depend on the person. Every drug has its downside.

I have noticed my Mirapex makes me totally loopy these days. And it is a small dose....unfortunately, I can't do without it.