Hello..I am new to this site I am 30 years old and work for a cardiologist as a CNA, and I have been fighting pain for over a year and still have very little answers...First step was a primary dr with chronic pain and numbness, he then sent me to a rhuemotologist to find out if I had arthitis she sent me to physical therapy and he had diagnosed my problem as nuerological which landed me at the nuerologist...since then I had my first MRI whiched came up with possible stroke, Dr then ordered MRA and the final conclusion on that was supposedly it was artifact in the imaging..I have 49% stenosis in corotid artery and skin biopsy was positive for small fiber nueropathy..
I am in so much pain, can barely move at the end of the work day. My hands and feet are always cold and in pain. I take nuerontin 200mg three times a day and an occassional pain med ..I dont like them though make symptoms worse. they have tried giving me Savella, which mad my HR go to nearly 145 resting. I have tried CYMBALTA with the nuerotin but it gives me a terrible headache..............any advise I am scared this small fiber is turning into large fiber..does anyone know anything about Large Fiber symptoms/

Neurontin @ 200 mg 3x day = 600mg/day. That is a starter dose to start titrating up to a point where symptoms start to feel better-usually about 1800 to 3200 mgs/day in divided doses. It has to be in effect 24/7 equally.
Taking a pain killer as well, a 'cocktail' is what most PN neuro specialists Rx along with the Neurontin.
I take Tramadol (Ultram) along with my Lyrica, but took it with Neurontin for 6+ yrs before switching to Lyrica almost 4 yrs ago.

Bob's !prescription for pain reduction, Lyrica (neurontin) and Ultram (tramadol) is a good choice.
I have PN and it works quite well for me. As far as the cold extremities, there isn't much you can do for that...other than wear warm socks!

All drugs effect individuals differently. I'm taking 100 mg. neurontin as needed, and that's only been twice in the past two weeks. I don't know what the "starter" dose is, other than what the drug companies recommend (300mg. 3x/day for Neurontin according to the PDR), which (as in the case of oxycontin a few years ago) may be somewhat exaggerated - they're in the business of selling drugs. (I could make a similar comparison to dog food.)

Prevailing wisdom is to find/take the smallest dose necessary to achieve a reasonable level of comfort.

Doc

My wife is another (actually the first) example. She was originally prescribed 300mg. of Neurontin 3x/day, and it turned her into a zombie. After discussing it with her prescribing doctor, he lowered her dose to 100mg. as needed. When my neuro prescribed it for me, I discussed this with him, and he agreed to try me at a much lower dose, which is working quite well (but still not without some dulling/zombification).

Doc

you are the first person i have run accross who has been prescribed an antiepileptic drug as needed. I have read that that class of drug needs to be in your system 24/7 and that it is dangerous to abruptly discontinue use. It may result in seizures.

Hi echoes -

Guess I'm the second person you've heard of who took neurontin (but on a daily basis, not p.r.n.) and quit cold turkey because of finally having the side effects of not being able to focus my eyes normally and a cotton-filled head (this was for post-shingles neuropathy in 2003). No ill effects - maybe I was just lucky? Vision, etc. went back to normal in no time. Anyway, the neuropathy was gone by then and stayed away - that time.

But I have read that suddenly discontinuing neurontin might cause seizures and that one should taper off per the doc's instructions.

Sheltiemom

Hey Doc what would be your pain level 1-10 when you dont need the 100mg?

I asked the doctor about that. His response was:
1. That the seizure warning is for people who have previously had seizures and are taking it for that purpose (we are not).
2. We had both been on it at higher levels previously.
3. He takes it that way himself for a neuropathic problem.

Our pharmacist also had no apparent concerns, and he would speak up if he did.

I wouldn't recommend anyone do it on their own; it's something to discuss with their own doctors. I'm just relating our experiences and that it needn't necessarily be taken in high doses.

Doc

Something I forgot to mention....

I'm taking 100 mg. gabapentin as needed. The question/concern was about stopping it abruptly causing siezure. Most people are taking almost 10X that amount (or more) daily - 300 mg. 3X/day. If someone at that level were to titrate down to get off of it, eventually they'd get down to 100 mg. - that's the smallest capsule that's made - and then to nothing. I spoze you could consider that, effectively, I'm perpetually at that last step.

I expect that if things keep progressing, I'll have to increase dosage (or find some cocktail) as others have done. But I'll always go with the minimum I need to get by.

Doc