There is an AARP article entitled "10 Drugs that cause Memory Loss".

No. 3 is antiseizure drugs: Gabapentin, etc. It was mentioned that an alternative medication is EFFEXOR. More and more articles I read that anti-depressant medicines can help chronic nerve pain. Gabapentin, afterall does not do anything to help the nerves. It only dampens the signal in the central nervous system.

I have been holding off taking the antidepressant medications as i am concerned of the "double whammy" of Gabapentin and antidepressants to my memory.

Anybody using Effexor with success, even at a minimum level? I am willing to forego the Gabapentin if necessary.

Thank you for that information. I have been taking Gabapentin for about 3 years now and have noticed that I do forget quite often during the day, example - I work over the phone and I could be into the call about 2 mins or so and I would be trying really hard to find away to get that customer to say something to make me remember what the call was about. Now this will happen about 4 to 5 times a day. Hope that it does not get worse, as I depend on job as it is a great medical plan.

It is not long term but at the moment sorta thing.

Thanks

I, too, noticed the frequent forgetfulness of stuff like difficulty finishing my sentence due to forgetting the words or I dont remember the names or simply just not remembering if i already take the medicines. If i rely on my memory, i might be taking double dosage of all my medications. I have had quite a good memory thats why i know that whatever is happening now with my memory has nothing to do with aging.

I have been wanting to taper my Gabapentin (i am on 1800mg a day) but every time I try, the unpleasant sensations in my skin get 3x worse. I have read a couple of articles that Effexor is given to chronic nerve pain with decent success AND WITH LESS SIDE EFFECTS ON THE MEMORY. Anybody read this?

Thank you.

Mary

Please do a lot of research on Effexor before you try it. It can be really hard to get off. I had too many side effects to continue it past a few days, I might have been able to tolerate it after a while as side effects are supposed to lessen, but it affected my vision and scared me. I also did not like what I was reading about it- some people, a small percentage but not insignificant, are never able to discontinue the drug. It is very powerful.

It sounds as if the Gabaoentin is helping you.I am confused myself as to whether it is helping with much more than sleep, and want to try tapering to less. The R-Lipoic Acid seems to be helping my skin burning. I notice if I forget to take it. Hope it lasts.

Thank you so much for posting the information about Gabapentin. That is very sobering. I think I would take the memory loss over constant pain, which can also cause cognitive issues, but there is a cost benefit ratio that is very personal for everyone. I hope that you find a satisfactory solution. Most research on antidepressants and neuropathy assume they are combined with anti-seizure medication. Many doctors prescribe them together. I know there is research supporting combining long acting morphine and Gabapentin which I am taking.

That's great (that it's working)! FWIW, it's still working so far. At first I would notice if I forgot to take it too, but it's been a few years now. I forgot to fill my vitamin tray this past week, so no RLA in 7-10 days, and (so far) no return of the burning. For all I know, some healing may have occurred or something else changed. The stuff is a great antioxidant anyway, so my intent is to continue it.

Adding B5 (pantothenic acid) seems to have first reduced—and now eliminated—the shocks & needle jabs, and significantly reduced the cramps/spasms.

I still have some pain & sensitivity, intolerance to cold, numbness, folded sock, but these have pretty much (with time) been reduced to 'nuisance' status.

Doc

I took pantothenic for a while but It was not helping me. I still take it once in a while though.
The intolerance t cold that you mentioned, what is it exactly that you feel? i have this very unpleasant sensation in my legs that it feels like goose bumps when i feel cold...its painful. I know when my skin is very sensitive because anything cold I touch, it will trigger the unpleasant sensations but only in my legs.

Thank you Susanne about the side effect of Effexor on your vision. I have some vision and hearing problems as side effects of my lung treatment. So, adding a medicine that could potentially affect the vision should be ruled out.

I am taking the R-lipoic for over 2 years now and I really do not know if its helping me but since its a good antioxidant I am taking it just the same. What is really helping me now is the pain cream prescribed to me last Dec. It makes me function everyday. It makes my pain tolerable.....

I am glad the r-lipoic is helping you..... we always welcome any relief!!! :-)

Mary

The Effexor dilated my pupils so that everything was "whited out", like being out in a snowstorm. It was very unnerving. I did not stay on it long enough to see if that side effect would pass, after two days of it I was very upset. I also had constant yawning, which is a known side effect, and "brain freezes" where I felt these shivers all over my scalp. I have had them when I had migraines as a kid, but not often and this was constant. All in all, it was not a good few days.

While I was trying it I started to research the drug and was very upset at what I read. I am surprised at the article in general as some of those drugs do not seem to me to belong on the list and some would be hard to justify discontinuing. I do think that tranquilizers are over prescribed for the very elderly, but I have also seen my mother completely overcome by anxiety, a shaking, irrational mess, and I cannot imagine a doctor not giving her Xanax.

Effexor is the only medication I have ever taken where the drug companies hunt you down and try to get you to refill that prescription. I received mailings from them for about a year asking why I wasn't refilling and urging me to do so. I suspect there is a lot of profit in there.

I felt that there were a few prejudices in the article, but all in all we are as a society over medicated. Of course I feel myself to be an exception and my medication to be totally justified! I just don't get the author's affection for Effexor.

My husband and I play strategy games daily and he is under orders to tell me if I start slipping mentally. My brains were really my only asset and I can't afford to lose them.

I take gabapentin but in lower dose be 600 mg. I have not been on it but about 6 months. Taking effexor may work but being a male that med tends to make something else not work as well. I am leaning more to essential oils that may offer relief. The oils are and I might get spelling wrong are frankensense & myrrth.

I'm on 3600mg of Gabapentin a day. What were we talking about?