I wonder who told you that Gabapentin affects the liver?

This drug is NOT metabolized by the liver, and is excreted whole.
It is very unlike other antiseizure drugs in this regard.
There are a small few anecdotal papers on individuals who had a liver event on gabapentin, but the actual numbers are very small and considered rare. Because nothing in medicine is 100% for everyone, anything can happen. But with gabapentin compared to other antiseizure drugs, the incidence is very unlikely.

Now Cymbalta, is the only antidepressant that can damage the liver and it will do so, if patients drink alcohol or use other drugs like Tylenol that are hard on the liver. Many chronic pain patients take Cymbalta with gabapentin.

Also other drugs in combination with gabapentin may factor into some liver effects.

On the days that I feel bad I do have the brain fog really bad. The kids just laugh at me and finish my sentences when I can't

My pain and symptoms are 24/7 like most here. I take 1/2 a 7.5 vicodin every 3 hours and add 1/2 a Xanax when the pain is unbearable. So far I've been able to handle that. I'm at home 99% of the time because any walking sets my feet off. I do walk the dog in the yard 4 or 5 times a day because I know I need to walk. I've only been at this a year now and have no idea where this journey will lead me. My PCP handles my pain issues and is the only one I let prescribe them for me due to our long history. I live in a very small town and have been lucky not to have anyone give me that 'evil eye'....it would be on like donkey kong then !

Thanks for the reply

Debi from Georgia

My pain is mainly in the morning and starts back up in the afternoon to bedtime, then keeps me awake with pain til the wee hours. I was taking Ambien for sleep, the "zombie sleep drug", I just went off it two weeks ago after 2 years. Tough drug to get out of the system. Sometimes the pain is nonstop. Luckily it is just burning pain with only occasional lightning strikes, those are the worse. The hot poker stabbing the feet.
I live in a religious community, so I am surrounded with about 30 people, that is a lot of names to forget! I use the phone list to find the name if I get brain fog.
The brain fog used to be bad before I got the blood sugar under control, the Gabapentin just started it back up all over again, after having it under control for about 5 years.
I go back to the Rheumatologist, see what she has next for me to try.
Does the 3.5 Vicodin help? Or does it just make it bearable? I guess maybe in combination with the Gabapentin...

--on drugs such as gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica), it is the kidney function, rather than the liver function, which needs to be watched most closely, as neither of these drugs are metabolized by the liver but excreted more or less whole through the kidneys.

One needs to have good kidney function to take large doses of these drugs. Poor kidney function can be a contraindication.

@mrsd - My neuropathy medication consists of 60 mg Cymbalta, 525mg of pregabalin and approx. 15 tablets of t3's a day. Is my combination hard on the liver? If so I will get my GP to get me on different meds for the neuropathy.

Thank You

That is alot of Tylenol for a chronic use IMO. Really the upper limit is 4000mg a day, and you are over the limit now, but combined with Cymbalta....risky.

There are lower tylenol containing opiates. The new Vicodin or Norco are examples. Only 325mg/tablet of Tylenol with more efficient pain coverage.

I would get some liver tests done, to see what is going on. Some people on Cymbalta react quickly with liver damage, and others don't.

Good afternoon,

It sounds like Vicodin 10/325 is a low dose, I was prescribed the same strength Vicodin. No wonder it does not take care of much.

I had Q-tip brain fog with the GABAPENTIN and that lasted only a week.

I was just forget what I was looking for and have to back track my steps. uglogirl

That's scary about taking Gabapentin that it fries the liver. I imagine that Lyrica does the same

Has you PN ever going into remission and if so for how long.

The burning how long does that last during the day. My comes and goes seems less when I am standing then sitting.

I thought 6.2 would be excellent for an AIC reading
Mine were 6s and 7s one time an 8 and now this dreaded curse.

Gabapentin is very unlikely to fry the liver. Please read all the posts in this thread.

I would like to see good evidence of it before continuing this discussion. Doctors like gabapentin and Lyrica because they are not metabolized by the liver and do not damage it or interfere with other drugs that are metabolized by the liver.

Gabapentin and Lyrica are excreted whole by the kidneys. So any reduction in kidney functions will slow their elimination and build up in the body causing side effects.

When you read things on boards like this you need to have documentation before believing everything people may say. That is why I usually give links in my posts.