Is there anyone, here, who has used Gabapentin for neuropathy? My neurologist has said that he would prescribe this for me if needed, i.e., if I feel that my neuropathy is more than a "nuisance"! If just a nuisance, I may want to consider NOT taking a medication that can have undesirable side effects. I would just like to know from any of you who have taken...are taking Gabapentin whether or not it has been helpful...whether or not the side effects were not tolerable. I understand that each of us is different...what "works"for one may not "work"for another...but, with some input, here, I might be able to make a wise decision about taking Gabapentin.

Thank you...I would appreciated any information that you might be able to give me to help with my decision.

Virginia Therese

I have been on it for five years. I have severe pain and weakness, hereditary neuropathy, so it is not my only pain medication. It helps with the burning and electrical zapping feeling, and it helps me sleep. I am on 600 mg. x 3.
I have not had the weight gain or brain fog that many experience, but I have had some blurring of my vision, for me the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. I do notice if I miss a dose. Many people have trouble with it.
Are your symptoms more than a nuisance? If not, you may want to put this one off for now.

Just read your other posts- if you are experiencing pain rather than burning Gabapentin may not offer any relief.

gabapentin has actually helped my pain and burning quite a bit. 1800 milligrams a day but it does make you hungry so drink lots of water

Gabapentin relieved my pain, but the dose had to be increased every month or two, as I quickly grew tolerant of it. By the time I was at 600mg x 4 daily, I was cranky and walking around in a cloud and spaced out feeling. I'm presently taking a low dose of Nortriptyline, (anti-depressant) which I've been able to tolerate better. That too, hasn't helped with the pain part much. Your Neuro should give you no problems prescribing it, if you want to try it out. Also been using a Capsaicin cream on the bal of my feet, which helps, but some are saying now, that it may prevent healing. Dr has been trying me out on Tramadol, up to 50mg x 3 daily. I've only been taking 1 - 50 mg pill 3 x a week and does a pretty fair job of relieving the pain for up to 10 hours for me, during the day. Only trouble with Tramadol is that it can become habit-forming, so am hesitant to use daily. At least I know I can pretty much count on decent days when I take one. I have almost no pain or discomfort at night, so far, thankfully, which may be due to the Nortriptyline. I "came down" with Neuropathy about 3 1/2 years ago, but didn't get diagnosed or take meds for it for more than a year. I got tired of the "folded sock" feeling

my Nortriptyline side effects: A bit of constipation, sweat more easily, some nervousness, initially. Tramadol side effects at one daily: a bit lightheaded initially, but not so much after having taken it a half dozen times or so.

what the heck is it with gabapentin and getting use to it no time. I get an increase and I feel better and then a few weeks later I need an increase. Oh well.

I have been on gaba for approx. a year for severe small fiber neuropathy. I had gotten up to 2400 mg a day and it was making me hear voices...weird....neuro took me back down to 1800 mg which I am still on. He asked me around Christmas time if the gaba was helping. I told him this was all new to me and I had no way of knowing really unless I stopped taking it. A few months later he decided to take me off the gaba and try Lyrica. Lyrica gave me a horrible stomach ache and he took me off it after 3 weeks to make sure it was the Lyrica. I went without gaba for over 6 weeks and I knew then that it was working some to relieve my symptoms which are just about anything you see listed as symptoms I had been using 1/2 a vicodine every 3 to 4 hours since Sept of 2013 and that was just not cutting it being off the gaba. I had to go up to a whole pain pill (I'm on 7.5) to get any type of relief. Even though I am back up to 1800 mg I have not been able to go back to 1/2 a pain pill. I'm thinking my body is getting use to vicodine and is not working as well now.

If you decide to take it you will have to get use to the titrating up to see how much might work for you (or not) and along with that comes dizziness and the like but it does go away. He was titrating me up every week but I asked if I could do every 2 weeks instead and he was fine with that. The symptoms of the gaba lasted about 4 days but I needed those extra days to get ready for the next increase.

As you stated everyone has diff reactions to meds. I hope this info helps you. My journey is just beginning on this difficult road and I will be seeing a neuro at Emory in Atlanta on Sept 9th.

Please keep us posted on what you decide

Debi from Georgia

You will find many folks here on Gabapentin. It is the go-to drug for Neurologists. I was on 1800mg/day but found the constipation intolerable. I switched to Gralise, an extended daily release.

If your pain is at the nuisance level, you may only need a small amount, such as 100mg/day. At that level the side-effects are minimal, but increase as you increase dose. You will likely be started on that dose anyway.

Most folks find they need to increase the dose as the effects stop working. Eventually they find a plateau that works. Empirical evidence is most folks here plateau at 1800mg. I think there is a study measuring and concluding that.

I used to and now like dac122 I also take Gralise. My only side affects from the gabepentin was the foggy feeling. Now that I only take it once a day and before bed I no longer have that feeling. Rarely if needed I take a gabepentin in the evening if I'm having a bad day.

The highest dose I was on was 1,800mg now I am on 1,200 mg.

Good Luck

Have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia & have been prescribed Gababentin, slowly upping the dose per doctor's recommendation......take now 2400mg at night....sleep like a baby.
take Duloxetine in the AM. Don't like taking this stuff but will see how it goes long term.

chloecasey

I take as my dr says a baby dose since I started it and maybe don't really need it yet I don't want to go off as my body is used to it I take 2-100 pills at night I have tried to go to 300 I just can't get out of bed with too much fatigue if take that much my dr wants me to go up to 600 and take during the day... no way...I can get used to it I am drug sensitive so those taking as much as they do they are lucky as when I get bad pain with this I don't know what I will do.