Hi guys....

How long did gabapentin take to work for you? What dosage did you start at? How quickly did u work your way up? At what dosage did you start to feel relief? How do you know how high to go? I feel like I will just want to keep going higher and higher until I don't feel the pain anymore...but I have a feeling that's not going to happen so how do I know when to stop?
What did/does it feel like? Does it make some pain completely go away or does it just make it die down? Does it help anybody with anxiety? I am hopefully starting this tomorrow and want to know what to expect.

thanks again...

I was told you need to work it up in your system.
My dosage plan is (mg, 3 times a day):
100/100/100
100/100/200
200/100/200
200/200/200
200/200/300
300/200/200 (where I am now)
300/200/300
300/300/300 (what my goal is- 900mg per day)

I felt a little relief right away. The deep stinging pain died down. The more I take it, the less pain. By this time, I still have pain, but not like before.

Side effects so far: drowsiness, blurred vision, confusion...but not much. I notice an increase of the side effects when I up the dose. But then it goes away I guess once my body gets used to the dose.

Yes it can help with anxiety and mood issues, but you may benefit from anti-anxiety meds as well. It may help you sleep even at beginning dosages. I would say I started to get relief from the burning and electrical zapping at 3x 300mg. daily. They moved it up to 3x600mg within a couple of months which is the most common dose. I am moving up to an extra 300 mg before bed, but this is after five years at the same dose.
It primarily works on burning pain when it works.

I didn't do well on gabapentin....or it's real one Neurotin...it added to my stress...but I have read that others here are doing well with it and others...
But that's us...you need to understand it might alone work for you and you need to take small steps....

Thanks! this is exactly what I needed to hear.

I take Gralise (time release Nuerotin) 1,200 mg once a day. I take it before I go to bed so I sleep through the foggy side effects. Before that I took the regular Gabepetin at one point 600mg 3 X a day but I was able to get that done to 400mg 3X a day.

My analagy on it is you really don't feel it work, but you feel it when you miss a dose. You don't feel immediate relief like taking something for a headache. It sort of builds up over time, probally weeks depending on your dosage. They start you low and build you up, being patient is hard I know.

The burning & tingling are still there but a duller sensation if that makes any sense.

The Dr's have had me try Cymbalta (not for me made me an angry person) and Lyrica (too much weight gain). What I like about the Gralise is when I'm having one of those days (flares) I can take a regular Gabepetin 300mg sometime during the day and it takes enough of the edge off that I don't need something stronger.

I hope you find something that provides you relief, we all know none of this is any fun.

[QUOTE=twitchwitch;1137022]I was told you need to work it up in your system.
My dosage plan is (mg, 3 times a day):
100/100/100
100/100/200
200/100/200
200/200/200
200/200/300
300/200/200 (where I am now)
300/200/300
300/300/300 (what my goal is- 900mg per day)

How long did you spend at each dosage? thanks!

My analagy on it is you really don't feel it work, but you feel it when you miss a dose. You don't feel immediate relief like taking something for a headache. It sort of builds up over time, probally weeks depending on your dosage. They start you low and build you up, being patient is hard I know.

The burning & tingling are still there but a duller sensation if that makes any sense.

Ugh, I think I live in fantasy land. I was really hoping the burning and stinging would go away with gabapentin.

Mike - you are able to sleep through the night? Was that always the case or did your pain wake you up and keep you awake before taking med?

Also, why did you switch to gralise from gabapentin? Also, you down dosed? how did you know you could do this? why did you try it? how long have you been on it?

One more thing, if you don't know it's doing anything but feel it if you miss a dose then that doesn't seem like it gives much relief?....

Side effects so far: drowsiness, blurred vision, confusion...but not much. I notice an increase of the side effects when I up the dose.

Blurred vision all the time? certain times? is this one of the effects that goes away?

Does the drowsiness make you sleep all night? I wake up after about 2 hours of sleep in major pain and then usually can't fall back asleep. Does the drowsiness stay around or does that disappear too?

Apparently you've started taking it...and increased the dose, in one day, since you said "I notice an increase in side-effects when I up the dose".

You have to give it time to build up (but it doesn't take long to notice subtle changes) and for side-effects to go away...and yes, those are the ones that usually go away after a while (everyone is different, so I can't put a time on how long they take to go away---could be 2 days, could be 2 weeks).

If the pain is better, you may not wake up like you have been...wait and see.