Gabapentin effectiveness over time
 

Hi

I've been on 400/400/600 gabapentin for at least three weeks ( longer I think, i didn't keep track) but I feel like it's effectiveness has improved over the last week. Is that possible? I thought gabapebtin didn't need to build up in ur system? I thought it worked pretty much right away?

You're right, it doesn't really need to build up. Keep in mind that you can simply have good weeks where the pain and symptoms are not as profound. Every day is NOT the same for PN.

Are you sleeping better?

Ok thanks. I know people say they have better days or weeks but in a year I haven't had any. Everyday has been the my "same" or worse. I hope my tiny bit better days continue!

Overall, I am sleeping better. The last few days I only got two hours of sleep, but the last few weeks I've been 4 hours of straight sleep ( if I am lucky 5) then an hour or two of broken sleep. That's a huge improvement for me

Glad to hear things are at least a little better for you. Hopefully you can continue down that path........ :cool:

It's funny to hear that some people say it doesn't need to build up. In my experience it does. My doctors have all said that it can take 1-2 weeks to have its full effect as well. And one thing they know is drugs and how they work. Since they are always eager to prescribe them.

Understand gabapentin is quirky. It can take 2-3 hours to kick in after taking it. And the higher the dosage you take of it the less amount of the medicine is absorbed by the body. This is why doctors often want to stop at around 1800 mg a day. Anything above that has as little as 33 percent efficacy.

It is also my experience that gabapentin can be more effective when cycled on and off. To be on it for a month and then to go off of it for a week or two and then to return to taking it, titering up again in low to higher dose seems to be a treatment option for some.

Unfortunately one of the side effects of gabapentin is actually neuropathy. For me the side effects are enough that I only take it once i get home from work because I want to be as clear headed as possible in the workplace and behind the wheel of my car ( I took Lyrica at a very low dose for a week onceand ended up in a car accident). Was a shared fault deal but still made me reassess that stuff. Gabapentin seems to allow me to sleep as I take a "gababomb" at night taking 900-1200 before bed and that basically is my daily dose in one shot. My experience is going much higher in dose than that doesn't really give any more relief but way more side effects.

Oh dear, anxiety striking hard again.....I have been getting my hope up thinking maybe I'm slowly healing ( tinsi, tiny bit at a time). However, I think two things are responsible and now I'm depressed and anxious again ( big time).

1. Gabapentin working when I thiught it wasn't doing too too much. I wAs super busy yesterday and forgot my mid day dose. By 8 pm my vibrating snd pulsing was getting out of control

2. I've been busy taking care of my sick mom And I havent been able to sit more than a few minutes here and there each day so I haven't noticed things as much.

I'm soooo sad again

One more thing...

My fingertips ( below last joint) seem to fall asleep very easy ( typing this on my phone has all my tips asleep). This happen to anybody

Cana, can I ask what your current diet consists of? You'd be surprised how many food can easily set nerves off.

Currently not the best diet. However, for over 5 months I had an excellent diet, organic fruits and veggies, nithing out of a box or can. Nothing fake, only meat, fruits, veggies. Spices and herbs. No gluten, dairy, no carbs. And it made zero difference. None, other than making me more miserable. I'm thinking of going back to this but it's hard since I didn't notice a difference before.

Do you get relief the next day from taking it the night before?

I've also read about Gaba causing neuropathy or making it worse for some people. I really wonder why. I've even read about people taking it just for anxiety or insomnia, and reacting with nerve pain. One of the reasons I haven't tried it.

I believe the relief does hang over all the way into the next afternoon. But every time I go on this drug I want off of it . If I do go off of it I find myself having to return to it because of the pain level.

I would say if you can avoid taking it to do so. It's a masking drug. It isn't a cure. It attempts to trick the brain to not see the pain signals that are being sent from the nerves. But there are clear side effects and I really think it's a survival issue. For some they have no choice but to take it. It's not something I think anyone should be on long term. I found Lyrica got rid of a lot of the pain but it was an awful drug to take, total zombie time, walking around like Frankenstein and cymbalta made me literally want to end my life.

I notice a difference in the food myself but I am not pain free either way. A milder low carb no dairy diet is the best tolerated for me but it is miserable like you said. Oddly enough I have felt caffeine helps my pain which goes against what everyone says to do.

Anything artificial, sweetener, coloring, processed anything, etc... Those can take my sfn to another level though. I can go from a mild burning to an intense electrical buzzing that will have me house bound for days. I assume sfn affects everyone different.

Is it the same pain level prior to starting it or worse?

MSG can be a huge trigger for symptoms. It is an inorganic glutamate salt, and stimulates the NMDA pain receptors.

It triggers me hugely. Also too much nutrasweet... with its aspartic acid should be avoided. It is also a NMDA agonist.
Some supplements have aspartate in them... avoid those too.
Magnesium aspartate is one example.

Having adequate magnesium levels works as an NMDA antagoinst though, and that is why magnesium is so helpful for PNers and diabetics.