Neurontin
 

This is probably a worn-out question... Just wondering if you can share your experience with Neurontin (Gabapenten). I used to take it years ago when it first hit the market for fibromyalgia but I do not really remember if it helped or what dosage I took. My specific questions are:

1. Does this drug work well for your nerve pain?

2. What is your effective dosage?

3. Side Effects?


I am taking 300 mg at night and it has done nothing for my nerve pain. I know this is a weak dosage, so I called my neurologist today for consult and he has increased my dosage to 300 mg x 3x day after a ramp-up over two weeks time. He said that I could go up from there, if necessary - up to 3,600 mg max per day.

Mere

I was on Gabapentin for maybe four or five months. It didn't do anything noticably good or bad for me, even at the 3600 dose. I guess it made me a little sleepy/spacey for a little while at first, but after that passed, I didn't have any side effects nor any pain relief. I was taking it with Tramadol.

I'm on 1800 mg daily. That dose alone helped only some. Rather that increase the gabapentin, my neuro added amitriptyline and Mirapex. That combination keeps most of the pain at bay.

I take 300 mg with each meal. At bedtime I take the remaining 900 mg along with amitriptyline and Mirapex.

The side effects I have had since starting gabapentin are weight gain and brain fog.

Hi. I am on 2700 and worked up from the 300 like you are at. Did your doctor lay out a plan to increase? Each increase is ruff on me where I feel out of it and dizzy but the side effects lessen after a few days. I am on other similar meds like Cymbalta too so at this time I am not sure what is working and not. Right now I am in a flare up which is turning into more then a flare up so at one time I thought it was working more. Everyone is different in how they respond to meds. Hope you feel better

I was on it for 6+ years and finally was up to 4200mgs/day when I switched to Lyrica.
The only s/e for me was weight gain (220lbs to 248lbs). But I lost most of it (25lbs) on Weight Watchers.
Sadly I gained it back with Lyrica, and I've not been able to lose much this time around.

Thanks for your replies. I have a ramp up of:

week 1: 100 mg morning and afternoon, 300 mg at night

week 2: 300 mg morning and afternoon, 100 mg at night

week 3: 300 mg morning, afternoon and night

I tried Lyrica twice and both times had debilitating side effects that did not resolve with time. I was also on Mirapex but discontinued because it made my flushing and congestion even worse than they are now. I also had a tendancy to spend money to a degree that is not characteristic of me. Long ago, I took elavil for depression (of course that was when my ex doctor told me all of my problems were due to stress and depression...)

I always seem to gain weight on these antineuroleptics. I love to exercise, but have felt unable to do so for quite a while now. Maybe, I will try walking again... there is a nice park close by with walking paths.

Mere

That is only 900mg/day.
Most do not see any help until at least 1800mg/day
in 3 or 4 evenly divided doses. Your doc is being extremely conservative.
Possibly because of prior reactions & s/e.
It takes about an hour or so to start working after taking it.
It must work 24/7 in the body to be effective, not taken as a flare-up or emergency- medication.

nide, I take neurontin for nerve pain, tingling nerve pain... and 900 a day keeps it away!! I lived for years with numbness and tingling pain... eventually got so overtired of the pain part of the tingling that I asked doctor. Now been a neurontin for a few years.. and still at the 900 dosage per day... as long as it stays away I will not increase.

so take the levels doctor ordered, and then see, if it helps enough woohooo

Ne4r56nt5n
 

......

My Neurologist is very conservative. He did however say that I could escalate from 900 mg up to 3,600 (maximum dosage) over time.

The pain is terrible and is affecting me in my mid-arm. It spreads to my neck and is worsened when I sit in my truck or tilt my head back.

I have Lortab to take for myalgia and arthritis, but it does not work well on this pain.

Do the side effects become manageable after time when taking a large dosage of neurontin (>900 mg per day)? It makes me sleepy and spacey at the lower dosage.

Mere

P.S. Do you know Dr. Sumner at JHU?

You type weird!

I don't know Sumner, my Doc is Griffin (past head of the neuro dept)
& his PA, Tami W.
The drowsiness abates somewhat & I find it manageable- but at high doses it is inevitable to some degree-it lessens considerably, but I find I take naps now & then, and after dinner sometimes. It helps.
Neurontin 'Fog' is a common sx. Also there are 'moments' of forgetfulness
& I write a lot of notes & 'post-its' to myself. (but it could be age, too-I'm going to be 66)
I also took (still take) a pain med (Neurontin is for symptoms,
mainly-not pain... per se) called Tramadol (Ultram)
along with the PN med Gabapentin (Neurontin) or Lyrica.