Gabapentin (Neurontin) How long to 'kick in' ?
 

I know there's been much discussion and comparison between Neurontin and Lyrica, etc....

I simply want to know for those of you who have taken the generic form of Neurontin (Gabapentin).......How LONG does it take to show signs that it will actually help in diminishing neuropathy?

AND do you still need to take a pain med on top of the Gabapentin in order to get relief ?

I've taken Lyrica in the past, had very rapid weight gain, tooth decay.....
So am very leery of this Neurontin trial I am on, as I know it is a direct cousin of Lyrica, so I'm trying to stay at a lower dose.

Also, has it been to anyone's experience that 'you get what you pay for'?
Other words, is the Neurontin better quality and more effective than the generic form?

Thanks
Rae

rrae
 

I took this long ago... took over a month 4 the doc to work me up to the dose he wanted me on and then 2 months b4 he would agree it was not helping me!
I fought w/ my PM 4 over a year b4 i agreed to try lyrica. I have thought on more then 1 occasion that it is not helping me but when i stop it i KNOW it helps!:eek:

Hi ~ Alot depends on the dosage you're on. If you're on too small a dose, it might not ever help. But I took neurontin and I noticed it SLIGHT improvement after 2 weeks. I hated that it took so long to work cause I was in agony. The thing I hated about it is that it made me "loopy" and i gained water weight. My doc took me off it after awhile, and we went to topamax, which is a similar drug, as it doesn't make you retain water, you lose weight on it, and you don't feel "loopy." lol. I'm still on it after 9 years, and it works great!

You mention Lyrica causes tooth decay??? Good grief! I just had MAJOR dental work done due to decay caused by opiates ~ I sure don't need this. Arrgggghhh! :rolleyes: What next.

Take care. Hugs, Lee

Thanks!
 

Pooh, what you said says alot. It must work in a subtle way...so this is good to know....

Leesa, thank you for weighin in! It's funny you said '2 weeks' because I'm right at the 2 wk mark and I coulda swore this morning I woke up in less pain! Hmmmm.
And yep i sure felt loopy-er (than normal :o ) the first week. I would try to respond to a post here and i just stared at it like a cow looking at a new gate. :confused: no words would come......or even if they did, I would have to read the same sentence over about 20 times! lol

Yep, I've found it best just to keep a close eye on the dental....as I don't spose I can blame the tooth decay exclusively on Lyrica....it's just that everything seemed 'fine', despite years of assorted pain meds...then when Lyrica came into the mix, all HELLO broke loose!! :eek:
We'll see what the next couple of weeks bring.
I may broach the subject of Topamax if Neurontin is a bust.
I've seen you mention it in the past and it has treated you favorably, so there's always hope around SOME corner.

Thanks for sharing
Rae
:hug:

A couple of years back I too was on Neurontin and Lyrica. Initially I was on Neurontin and like that it took a couple of weeks for me to reach my full dosage. However, I did have some relief in the beginning..BUT not enough for me. I was also going 'loopy' so my DR changed me to Lyrica!!! well let me just say I thought I was loopy on the Neurontin, I nearly completely lost my mind on Lyrica.My short term memory was just awful. I would start a conversation and if I was distracted at all I couldnt remember what I was talking about 2 mins earlier. I didnt find them helpful with the pain, burning, tingling sensation I had in my back and down my legs.
I was then sent to a Pain Management clinic and this Dr..(this is the guy who implanted my SCS) said that he wasnt a fan of Lyrica and over the next few months he 'weaned' me off them......I will say my head wasnt as woozie and I was started to make sense again, (well sense for me:winky:)
He then put me on lots of different meds over the coming months, ie Ketamin infusions, Lidocaine, Amitryptrelene, Zydol, Tramadol, Lidoderm patches, Rhizotomy...the list goes on....all still leaving me with the same pain, burning, tingling etc....so my last resort is SCS!!!!
I do hope you get the relief you are looking for soon.

Rae the fact that you are now using Lyrica etc, is that an indication that your SCS isnt working for you or isnt working enough?

:grouphug:

Oh no not at all!
 

Oh My! Good Question Jackie!
I'm glad you asked this because i certainly don't want to mislead!!
The SCS is doing WONDERS for me!! It has taken approximately 75% of the level 8 pain away! :winky: yayyy!

The reason I'm doing this Neurontin trial is to try to get away from the Lortab I take for the breakthru pain and the 25% that the SCS doesn't get to cover.
I'm not taking Lyrica (like you, it was a very bad experience.....and this was 2 years ago......way before I had my SCS implant)

I'm just simply wanting to see if Neurontin (which i hear so much about in helping with the burning neuropathy) will help bridge the window of my original pain and what the SCS doesn't cover...

It's been 2 wks now on Neurontin and I actually think I'm seeing something change (for the better).....I'll give it more time to see for sure

The SCS has been doing exactly what they said it would! I'm SO VERY grateful for this! I hope it lasts!!

Thanks Jackie, you're great!
Rae
:hug:

Effective, but gosh, the side effects are terrible
 

While Neurontin stopped the horrible burning, tingling in my feet; I didn't urinate at all, the next day. Not a great idea.


Lyrica gave me suicidal ideations. What are these Pharmaceutical companies thinking?


Baclofen, Subutrex, Valtoren, Flector patches have given me the most relief.

I was on this for a while and the side effects were AWFUL. I had horrible nightmares that turned into night terrors.

Hope it works out for you!!

Gabapentin
 

My wife, a nurse, said this one takes many weeks to have an effect.

I've been on it for a year or so and can't say what effect it has had, if any. So I'll be going off it gradually in the near future to see what happens.
I'm going off Celebrex at the moment.

I've been on Neurontin for several years. Well, I take the generic, Gabapentin. I've taken capsules and the pills. Is there another word for the hard pills? :Scratch-Head: If so, I can't think of it! Haha! The pills caused me a lot of stomach acid problems at night. I don't have insurance and just see a regular MD so I have never made many changes. I am on 300 mg 3 times a day. It's not enough to make me pain free but it is usually manageable during the day.

I honestly don't recall how long it took to see a difference and since I am in some pain all the time, I'm tempted to say it doesn't help...but it DOES! When I have missed doses, my symptoms get much worse. I've even had new symptoms that I don't usually have.

My main issue with the medicine is it takes so many hours to "kick in". I'm guessing it takes a few hours to see a difference with each dose. I try to remember to take it early in the evening but usually don't. Besides, the pain and burning sensation in my feet wake me up in the morning, so it seems like I shouldn't take it earlier or the pain will wake me earlier. I usually add Ibuprofen to help me get to sleep. I hate taking medication so I try not to take extra pain meds...besides, I really can't afford them. And I worry about my liver being damaged. As it is, I take thyroid meds, blood sugar meds, hypertension meds and the Neurontin. :rolleyes: That may not be much to a lot of people but it sure is for me...especially since I have no insurance...and right now am unemployed. :(

I remember one thing from when I first started taking Neurontin. One day, I figured I had taken too much because I was seriously "loopy" and seeing traces if I moved my head. I don't know if it was just because the level was rising in my blood from taking it for a few days or weeks but I eventually got used to it. That was probably four years ago. These days, when I do feel dizzy sometimes, I've been guessing it's from high or low blood sugar...but am really uncertain. It's manageable so I just deal with it.

I am about to enter a study myself...for Lyrica...and for peripheral neuropathy. That's what I was researching when I found this forum. I go to my first doctor appointment on Tuesday and will be watching closely for the symptoms you all have mentioned here. :lookaround: I already have a weight issue since I had part of my thyroid removed 25 years ago and due to the neuropathy and bad back, I am not very active. I will notice if there's a marked change but if Neurontin/Gabapentin is already causing this, as some have mentioned here, maybe I won't see a difference. I'll stay tuned to your posts and keep you up on my study too, if you like. :Popcorn: