Posted in chronic pain also. Help! New pain meds making me sick!
 

Hi,

I was all excited to finally get a referral to a pain management doc, and met with him yesterday. He spent about 40 mins going over everything with me, and then put me on some new meds to try. Unfortunately I seem to be VERY sick from them.

Wondering if anyone has taken these and gotten similar reaction, and if the side effects level out eventually (better yet, go away!).

I'm taking 5mg butrans transdermal patch for pain, along with my percocets which I've been taking for a very long time, so that's not a problem, and gabapenten 100mg twice a day.

I'm thinking it's the pain patch making me sick, but not sure.

Symptoms: abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue and weakness.

I'm only on day two of the new meds. Any thoughts?
Cathie

Re: medication
 

Sorry you are having trouble with the new medications. I also have trouble similar to you with gabapenten, neurotin. It made me dizzy, nautious, and I felt wobblie all over. I really didn't want to take it. I did call the doctor. If your symptoms really don't improve you, or you feel are so uncomfortable, please do call your doctor, and at least let him know what kind of symptoms you are experiencing. I really do wish you all the best. less pain today. ginnie

Thanks ginnie,

I wasn't sure which of the two new meds were doing it? Problem with starting two new meds on the same day, and they both have side effects. Sometimes I think we are the dr and drug company's guinea pigs!

It is a bit less since I was able to get some food in me, we will see how it goes in the next day or so. I am feeling less pain, so I would like the side effects to ease off for some relief! Can't win, huh? Lol

Hi Cath
 

I really was very impatient not to feel the effects from gabapenten. I didn't give it much chance to work before I called in. I just didn't like it. I may be wrong, but you were started on a higher dose than I was. I sure hope that it does work, and maybe you should give it a bigger try than what I did. At the time my patience was running thin with just about everything. Take care, and I hope your pain goes down to a tolerable level. ginnie

Cath, gabapentin did give me "whirly" feeling for the first few days too - started out on 1 400mg at bedtime for the first three days, then 1 in AM and 1 PM. After a few days of that, "whirlies" went away - none of the other symptoms you list ever figured in. Now taking 1600mg gabapentin daily along with Percocet and am okay with that. Fatigue is constant, but not sure if it's the Percocet, the gabapentin, or the combination. Stress can also factor into that fatigue. I'll take fatigue over debilitating pain any day tho.
Don't know about the patch...

Does your Dr. know your still taking the perocet's ?
They told me to stop my vicodin, I just started a 10mcg Butrans patch.

Yes, they were prescribed at the same time. Perhaps your doc stopped your vicodin due to the patch? Sorry, I don't know anything about patches.

Yes, he told me I could still take percocets for break through pain. How is the patch working for you? Any side effects? How's the pain level.

Mine is only 5mcg, it still doesn't eliminate all the pain though. :( But it does help a lot.

Cathie

Me either. I stuck out the forst month, but I felt like I was walking around in a dream sequence in a "B" movie.... A Roger Corman/William Castle "B" movie! Couldn't get off of it fast enough. Couldn't think clearly/create/use my mind at all. For me, that's intolerable.

Doc

I kind of wondered about that too. The butrans is (from what I read) supposed to block the oxycodone from working by occupying the same receptors.

Doc