Gabapentin Side Effect or Just Lovely RSD?
 

I started on a low dose of gabapentin a couple months ago (100mg then 200mg twice a day) and didn't have any problems with it...not sure it was helping the pain either. This last week my legs decided the didn't want to work (hips and knees feel like they're trying to swivel) and the muscle spams started. My doc increased my dosage to 400mg then 800mg twice a day. I took 800mg this morning about 10:30 with no problem. Around 2:00pm I started feeling dizzy, my legs were worse, it feels like tiny muscle spams all over inside, and it feels like there's a pressure all around me...it's a weird feeling. I take gabapentin only twice a day because I'm on Xyrem at night and they can't be taken near each other. So do you guys think it could be the gabapentin or just RSD acting up?

It seems like your doctor increased the doseage tremendously. That's a big, fast jump, even for gaba. But I take it and have never had that problem. It could definitely be your rsd but only your doctor could run further tests to find that out. Not a big likelihood it's the gaba, though.
Good luck and best wishes.

Yeah I'm pretty sure it's not the gabapentin. And yes, we had to increase it. I was supposed to be on the 400mg twice a day for a week before moving to 800mg twice a day, but I forgot and took 2 pills, so I had the increase a few days early. The only reason I started on such a low dose to begin with was because of the Xyrem. We had to make sure there was no negative interaction with me taking the gabapentin in the day and Xyrem at night...have to be very careful not to overlap them. So far there haven't been any problems. I do have back issues, and the RSD has been attacking every old injury I have, so pretty likely it decided to mess with my back and neck, too.
Do you guys ever get what feels like tiny muscle spasms, almost a tremor or vibration?

Tremors, spasms and muscle contractions
 

All of these are symptoms (or can be) symptoms of crps. I am on a muscle relaxer for these exact symptoms. They became strong enough to make my great toe move away from the other toes further than I can do by myself. If left untreated, these kinds of symptoms can become dystonia.

" motor abnormalities (weakness, tremors, spasm, dystonia with fingers fixed in flexion or equinovarus position of foot). Range of motion is often limited, sometimes leading to joint contractures. "

*edit*

I would suggest discussing it with your PM. I am on clomazepan and tizanidine for these tremors/contractures. Strong contractures have stopped, but I will still get tremors.

Best to you,
Jenny

Thanks for your response. Sorry you have such issues with this. I've had spasms and tremors in my left wrist/hand/thumb for years, but have just started dealing with full body. I won't be able to be on both a nerve pain med and muscle relaxer at the same time because of the med (Xyrem) that I take for narcolepsy. So I may have to eventually decide between pain or spasms...although gabapentin has yet to truly relieve the pain. I may get some relief with it, but I'm not sure if it's the medicine or just the roller coaster RSD...I hate roller coasters lol. And it of course doesn't touch the deeper bone and joint pain or the weakness.

With this condition, and because many of us are on so MANY different drugs, therapies, etc.....it makes it extremely difficult to tell what is working and what is not.

Always an adventure....................:confused: