Hi Friends,

I saw a doctor recently who is really trying to help me get my pain under control. He prescribed me percocets and gabapentin 300mg. For now I am taking the gabapentin about an hour before I go to bed at night. But, I still feel slow, groggy, clumsy, and can't focus well when I wake up. The doctor wants me to start taking it in the mornings as well in one week. I just honestly don't know how I am going to work when I take these in the morning. I can hardly walk straight about an hour after I take one and it feels like I have a hard time seeing straight. They also make me really sleepy. Do the side effects start to decrease with time? I am still 1 1/2 months away from working at my job long enough to meet the waiting period for STD and LTD.
So my next question is, are there any Canadians here on government disability for CRPS? If I get laid off or don't meet the waiting period at work I don't know what I will do for income.
Thanks so much for your help everyone
Megan

Welcome Megan,

Have you taken note of when in the morning the affects start to taper? For instance if you feel groggiest for 3 hours after you awake then taking the Gaba 3 hrs earlier would help. You could also ask your doctor to re-write the scrip for 100mg and take it 3 times per day rather than taking all of it at once. The side affects do decrease over time but, it takes some patience and working closely with your doctor to tweak the dosage amounts and the timing of when you take it, to best suit your needs. Keeping a journal of side affects, timing of dosage, dosage amount and how each medication impacts you during the most important part of your day and then discussing this with your doctor will help with this adjustment period. Be sure your doctor understands what is most important to you ie; mental clarity during working hours or how meds affect your ability to sleep etc., It is easy for doctors to overlook how the meds affect our personal and work life because they are more focused on treating the CRPS first.

I really hope you are able to continue to work so that you are eligible for benefits if and when you need it.

Were you taking the percosets before starting the GABA? Are you taking both at the same time?

I was on gabapentin for many years. Are you aware that it is usually necessary for the dosage to be increased, a lot? Like to 600,1200, 2400, 3200. It's fine to go slow and the early side effects may subside, at least enough to be tolerable and worth it. Don't let the doc increase it until you can handle it. Is it helping you yet?

Hi, I am very new to the form and PN and started on 300 mg of garbapentin3times a day and now take double the dosage 1800mg of garbapentin. The first couple of days I felt high but that passed.

You don't mention if you are taking the Percocet or how many times a day you are taking it.

The percocet might be the culprit on making you groggy. I can't take it. Even a quarter tab gives me hallucinations, and makes me groggy for a couple days. I was taking Gabapentin 400 mg 2x a day for about a month before I had to get off it due to being pregnant. I'm back on it 3x a day 400 mg and haven't had any side effects. The first time around it made me feel a bit buzzed (like I'd drunk a little too much alcohol) for about a week then was fine. It also made me want my husband's undivided attention lol. I think that's how we ended up with our youngest son lol. I was also taking lortab 5/325mg for break through pain. Remember we all react differently to meds.

Let me start by saying I'm rarely affected by side affects and I'm not allergic to anything. My doc started me on 300 mg of gabapentin and it made me loopy and sleepy but through titration I am now up to 3,000 mg a day. Like I said I'm one of the lucky ones that has a strong constitution when it comes to meds but maybe if he could try you on the lowest possible dose and take it from there? I hope this helps

My wife just was telling me today that now that I'm taking 1800 mgs she notices that I'm going to bed earlier.
I feel bad to be not good company anymore...

Good afternoon I had the same effect with the gabapentin sleepy, feeling drugged I was taking 300mg am and 300mg at night. I asked my doctor last week if I could try and get of the gabapentin and so far it has been two days and finally getting my head clear. My goal is to go back to work and feeling foggy all day is not going to work out for me in customer service and cash handling. I just had my second ganglion block and so far the pain and heat had calmed down. I broke my arm 12/9/13 and have been out of work since. My fingers and hand are still swollen and do not bend

Hey Megan! Congrats to the gold medal hockey team!