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

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

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...

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

Hi Doc,

Did you stop cold turkey or did you have to wean yourself off the gabapenten? I don't really want to be on this stuff forever, hoping after I have the ulnar nerve transposition surgery I won't need it. (fingers crossed)

Cathie

Just wondering if you are doing any better with the medications. ginnie

Hi ginnie,

I'm doing a bit better, thanks for asking. All the tummy issues have subsided, just wish this constant headache would go away. Not sure which med is giving me the headaches though since both list it as a side effect.

I guess time will tell....
Thanks for checking in on me,
Cathie

Well, I just couldn't take the damn headaches any longer, by Friday afternoon I had another migraine and just couldn't do anything. I called the pharmacist and discussed my concerns with the 2 medications and he suggested I stop the gabapenten first to see if it was causing the headache since it's a shorter acting med then the Butrans patch.

I stopped the Gabapenten on Friday and I haven't had a headache since!! YAHOO! Evil stuff. Sooooo.... it's not the Butrans patch it's the Gabapenten making me feel like crap, the fogginess cleared up too. So glad, I'm actually awake today for the first time in 2 weeks.


Cathie