To ask about gabapentin and nerve pain/sciatica success stories?

[SpamChaudFroid]

After nearly 3 months of sciatic pain, (it's bad, I need a stick to be able to walk, well shuffle really) and many different drugs, (codiene, amitriptyline, diazepam) my GP has prescribed gabapentin. I am seeing a physio who has made an appointment for a second opinion as to whether it needs further invstigation, (eg. steroid injections or material removed).

Has this worked for anyone? please someone tell me it works

The dry mouth with amitriptyline does improve to answer your earlier question. I took gabapentin for about a year and a half. It did help initially, bit after a while it began to be less effective. I couldn't bear the effect it had on my memory, and I couldn't remember words in mid sentence which was embarrassing at work. Plus there is a possible link with pancreatic cancer in animals. It only appears to be in men, and isn't proven but as my dad died of it, I really didn't want to carry on.

Now take high dose vitamin B12 which really helps and magnesium. Hope you manage to get some relief.

I’ve had gabapentin for sciatica in the past but it didn’t help me. But turned out I actually have ankylosing spondylitis. I put on 3 stone on the short time I was on it. Horrible drug.

I actually take pregabalin now for nerve root compression in my neck. So much better. No weight gain or side effects at all really. Much bette drug. So if you don’t get on with it do ask to try. Although the same type of drug they are night and day I think.

Good luck.

*Osteopath, not chiropodist!

Yes, the physio sent me for an MRI, she wouldn't touch me after 4 sessions as she felt there was something very wrong. The MRI showed a massive herniation to my disc at L5/S1 and I was sent to the neurosurgeons and referred for surgery
About 36hrs before my surgery date I developed cauda equina and they operated immediately, I had a 5hr op to resolve it

I found it helpful to read up on how the spine works. I thought I had a broad understanding but didn't realise the significance of rest and activity. When you lie flat the discs rehydrate - so you are taller in the morning and it can take a while to get moving as the spine is "full up". In natural activity throughout the day the discs lose hydration. The best thing for your back is a balance of natural movement and rest. Too much of either causes problems.

I've had a slipped disc removed was pain free for a couple of years then I started getting pains down my legs again, discovered I had another slipped disc. I didn't want surgery again so had steriod injections. Very very painful when receiving them but was pain free for 6 months after the first one. Had a second lot done and it lasted a lot longer. Nearly 4 years later and still pain free

Oh and I've had a few MRI scans mine speeded up treatment as the pressure on my spinal cord was quite bad, consultant wondered how I was still walking and still in control of my functions

No, not a choropodist, a podiatrist. They look at your gait, stance and how your foot falls. They supply prescription orthotics and advice on how to stand and walk and move in order to take pressure off the area that is causing the pain. It's a completely different discipline and very specialised. Without my visit to this man I would still be in bed and going to the loo on a zimmer frame and I'm only 56. Two years of agony feeling like a T Rex is clamped to my left buttock and thigh all in the rear view mirror now thankfully.

Op read up about sacroiliitis/spondyloarthtosis. The stiffness in the morning is a classic sign. You may actually be starting with that. Mine started with sciatica type pain and the sacroiliac pain does radiate down my legs. For this you need a rheumatology referral.

Btw I haven’t been told about not taking anti-inflammatories with prebabalin by either my GP or consultant. I take a strong nsaid daily for my AS alongside it which they are both aware of.

Sorry spondyloarthrosis. I didn’t preview and check spelling. This is the name given to all degrees of spinal arthritis (ankylosing spondylosis is technically supposed to be when the spine is fused) as it’s recognised as a spectrum of disease now.

@Peopleshouldread Don't mean to hijack the post, but I was almost in tears reading your post. I came of baclofen which is the same type of medication gaba a receptor. I did try gabapentin, I had grim side effects. Coming off baclofen was the worst experience, or one of the worst of my life. DH bought magazines thinking it might help, it was around Will & Kate's wedding. Nothing I did helped at all, I honestly said to DH, I don't think I'll sleep, I really can't cope with this. I don't know why your GP can't medicate you to help, it was literal withdrawal.

I honestly wouldn't want anyone to go through that. I can't even remember how it came up with a checkout person, something was said, she explained how she had to go through the gabapentin withdrawal to go on pregablin, which also didn't work. Like me coming off medications that affect gaba a receptors, her family called paramedics & all sorts as she was so bad.

I just really feel for anyone that's had that experience.

I'm on certain meds and have been for a while, I don't get any high or anything.

Just wanted to say it was a sanity saver for me although I was only on it temporarily whilst on the waiting list for surgery. It made life a little more bearable.

Amitriptyline also worked for me. Without it I was regularly up and wandering the house/garden whilst waiting for the codeine to kick in so I could grab a ew more hours sleep.

Wandering the garden at 2am in early summer was quite lovely - quiet, the dawn chorus - but that was a pleasure I was more than happy to give up.

I’ve taken pregabalin before for fibromyalgia I also have bad sciatica/SI joint pain in my right hip. Didn’t really work out on half a stone in about 2 weeks.

Ive just weaned myself off duoxetine which was horrible would give me brain zaps. Currently just on tramadol for my pain.

Hi OP, you sounds as bad as i was pre-surgery.

Surgery was the best thing I ever had. I went from not being able to walk without acute pain to walking with a "background" dull pain that is nothing like the sciatica/nerve pain.

Have you had an MRI to confirm if this is temp or perm situation?

Following surgery I have done a lot of mindfulness stuff and started to understand that I am not actually "injured and in pain" any more and that my brain simply receives the message that I am in pain when actually everything is ok - I have residual nerve damage. The mind is very powerful and I do not use any pain relief on a regular basis - only for flare ups when I use Naproxen and Tramacet for 1 week tops.

Good luck - back pain is hell and nobody truly understands unless they have experienced it.

Daisypond - I can't bend my back backwards at all, the leaning against the wall stretch, where you push your stomach towards the wall - I managed about a millimetre, the pain that invoked was hideous!

DaveMinion - My dad was terribly arthritic for many years before he died, he was on a drug called Humira, so I will mention that to my GP. My hip joints have "excellent movement" according to GP, so surely they'd be stiff too?

A friend said I should try the supplement amino acid DLPA, any experience taking that anyone? I am taking prescription vit B already as it's generally good for healthy nerves.

I'm developing the third cold sore I've had this month. I haven't had them for years! Really groggy as well, I took my first daytime gabapentin. I am hoping so hard this works. I don't want to go through years of chronic pain like many of you have had to endure.

@StarStruckStarGazer I was actually thinking I was some kind of special freak loathing this drug, after all the songs of praise from the other posters, so thanks for commenting. Glad I'm not alone.

I do wonder though with all the other PP's - have any of you been on Lyrica for a substantive period of time, and have any tried to stop? Because if you do any serious reading on it , it's one nasty ass drug , that will give you seizures if you stop it suddenly. It may work for pain in some circumstances but I couldn't personally justify physical dependence on such a thing ever again. And I'm looking down the barrel at a lifetime of increasingly severe chronic pain.

I was actually thinking I was some kind of special freak loathing this drug

You haven't been on the drug I'm posting about have you though Peopleshouldread. (according to your pp) ? I'm posting to ask for success stories with gabapentin not pregablin.

I had horrendous sciatic pain from a slipped disc and couldnt shift it. Physio was amazing and I am pain free. I was as stiff as a board, but doing the set exercises worked very well for me and got me moving.

@ SpamChaudFroid

It has a lot of the same side effects and is as equally dangerous as pregablin were you to stop suddenly. The withdrawals are also nasty as fuck. They are similar drugs , absorbed differently - so while I was not referring to you and gabapentin, I was slightly derailing in response to posters who mentioned pregablin.
I would do a pile of research about it, as I do with all my meds that I am prescribed before making a decision. I don't view Drs as omnipotent and like to make very informed choices , not saying you don't but it's saved me from a couple of ones with nasty side effects post my Lyrica experience.

This is an interesting article about it. www.therecoveryvillage.com/gabapentin-addiction/gabapentin-safe/

I posted on here about a month ago about my lumbar spondylosis which was giving me pretty horrendous sciatic pain from buttock to calf and had been ongoing for over a year. The only time it was eased was when sitting, even turning over in bed was waking me up with the pain so I wasn't sleeping.

I have forced myself to go to the gym pretty much every day since then, light cardio to warm up then mostly using weight machines concentrating on lower back and legs and I would say that the pain has reduced by around 80% and I can walk pain free (still have slight pain when standing still like in a queue, at school gates etc) when I had to stay sitting on a bench near the entrance while DH and DS went round the British Museum in the Easter school holidays as just walking from the tube was agony! I have incorporated a 30 min walk as well which really hurt for the first 5 days.

Whenever I feel like I cba to exercise, I remember sitting on that bench. The less I move the more pain I find I'm in.

It’s also great for lessening hot flushes. & makes you high as a kite when you start / if you take infrequently. one dose every half hour in the evening, one with a fizzy drink 3 x 300mg total, oh & one dose with food. Like mdma but excellent sleep.

Thanks mowly75, but I wasn't really after tips on how to get high on it! My GP certainly hasn't suggested taking them at half hourly intervals and drinking with fizzy drinks.

Did you try paramos over the counter? Worked for my dh when nothing else did.

Paramol that should say.

Do you mean am I taking paracetamol? Yes, I still take that along with the prescribed meds. It's definitely an underrated pain-killer, it's used it in palliative care.