Gabapentin. Anyone have any experience of this?

[PavlovtheCat]

Been prescribed it to help manage nerve pain from sciatica due to prolapsed L5/S1 disc, alongisde co-codemol and diclofenac.

I have read some alarming side effects and I am now very nervous about starting it. I have been given a sick note to cover next week to help me adjust to this and while I am still in pain, so I do have time to work through some of the side effects.

I am prescribed what appears to be a low dose 100mg x 3 daily. Starting with one, for 2-3 days, then up to 2, then up to 3. GP said I might be lucky and find that 2 works, and if so then stick with that, but more likely is that I will need increase beyond 3, but see how it goes at that level to start.

It seems that some professionals don't like using it, but that is it used as a cheaper alternative to the newer Pregabin.

I just wanted to get some views and experiences from others. Some of the more concerning side affects I have read about are its potential negative impact on mental health, and right now, I really want and need to be as positive as I can, as that is how I will get over this 'flare up' and accept my future and change my life how I need to so I can continue to live how I want to (actively!). And some idea of what the more common side effects are so that as I start it I will know what to expect from the ones I have read about would be great.

I was given it yesterday, but have not taken it as I had to care for the children on my own as DH worked and I was worried I might react to it

I am currently on 600mg a day of Gabapentin, for epilepsy, but have been on up to 1200mg a day in the past. Have been taking them (with a break for a pg) for 5 years.

Tbh, I haven't noticed any real side effects (unlike other epilepsy meds I've been on) apart from being thirstier, which has persisted no matter how long I am on them for, and went during my pg when I wasn't taking them.

I have suffered awfully from depression in the past, but haven't had any issues with depression since I started taking Gabapentin. so if anything, I am better when on it!

They have to put all confirmed reports of side effects on the patient information leaflet, even if only one person out of the hundreds of thousands of people in America and the UK using that medication has suffered that side effect.

IMO, taking it will help you, without causing all the scary side effects that are on the patient information leaflet. Have you ever read the side effects on a paracetamol leaflet? They are just as scary, but how many people do you know that have suffered those side effects from a low dose of paracetamol?

Yy, same reason I stopped during pg, not enough research, though if you look up American research, it shows no real risks in pg, I hadn't found that info while pg /bf.

Just not enough research done on it in the UK.

And taking away some of the pain will surely improve your MH? It can't be cheerful being in continuous pain from sciatica?

couthy right now I am quite miserable, but that is due to getting my MRI results. But I am determined not to get down long term over it.

It is not so much the listed side effects on the packet, agree, all have to be listed, and others have awful possible side effects too. It is more the research googling i have been doing and some of the mentions of increased negative thoughts and mood changes (which is one of the possible side effects) that has made be

and the dry mouth side affect - that is not a bad thing. I don't drink enough water so this will be a good way to fix it! and I am getting a dry mouth with codeine anyway.

I will take it this morning. See how it goes. I am just super cautious, as before I did my back in, i rarely took drugs for anything, not even paracetamol unless I really needed to, so having to take drugs every day for long term is messing with my noodle!

Morning pavlov

No personal experience but have many patients on it where I work with good results. If you get side effects you can't live with you can always stop and see GP about alternatives.

How is your back? No better I guess. Hope the pills work for you

peanut morning. well, afternoon now. my back is feeling much better thank you for asking. Some lower back pain still, but I can stand almost straight now, even though it is a bit sore to do. DH said he can notice today how much more freely I am moving about, less stiff and rigid. But sciatic pain is still a problem, down right leg and in buttocks/hip/top of thighs. Hence this drug! Apparantly, even with no muscle spasms, or trapped nerve, I have read that the prolapsed disc emits chemicals to the nerve that cause the pain. Probably to let the nerves/brain know there is a problem. So it may be that my sciatic pain won't ever go away, or might take a while, so this drug is for the long haul i think, either this one, or another one if I don't get on with this one.

I have taken one. Not turned into a fruitloop yet...

My ten year old daughter takes gabapentin and amytriptyline for neuro pathic gut pain she is on 600 mg a day and weighs 20kg she hasn't had any obvious side effects at all , and it works well to control her pain xxx

When you have what is essentially a life-changing long term chronic health problem diagnosed, it does take a while to get your head around it.

When I was first dxd with epilepsy, it meant surrendering my driving license which I will probably never get back, and the loss of my career. It was almost like grieving, grieving for the loss of the life I thought I had, and what my life became.

8 years down the line, I am fine, I accept that the epilepsy is just a part of who I am, I have learnt to listen to my body, and just STOP if my body is telling me I have done too much, and I accept the life I have now.

Just like you would allow yourself time to grieve for the loss of a lived one, you have to grieve for the loss of the life you had. But like grieving for a lost loved one, in time it eases and you can start to move forward.

It takes about 6 weeks of continuous use for Gabapentin to become fully effective, so you may feel even better in a few weeks. I'm glad to hear it is helping a bit already though.

DH has been on gabapentin for nerve pain, it worked really well for him, alongside amitryptiline (sp?) which was a bit more problematic (knocked him out). He was on it for about 6 months, then changed to pregabalin as some of his symptoms weren't being well controlled. No real side effects that I can remember. I hope it helps Pavlov, nerve pain is horrible.

I was on it for nerve pain. It worked, but it did make me depressed, which I didn't realise until I came off it. (Unlike you, I hadn't bothered to read up about it beforehand.) I became thoroughly miserable and paranoid. I know that probably isn't what you want to hear, but the feelings did go away as soon as I stopped taking it (within a day or two). At least if you start to feel like that, you will know that there may be a very simple cause and, as PeanutButter says, you can go to your doctor and investigate alternatives.

I am taking gabapentin at the moment for pain relief from endometriosis along with cy-dydramol,naproxen and tramadol.
When I started taking the gabapentin the GP and the pharmacist both warned me that I would need to build up to the three a day I am currently on, and my GP was hopeful that's combination would give me some relief from the pain I have.
I have to be honest and say that the first three days of taking the gabapentin were horrendous- I felt constantly sick, totally spaced out and was dizzy to the point I could barely get out of bed. BUT the side effects have worn off, and now all I have are occasional dizzy spells,but that could be due the other drugs I am on .
Unfortunately it hasn't achieved what we were hoping for in terms of long term pain relief, so I'm off back to the docs to see what else we can try.

Fingers crossed for you that it works.

Took gaba for quite awhile and was unaware of any side effects. Tbh I don't tend to look at the packets info or google either because it used to make me go looking for a side effect iykwim. I really had no issue with it

Hey Pavlov :)

I take Gabapentin and Amitriptyline for neuropathic pain (MS). I was completely freaked out at the idea of taking anything which I thought would knock me out or have awful side effects, young baby to take care of etc., and resisted them for far longer than was sensible.

Titrating the dose up over time is absolutely the best way to adjust to something like Gabapentin - you're likely to feel better from the longer term effects of the meds, and less affected by side effects, after about 6 weeks. Same goes of course for coming off them - titrate down and don't go cold turkey!

See now you've taken the first one - think positive :) The combination works well for me and other than feeling a little dozy for the first few days, it's been worth it to get the pain a little more under control. If you feel after 6-8 weeks that they really don't suit you and any side effects outweigh the benefits, do press to try Pregablin.

Hope you start to feel better soon.

Hiya, not sure if you seen my post on other forum, I had a possible allergic reaction to gabapentin, my face, head and mouth swelled up like a balloon, so stopped them. Then tried pregablin. I didn't find it gave me much relief, and I put on extra weight.
Amytriptiline didn't help at all.
Pain consultant mentioned another that used in diabetic neuropathy but haven't tried yet.

Gaba made me feel terribly sick and heartburny - I just couldn't stand it even though I perservered for some time

reeny yes I did! that was partly was triggered me googling it to prepare myself... not a good side effect at all.

I have felt very sluggish today. Not sure if my speech has slowed, but it feels like it has, and people have been sort of nodding in that 'yeees yes' feeling sorry for me way which makes me suspect that I might have indeed been slurring a little.

I found that after about 2-3 hours, I felt like my eyelids were going to close, although not tired, more drowsy, if that makes sense. I felt a little disoriented, sort of like I could not focus, not sure if that was eye related or brain related, but could not see things I was looking for. Not hugely so, just so that I felt out of sync, but definitely felt unable to drive and stay focussed. I would say symptoms started to ease around 5pm ish and I am now left with a feeling like I am tired, head tired not body tired.

I am wondering if it would be a good idea to take them at night time? so the initial effects of them take hold while I sleep and by morning I feel over the worst of it? At least until it is in my system.

Good to know it could take up to 6 weeks for me to notice significant improvements. My GP did say it was not instant, but suggested days rather than weeks.

couthy you are so right. It is life changing. And I don't really fully know how much yet, that is going to take some time to work out. Sorry to hear you might not be able to drive again. That puts my not kayaking into some perspective really. If I am completely honest with myself, I knew really, when my osteo said steer clear of kayaking for the time being, in Jan, that this was likely going to be long term, I just had no definitive answer then so pretended that the kayak in my garden will be brought out this year and now I look at it with, as you say, a sense of loss.

fourth oh you answered my thoughts about slurring then, I guess I was . I really want to want a glass of wine, but I just don't. I have not wanted a glass of wine since my back 'went' (flare up, whatever it is called) at the weekend, and that is so very unlike me I had a glass on monday as it was DHs birthday and I was determined to get my ass out of bed and downstairs and toast with him, and I did and enjoyed it, but i did not think that I wanted it. Still got one large glass of wine left in the bottle from that night, and I go to have it and think 'nope, don't fancy it'.

Talking of which, can I drink alcohol on Gabapentin?

well luckily I don't fancy any at the moment anyway, probably due to the codiene. But good to know that I won't necessarily have to stay away from a glass of wine forever.

Are you taking regular valium? is that for the disc or the scoliosis or both? what dose level do you take? I take them for a couple of days after a relapse, then stop normally as worried about taking too many addictive drugs, but like today for example, I can feel the pain is not just nerve pain, I think I did too much, and wonder if I should take a 2mg valium before bed to curb any possible muscle inflammation. But I probably wont as DH is out and I don't like being to zonked when he is not here.