Neurontin for Chronic Pain

[From Aunt Lindy to Mariah]

I was curious about Neurontin.  I have been told that this medicine is good for Chronic Pain. I know it is also for use with people that have seizures.  Could someone tell me how Neurontin has helped or hurt them.  I have been taking it at night 300mg small dose for sleep and Chronic Pain.  I dont want to go to a higher dosage until I research more.  My doctor says this is a good helpful medicine.  I just want to get more input.
Thank you very much for your help.  Shelly.

[dustmanfl1984]

GabaPENtin, is best absorbed by taking with food and in smaller increments more often of lowers dosages (300 is okay) rather than say 800 mg 3x a day. 300 mg every 3 hours would be almost 2x more bioavailable (basically work much better) than 800 mg every 8 hours. Do not stop high dosages (2400 or 3000 mg for example) suddenly, but rather taper. Withdrawals can occur and are not pleasant and seizures are possible with sudden stopping of long term high dosages. Initial side effects (waking up feeling drunk) often go away after a month or so. Lyrica is an easier and more absorbed alternative that works much the same. It's 2x a day, if insurance will cover it, I'd pick Lyrica. Less side effects and ease of use win.

[michellesunday]

Being a person who watches folks with chronic pain. Does it make a difference if pain or seizures come about due to a boating accident or drug alcohol related seizures?   Is the cause of root of pain relevant to why a person is on pain meds. So if a person in pain takes pain meds,should it matter what the root of the pain is, including emotional or psychological pain.   ***@****

[Lori1141]

On 900 3 times a day, want to stop, how do I ween my self off it, and how long will it take to get the drug out of my system afterward.

[PaulaClgorman]

I was just put on neurontin for a severely broken jaw that left me in terrible pain on thwe whole right side of face cheek to chin.  I take 2 a day and I noticed a difference immediately! However I also noticed the side effects as well.  Shaky, can't think straight in a daze, as well as vision problems.  Is it worth the cons?  I'm trying it out and will share the outcome.  My jaw was split at chin and plate was used in chin, fractured right side jaw bone and broke off part of condyle bone in jaw hinge.. Also was scalped have steel plate and six screws in ankle.  U also was a cm from breaking my top neck vertebrae in half. Very Serious Motorcycle accident, but I will ride again!

[dragonfly234]

i am also taking Neurontin   900 mg 4 times a day and suboxone 2mg 4 times a day and a energy drink ive noticed helped the Neurontin  kick in better and i agree w u they make me happy good mood lotz of energy been on them for a yr now and your right they make me very talkitive hehe i was wondering when  u take them and u dont move around and start doing stuff and stay sitting down do they make u pass out?  i do no i just ran out cuz im switching insurances and i feel like crap

[dragonfly234]

have u ever herd of suboxone it saved my life i was a pill user turned into a heroin  addict for 5 yrs then i found a doctor that put me on suboxone its buprenorphine/naloxone it truley has helped me stay clean off everything besides Neurontin

[theRainbowChild]

I take four 400mg pills of Neurontin every day.  It takes a few days for them to get in your system.  I am 26 and I have fibro myalgia.  This is THE BEST medicine I have found.  I absolutely love it.  It may not be physically addictive, but it has been psychologically addictive for me.  I love the mild "high".  It puts me in the absolute best mood ever.  I do have side effects:  I feel like I'm floating in the clouds, I become very talkative, I am extremely HAPPY, and I feel RELAXED completely.  I think Neurontin is for a very specific type of nerve pain, and it's been a sanity saver for me!  :)
It helps with my pain better than any narcotic.  I love it.
-Jennifer

[donewitis]

I think you should start a new post. This one is from 2001. More people will advise and offer support if you do this. I can't advise you on this..I'm pretty new here, but I do feel your pain..and maybe you can taper down some of these meds and apply again for SSDI. Just keep posting..I'll be lookin out for ya!

[0421]

God is a forgiving God, we do not know why we have our trials but I plan on asking when I see him, I will save a place in line for you to ask too...  I am on Lyrica for post perhiptic nueralgia (siatica nerve pain from shingles). I took Nuerontin and found out that Lyrica works best for me. My pain Dr and I have to change it up now and again deciding upon how my pain level is. I have never heard the more you take the less it works. As a pharmacy Tech the lowest does that works for you is the best one. If you go  to a pain Dr and you trust him let him decide, if you are like  I am I have to research everything and I want to be included in all my medication decisions. the one time I was not I ended up on to much Vicoden. So good  luck and prayers to you,

[mikeinohio271]

this is the first time reading all this i am 38 have heart trouble diabetic nueropothy and l4 l5 discs are deteriorating rapidly also 7 surgeries on back i am currently on 40 mg oxycotin 2 timesdaily nuerontin 600mg a day cymbalta 30mg 2 a day and a fentanyl pain patch 60 mg a day and i cant get approved for disability i cant function with all these meds im losin my house cause i cant work cant get unemployment and am ready to kill myself cause i cant care for my 2 kids my mom takes care of them oh yeah and im a single dad in ohio just need some advice or just to talk bout this i feel like god is punishing me with all of this and am goin nuts

[Leilani43]

I read somewhere that the more nueronrin you take the less it works. I have just acquired some to help with the restless leg issues from vicodin tapering, don't know if they work yet.

[Lostinspace1]

you are not alone mike. there are many of us just like you. I, and many others have been exactly where you are right now. No one gets here with the intent to become an addict, but it happens to alot of good people. It was not my intent to be in this situation,yet I am. For me , it started with a pinched sciatic nerve,  Lorcet 10/650 1q 4-6hrs daily,surgery to relieve the pressure on the nerve then Meperghan 100mg q 4 prn after surgery. it helped for about 4 yrs, then scar tissue took over pressure on the nerve and it has been a never ending battle with various opiates and synthetics every since. Was as high as 240 mg. Ocontin at 1 time, got scared of it, switched to methadone 65 mg a day. I finally had enough of that this past december, quit cold, I wouldnt recommend that for anyone else,felt like I was dying, wished for it, but it didnt happen. I finally got into an addiction specialist who currently has me on perc 10/325 3X daily Xanax 2mg. 3X daily Neurontin 300mg. 3X daily Lexapro 20mg. 1X daily Restoril 60 mg. at bedtime. Unfortunately you cant function very well with all that in your system and I told the doc that. His reply to me was this all started in 93 and I didnt get where I am overnight therefore coming back overnight was entirely out of the question. His plan is to reduce dosages over time, I guess its a plan, its the only one I have, so for now I do what he says, I pray alot, and hope that all this will go away before I die in a RX induced haze. Just Remember there are alot of us like you and worse out here, they just dont fess up to it. Regardless of how you got here, Recreationally or otherwise, YOU ARE NOT ALONE in this mess, we are all connected to each other in one way or another and Jesus Forgives!

[Roseville1]

I fell on a cement patio almost two years ago.  The pain just got worse and worse.  Had MRI's bone scans, xrays, physical therapy, you name it.  Tried nerve ablation on lower back nerves, lived on Norco for over 1 1/2 (luckily not addicted).  Tried Lyrica with major side affects (back felt great, so much pain in right arm couldnt move).  Tried Zoloft, Celexa with major headaches.  Visited a neurologist he suspects nerve, soft tissue damage (really, why couldnt any other doctor diagnose this problem?)  Anyway, Gabapentin (generic for Neurontin) has really helped me a lot.  Still cannot sit in a chair for more than ten minutes due to soft tissue damage, but most of the day the pain is very minimal.  Do have to take a few rests during the day but at least my mood is much better, I feel more relaxed and am not crying all the time due to pain.  I do get a slight headache when the drug is wearing off.  I am only on 300 ml a day.  Some people are taking 1200 ml for pain (I feel sorry for their pain and suffering).  At least try the drug since it is not addictive.  Do have your kidneys checked a few months after taking since it does not go thru the liver and is flushed out thru kidneys.  Good luck

[Jessicahasclass]

Hi, My name is Jessica, I Have been on lortab 10 mgs 4x daily for six years. I also have been prescribed ativan 2 mgs 3x's daily for anxiety. The combo of these drugs mentioned are wonderful. They are sooo addicting... I don't have the addiction to ativan, simply because I like the energy I get from lortab. Im not sure if its because it stops my pain or because I like it, I def. like getting off my butt and getting things done. I have been taking Neurontin for five months. I don't take the small dosage that most have mentioned, I take 600 mgs three times a day... I absolutely love it. As for addiction to Neurontin, Don't believe its not addictive.... I can absolutely stop taking Lortab as long as I have Neurontin. I take Neurontin for fibromyalgia , numerous soft tissue disorders and blah... they all go hand in hand. I used Tom's rec. to detox off Lortab , I now only take ONE ten mg a day... I was up to six per day.. Obviously over my written precription lol...The thread was about Neurontin, anything that makes you feel good can become a dependency drug , Is that bad? I dont think so. Moderation is the Key to handeling any medical problem. I find the cocktail that works for me.. we are all different. Try not to over take your medicine. Also remember the Detox process is NASTY, Your prescription is up to the docs.. They can decide to NOT write it again, keep that in mind also. I had rather decide not to take something than for someone else to decide it LOL...Just remember its quality of life!

[Sidnee389]

5 months ago I suffered from cervical radiculopathy causing me severe left upper back and arm pain with slight numbness in my fingers. I was prescribed pain killers and diazepam for a short while and had gone through intensive physiotherapy (more than 40 sessions). The pain is much better but still there. The MRI report shows damage to cervical disc 5-6. And now I have been prescribed Neurontin for pain - 300mg night time single dose for 1 month. If it doesn't help than I can increase it to 2 doses a day. After a month my doctors says we may reduce the dosage. It's only been a day since I'm taking the drug and am feeling a bit tired. Will keep you posted with my progress with the drug.

[RoseVilla]

I was on neurontin for quite a while due to tremors following a stroke.  I was taking 3 a day, and had absolutely no trouble getting off them (cold turkey).  My problem is I like the opiates.  I was hooked on Lortab for quite a while and went CT, horrible withdrawal, and now through my own stupidity I accepted Norco from my specialist.  Only thing is, I don't feel a thing even when I take two at a time.  They contain codeine and I'm just curious as to why I feel NOTHING.  But as I posted just a few minutes ago, maybe it's better I DON'T get any good feelings from them.  Oh, this addiction thing is awful - I just started the Norco so maybe I can quit without withdrawal.  Oh, I'd been on Darvocet for about 6 months, had NO trouble getting off them, thank God.  How do we get involved in this?  I'm an OLD LADY by the way!

[ShereeAnnette]

Wow!!!I I had no idea that inputing Neurontin would take me down this path. I suffer from the same disease that you all do. It is like once you take an opiod, your hooked for life. I had surgery and got addicted to heavy pain medications. It started with Hydro, then Oxy, then Morphine, and on to Diluadid, and finally Methadone. After surgery my pain management Doctor said, "we need to get you off these medications and sent me to a Doctor that perscribed Suboxone. The Suboxone is a life saving medication and from what I have seen and tried, it is the only way to successfully kick the Opiate addiction. However, I went to the ER after a fall this week and was given a shot of Diluadid and sent home with some Vic. After running out of the Vic, I went to the local Primacare and told them I was in severe pain. I was perscribed 10 Vic's. I know in my heart that I will call them on monday and try to get a refill. I need advice from people who know what this feels like. I want to get back on the meds so bad. Then I remember how hard it was and I just want to sit here and cry. Any advice?  It is like that one person said....yes there are two paths you can go down, but in the long run, theres still time to change the road you are on...... I need support !!! I don't know which road to go down. It's a choice that can change my life forever.

[butterfly75]

I read this thread for the neurontin and learned so much about opiate addiction too.  I think the more input we get about the trouble others have faced and tried (sometimes again and again) to persevere the more we learn about what we may need to avoid.  It is so easy when I am in pain to think I may need more than the elavil, neurontin or tylenol and reading all of this makes me know I need to try if possible to make do with what I can handle.  I admire all of you courageous people that are trying to get off of the opiates.  At least you see a problem and are trying to correct it.  I think of the Led Zepplin song Stairway to Heaven where they say that there are two paths you can go by but in the long run, there's still time to change the road your on.  

[Sheri69]

I don't mean to offend anyone here at all, I just wanted to let you all know that the posts about oxycontin being a life killer is absolutely true.  I am an addict to opiates.  Eight years ago, I almost died from oxycontin withdrawal.  I had to be placed in a drug induced coma when my blood pressure spiked to a life threatening level.  I think it was like 210/140 or something like that.  I almost lost my life, and my children (one of which was only 5 months old at the time) almost lost their mommy.  It is an EXTREMELY dangerous drug, and I'll never go back to it.  Anyway, thanks for reading.  Once again, I didn't mean to offend.  I am new at this.  Thanks.

Sheri69

[Sparkle Plenty]

Goodness!  Your question about Nerontin went all over the place.  Here is what I saw happen to my son.  When he was completely off Methadon and then Suboxone and facing horrible withdrawal symptoms, his psychiatrist prescribed Neurontin (100mg capsules).  Almost immediately, his deep shakin' quakin' anxiety slowed down.  The dose varied but now he is taking 2 capsules 3X a day along with other meds and a whole lot of supplements.  Little by little (and I mean little by little, 'cause it is hard to see progress when you are still feeling like "....," he says), he is getting better.  Good luck and God bless, Sparkle

[missy52]

What goood is 6 year old info? Where is any more current info?

[Mike]

It's so amazing how one gets into these messes. I am on my 2nd day off a 10-11 lortab 10 7year cycle.Iam in astate of mind of loosing it... I have nobody to turn to or talk to and going through some pretty heavy withdrawalls. Is there smeone out there who can help me. I am so so alone
Thanks,
mike

[Mike]

It's so amazing how one gets into these messes. I am on my 2nd day off a 10-11 lortab 10 7year cycle.Iam in astate of mind of loosing it... I have nobody to turn to or talk to and going through some pretty heavy withdrawalls. Is there smeone out there who can help me. I am so so alone
Thanks,
mike

[chris]

I took neutontin for my headache which started after a benzo and alcohol withdrawal about 20 years ago. It does help the pain, but it didn't cure anything. In fact, I felt more out of control and more panic attacks ensued. So I stopped at about 600 mg. But I may start a low dose again. This Gaba thing really has me wondering if I should not just get a bottle of Gaba and take just that after I taper off Klonopin....and not use the neurontin or the other drugs...I do see a doctor tomorrow. They all like the pills rather than the amino acids and minerals and herbal stuff it seems.