Gabapentin anyone?

I'm 45 and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 15 years ago.  I've taken flexeril, skelaxin, tramadol, etc for short periods of time but mostly take Motrin 800mg twice a day and accept that I'm just always going to be in pain.  The pain gets much worse whenever I am sick and I mentioned it to the doctor tonight at urgent care where I was seen for a sinus and ear infection.  She referred me to a pain management doctor and physical therapist and also gave me a prescription for Gabapentin (100mg...take 100mg at night for 5 days, then 200mg a night for 5 days then 300mg a night).

Has anyone taken it and found it helpful?  Also what about the dose?  So much that I am reading discusses much higher doses and talks about taking it 3 times a day.  Any insight would be gratefully appreciated, thanks.

[Penguinz68]

Also I don't know if it make a difference but my main areas of pain are due to constant spasms in my neck and shoulders.  My posture is horrendous and I think it's be cause I constantly slouch forward from the pain.  I've also developed a crazy tenderness on the bottoms of my feet.  When I first get out of bed I practically hobble because of it.

[msnova74]

I have taken it on and off since I got ill.  It is normal to start with a low dose and work up from there.

It was extremely helpful with the pain, and for sleep.  I had to stop taking it the last time due to some interaction issues, but overall it was a great med with minimal side effects.

[jenjen1966]

Hi. I have only been on my gabapentin since march 1 and so far I am very happy with it. I take 300 mg twice a day. I am sleeping better than I have in years. I still have some pain, but it is much more manageable. My doc also put me on tramadol twice a day to go with the gabapentin, but I hated the way it made me feel. I have hypothyroidism in addition to the fibro so some of my pain could be attributed to that. I see my new endocrinologist for that tomorrow. Good luck with the gabapentin. I hope it works as well for you as it seems to for me.

[SinCen]

The biggest thing I've noticed with it is it helps reduce the nerve flares I get, which is nice. Everyone's different but I've been taking this at 600mg a day and I can definitely see the difference when I don't take it.

[Bearit13]

I am 46 years old and have had Fibromyalgia since I was four years old. I am diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Major Depressive Disorder. I was diagnosed in 2006 after running from one doctor to the next. They actually told me there was nothing wrong with me because all my tests were normal and I needed psychiatic help. They convinced me to sign myself onto a psych ward. I was diagnosed as delusional there and was screaming in agony from all the pain I felt. They did not help me they hurt me more because they chose to believe it was all in my "head". I got the shingles and went to the ER and because I had been there so much they did not check me for the blisters that I said I had on my right breast all the way around my rib cage  to the right. Because they did not give me antiviral medication I now suffer from Post Herpetic Neuralgia which complicates my Fibromyalgia. Now read very carefully, my symptoms were as follows: Pain in the back of my head all the way down to the end of my spine, stiffness in my whole body upon waking and stiffness if I sit longer than 10 minutes, dizziness, nausea, weakness in my legs, numbness and tingling in my arms and legs, shakiness, tremors, painful urination (without infection), painful periods and PMS, Insomnia(I had not slept in 8 days before being admitted and I was psychotic from sleep deprivation. I only had a few hours sleep while on that psych ward.), feeling faint after drinking sugary drinks and foods (which I know now was reactive hypoglycemia and the hospitals cannot test for it because it is very hard to catch), anxiety, diarrhea alternating with constipation (IBS), Confusion, Coagnitive disability, Fogginess, and the list goes on...I would like to help all the people with or without a diagnosis by telling you that I have been on over 15 different medications at a time and I am sick! I have no idea what is causing my symptoms because of all the side effects from medication interactions. Narcotics were never issued to me until recently and I can tell you that it is a very bad mix for people with Fibromyalgia! I asked my doctors to take me off all 13 medications that they prescribed. They agreed and told me to taper off slowly. I am doing just that and I am very ill right now. The withdrawal is hell! I cannot work right now. I don't want to frighten anyone by telling you all the side effects of withdrawal, so I am just telling you it is hell on earth!!! My advice is to take a spiral notebook and write down everything that happens to you, as far as your symptoms go, in a 30 day time frame. Note your symptoms before your menstral cycle (pain,anxiety, and depression are worse before that time and it is called PMS for women.) The best thing that any one with Fibromyalgia can do is EAT Responsibly, EXERCISE, Sleep well, and take as few meds as possible. I am doing research right now to find a way to help myself and other people. Remember one important fact...you are in charge of yourself! Write your symptoms down! Pay attention to food and medication intolerances too! The medications I am weening off of are as follows: Gabapentin 2400 mg, Pristiq 50 mg, Wellbutrin 400 mg, and Propranolol. Those meds do nothing for me anymore. Gabapentin should not exceed 300 mg/day for people with Fibromyalgia. Less is more. A great book: The Fibromyalgia Advocate.

[ayla1987]

I commented on gabapentin recently, but for some reason my post disappeared when I guess one of the "moderators" (I don't know if that's what he is, or if is he is an actual M.D) But I have had a very very good experience with gabapentin, which is the generic name, the trade name is neurontin. Same drug. I mentioned that I felt better within the first week, and I don't know if he found that a little hard to believe or what, but that was the last I saw of my post. I know everybody reacts differently to meds, I was just very lucky the gabapentin worked wonders for me. So I'm going to say it again: I was sleeping better within the first week, my pain levels were down, and my brain fog was clearing up some. Of course, this is minimal improvement, but it was improvement, nonetheless, and I was thrilled with it! It will be 2 yrs I've bee on it in May, and although I still have symptoms, for example, sometimes sleep issues, or pain, achiness, I've developed blurry vision, and I do still have problems with word and name recall, but it is much, much, much better than it was in the beginning. I could tell all along that although the improvement was just a little at a time, I was indeed getting better, so I was hopeful. I don't understand all the diet suggestions they make, and living in a rural area, a lot of the things they suggest are not available here (not to mention, we don't have a lot of money). Plus, I'm trying to feed a family on a budget. It's all I can do to go to the doctor to get the medicines I need. I also take Effexor, because the health decline caused a serious depression (which I've actually fought for many years) and I have also have had problems with general anxiety, social anxiety, and panic attacks:. I also believe I have PTSD from my parents divorce when I was 9, but back then it wasn't associated as such. Effexor is not only an antidepressant, but it is also an anti-anxiety med. It really helps too. I take xanax for acute panic attacks, but it seems to me that by the time they really start to work, the worst of the attack is over. Oh well. I don't take it that often, as my other meds work great for me. I hope they don't delete me this time! I don't even know what I did last time to be deleted! But my heart goes out to you, and although there are lots of people who cannot take gabapentin due to dizziness or whatever, I was definitely one of the fortunately ones. It has helped many people. I hope you are one of them! BTW, back to your original question, they started me out slow, I guess to get my body adjusted to the medicine, and probably also to monitor the positive and negative effects it had. Fortunately, I had no side effects. It was all beneficial. I am up to 1200 mg/day. I'm not sure any higher dose would do me any good however, but up to this point, it as been a Godsend. Good luck to you! I look forward to hearing from you soon, and hopefully it will good news :)

[reeree7482]

I put myself on gabapentin, my husband was taking it and I didn't have any insurance so I started taking his, best move I made.  I take 400mg 2x a day when I have a lot of pain, or less if I don't.  I told a realtor friend of mine about it and she loves it. She was thinking about closing her business before gabapentin.  My doctor said it was the same thing as lyrica only in a rawer form.  Glad to have meet all of you!  Sorry we have to be on this forum, but glad we have it.

[Bearit13]

I have been on the same drugs for 7 years now. I tried Lyrica a cousin of Neurontin (Gabapentin) and broke out in hives. Gabapentin worked for me before but it does not work now. My new drug will be physical therapy exercise, diet change, and badly needed sleep. I attend couseling with a wonderful psychologist weekly. He has been a God send! Good Luck to you all. I want the cause of it all, so I can fix it! Take care of yourselves! : )

[ayla1987]

I just re-read your second comment about your tender feet, and I do think it's possible the gabapentin can help with that. It may take a while, I don't know, but I do know that at one time, Another person couldn't even touch me - not just my feet - but I was very sensitive and tender all over. It was very unpleasant. But other than the occasional, random incident, I do not suffer that anymore. Thought I would respond to you on that particular issue :)

[ayla1987]

Right now, we're only a one vehicle household, and my husband needs it to go to work each day. I don't have insurance, but my doctor would like to send me to physical therapy, which I would love. I'm 43 yrs old with a 12 yr old son, so I obviously want to stay as fit and vital as I can for as long as possible. I would like to play with my grandchildren one day! I was bedridden for the better part of a year before I changed doctors and he put me on gabapentin. It seems a lot  more people take lyrica over gabapentin, but I was very fortunate that the first thing he tried with me, worked wonderfully. I hate to think that one day it will quit working! That scares the be-jesus out of me! I am sleeping a lot better than I was at first, although I do have bouts of insomnia that typically last 2-4 days. That really *****, cause as I'm sure you know, how well you sleep affects how you function and your happiness to a tremendous degree. Spring is coming and me & my son have plans to get out of the house more. Right now, it is dark by the time my husband comes home from work, but soon, it will still be daylight, and we plan to take advantage of that. I have gained probably 50 lbs since I've gotten sick, and now I have knee problems also! I guess I'll figure out the right way to eat eventually. I guess it's all a process. Right now, that's probably the thing that confuses me the most, cause like I said in my previous post, I'm on a very limited budget, and a lot of the ingredients that are suggested are not available in my area. For right now though, I'm very pleased with my progress. I even feel like I want to go back to work! :)