Question about Meds and confustion?

[Wobbly]

this bring me to ask if other have found taking Gabapentin only one pill 100mg..in the daytime...it really gets me confused, tired, zoned out... spaced out... time goes by so slowly.. hard to get anyting done...now this is only 1 small pill.. I don't get it.. I'm supposed to up the dose to two - four pills a day.  I do take one pill 300mg at bedtime which helps me sleep.  I'm also taking Amantadine in the morning to help me with fatigue... it used to help, but now when I take a gabapentin in the morning, I just get zoned out again and tired?  This doesn't make sense to me...

do other people have a hard time with this med?  I will be asking the Dr tomorrow.  But I'm curious as too others ideas of Gabapentin... I do not find the amount I'm taking to help with the pain, tingling etc.but don't know if I like feeling so zoned out all day long by taking more meds?  I'm not sure what to do?

any ideas

wobbly
dx

[Wobbly]

thanks for all the advise here... I will try to remember and I'm going to continue with Gabapentin and up the dose gradually and keep the Neuro informed.  I see him next Wed to discuss more about meds I may be needing.. thanks so much.

your all so special to me.

wobbly
dx PPMS

[PastorDan]

One note of caution: If I recall correctly (and that's still a mighty big "if"), gabapentin is one of those drugs that they tell us not to discontinue all at once, but to taper it off instead.  That might not be an issue with some doses and some people, I suspect, but I read that it can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as a major flare-up of whatever pain the drug was supposed to be treating.

[doublevision1]

I was up to 3600mg gabapentin in 3 divided doses daily.  Last summer I added amitriptyline, up to 100mg, in addition to the gabapentin.  It doesn't eliminate the pain, but does reduce to the point I don't have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep as was previously the case.  I've been on these high doses for a year, so at my last neuro visit, he said he wants me to try to reduce my dosage, I guess the thinking being that otherwise how will I know if it's continuing to have an effect or would I do just as well without it, or at least at a lower dose.  

I'm now down to 1800mg per day gabapentin, and 75mg amitriptyline.  Pain still ebbs and flows on a daily basis; with a definite increase in discomfort and disturbing sensations in my left hand since coming down on the gabpentin.  Prior to all of this I was considering giving Lyrica a try, in the hopes it might do a better job than the gabapentin, as it does for many here.  I see my GP tomorrow to discuss this, and will let you know what I decide.

I have not noticed any side effects from the gabapentin, even at the max dose.  It never made me drowsy, even when I first started it.  I have gained, lost, gained, lost weight in the past year, but I don't think I can attribute this to any of my medications.  There is a clear correlation with my activity level and food intake.  I do think the amitriptyline increased my appetite somewhat so am careful not to overdo it.  Also with the amitriptyline, I have experienced urinary hesitancy, but coming down from 100mg to 75mg really seems to have helped with that.

Let us know how your meeting with your dr goes and what you decide.  Good luck to you, and I hope you can soon land on the right one(s) to provide some relief.

[saveone]

I took Neurotin.  I started at 100 mg 3 x daily.  I didn't have any side effects.  It was later increased to 300 mg 3 x day.  I guess my body became tolerant and that is why it had to be increased.

I gained 26 pounds in one yr.  The yr I was on Neurotin.  Because of the weight gain I was switched to Lyrica.  It does help.  I started at 50 mg 3 x daily.  I am now starting the 100mg 3 x daily.  I haven't gained any weight on the Lyrica....knock on wood and I haven't had any side effects.

I believe each of us are different and meds effect us differently.  What workes for one may not work for another.

I hope you get it worked out and find some relief.  terry

[PastorDan]

Took me forever to get up here, but I'm at 1200 mg of gabapentin per day.  I was taking them all at bedtime, but have been spreading them out gradually, so I am now taking two at bedtime, one at lunch if I remember (just remembered at 3pm, for example), and one around suppertime.  Like some have said, it took me a long, long time to adapt/adjust to the drug, and with each upward step I had to go through it again.  When I hit 900 mg/day, though, I realized that it was helping with the eye pain, so I've stuck with it.  In all my struggles with whatever-in-the-world-I-have, this has been the only therapy of any kind that has had a sustained positive effect.

Of course, I just weighed in this morning, too, and I am nearly 17 stone. ;)  Maybe someone smaller might have a rougher time with some meds.

We'll hope & pray for quick relief for you, but I'm inclined to look elsewhere for a cause besides the gabapentin.

[Wobbly]

thanks everyone for your input... I will be heading to the Neuro in a few hours and ask about this... maybe start with the 100mg at bedtime as well and ask about the Amantadine?  See if I should stop one or start something else.

thanks again and I'll let you know what happens at this appt.

take care
wobbly
dx

[kmil1999]

I am confused.  Isn't Amantadine (Symmetrel) a parkinson's drug used to help with drug-induced extrapyramidal reactions?  You are using it for fatique?  

That might be why you are feeling so tired.  Maybe you had a side effect from the amantadine that helped with fatique, but it wore off.

Maybe getting a med that is supposed to help with fatique (ie:provigil, adderall, ritalin) might help you tolerate the neurotin better during the day.

Good luck
Karen

[Eyesnlegs]

I was struggling too when I started and Lulu kindly pointed out this health page on here:

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple%20Sclerosis/General-Principles-of-Treating-Neuropathic-Nerve-Pain/show/452?cid=36

you may have read it already and if you have then I apologise but if not - well I found it useful.

(((hugs)))
Pat

[steph74]

I'm currently taking 300 mg 6 x/day (instead of 600 mg 3 x/day, which would be easier!), because if I go much above 400 at once, I get dizzy.  My body did get used to the lower doses (I started out at 100 mg at bedtime, then added 100 mg in the am, then 100 mg mid-day.  When I increased dosages, I followed this pattern, too, never increasing more than 100 mg at a time.)

I assume everyone has different "tollerable" dosages. But give yourself a few weeks to see if you get used to it before you give up (unless it's truly unbearable).

(I didn't have good amount of pain relief until I got to at least 900 mg/day, but the TN pain kept coming back stronger, so I had to keep increasing the dosage.)

Good luck, Wobbly.

[LLWB]

I have 300mg tablets. I take 3 during the day, and 2 at night, and my PCP has said we can increase the dose if I feel the need, or as my body starts to become accustomed to it. I haven't experienced the tired spacy feeling, at least no more than I normally do, LOL. Along with that I also take 3 10mg of Baclofen 3x a day for spasms. The neurontin doesn't work as well for me as Lyrica did, but I couldn't handle the weight gain, being a Type2 diabetic.

Talk to your doc about these sx's. Have you tried Lyrica? Weight gain seems to be the most prevelant side effect. It really helped my leg pain, within 3 days. Good luck and keep trying, sometimes it takes awhile to tweak things to fit each person.

Maggie

[Eyesnlegs]

I have only just started on Gabapentin and I am thinking that it is not the 100mg in the morning that is causing the problem for you but the fact that you are taking 300mg at night and then topping that up with 100mg in the morning.

I had a really bad reaction to taking 300mg at night and was told to get 100mg tabs and up them slowly as your body gets used to them. Taking them at regular intervals every day.

So I stated with 100mg at night for a week, then added another 100mg in the morning, I am now only up to 3 x 100mg per day but each time I upped the does the first 2 days I had a very upset tummy and had the spaced out feelings you describe, by the third day it was just an upset tummy and then after that I was fine.

It isn't helping the pains, tingling, etc yet but I am not taking very much. My doc has told me not to go to anymore until our appt next week when we discuss the way forward. So I think slowly and persistently may be the way forward and hopefully it will settle down.

Loads of luck with it - feel better soon.

(((hugs))) Pat x

[Heather3418]

I would suspect that it's your mediction that is causing this tired and spaced out feeling.  If this continues past a couple of weeks, I would talk to your prescriving doctor about it.  He would be able to know if it is symptoms coming back or your medication.

It doesn't sound like Neurontin is going to be a drug you can take, if you are having trouble with the dosage you are on now.  It may take even slower and slower increases of the drug, to work well for you.  Everyone should be started off on the lowest dose possible to help their bodies become used to it gradually.  Less side effects that way.  See what your doctor thinks.  You may need to start off on 50 mgs. at a time, not a 100.

I'm off to bed.  Even though I feel I could stay up all night, I know I would pay for it big time.  My body just can't do that anymore.  I was up late, trying to get rid of leg pain.  Feels like a blow torch in my legs, along with the muscle spasms.  How do these doctor's think we have even have a quality of life, with pain like this?  I am on some heavy duty pain killers, but it feels like I am taking a simple aspirin.  After all these years my body has become accustomed to the regular pain killers.  If I take these things any closer than four hours apart, I get sick to my stomach.  It's a losing battle for this old lady....

All the Best Wobbly.   Good luck with your appointment at the doctor's.  Please let us know how it goes.

Big Hugs,
Heather

[Wobbly]

thanks Heather, I know my Dr says I could go up to 3,500...but I cant even take 400mg a day...without it tiring me out and really effecting my life.... I wonder if it's the meds or if it's a symptoms that has come back?  

thanks Heather...take care
wobbly
dx

[Heather3418]

You're right....I was mixing up Baclofen and Neurontin, with Neurontin being the same drug as Gabapentin.  On Neurontin, I got up to 3,500 mgs. per day, with NO relief.  Of course, I finally went off of it.  I was on the highest dose the doctor recommened.  Did you also know that Neurontin, is used for seizures?

Sorry about my mix up Wobby.  It's after 1 am here and my brain stops working about noon...can't you tell?

Big Hugs dearheart,
Heather

[Wobbly]

no.. I'm talking about Gabapentin...not Baclofen... Have you been on Gabapentin..??

sorry to confuse you...hehehe

wobbly

[Heather3418]

Are you sure that it's 100 mgs?  Shoot I am suppose to take 10 mg. two times during the day and three 10mg. tablets at night.  I have been on Baclofen for almost 15 years and I have never heard of 100 mg. tablets.

Now I am confused.  I can't even take 50 mgs. in one day.  I get too dizzy and weak in the legs, so I only take 30 mgs. at night to help with spasms.

Heather