Neurontin?

[lovemy6monkeys]

My doctor has suggested I try neurontin (or I guess the generic version). I'm not very fond of taking medicine (I know, I'll have to get over that real quick if I get diagnosed LOL). I will most likely try this. I think my sleep is being interrupted after a few hours sleep because I'm uncomfortable. Not in pain so much, but sore and achey.  

My doctor said that once I find the right dose, I can take it 2 hours before bed and after 2 hours I should feel groggy and it should help me sleep but the medicine will be out of my system in about 6 hours so I should be fine in the morning.

I'm about 95% sure I will go ahead and try this medicine. But, I'm hoping I can get some feedback and advice from you guys on what I can expect.

Thanks!
~Jess

[kwarendorf]

Hi wlo2013 - Welcome to our little world.

This thread is almost three years old and I don;t think many of the posters are still around. You may want to "post a Question" and introduce yourself. We're a pretty nice bunch and most son't bite :-)

As to Neurontin, I'm a fan! I take 1200mg 3x/day for neuropathic foot pain.

Kyle

[wlo2013]

100mg is a low dose. So I dont think you will over do it. I have MS and I take 600MG in the morning and 300MG in the afternoon and 300MG at night. Now I was worked up to that amount and some are on higher doses. It does make me sleepy and there are warning labels all over it that it can. However, each person is different and depending on the dose I guess. But its for sure not a sleep aid :o)

[Erin0313]

  One of the things that Quix mentioned is very important and happened to me.

  I was rx the neurontin for nerve pain and I didn't like the way it made me feel kind of detached and spacey so I stopped and put it on my "bleep" list. Years later and a very great doctor I now love it!

  I am on a high dose now 800 mg 3 times a day and it makes a huge difference in my pain.

Every reacts different so good luck I hope it helps with your pain and then sleep!

Hugs,
Erin :)

[Sparkysarah]

I missed this post before but was interested to read it I have been on Amitriptyline 20mg for about 4 weeks which I take at night and I also take 200 Gabapentin am and 300 at night which ensures I am sleeping much better than I was a month ago I still wake once a night but am definitely more rested.. what I am not sure is how long will I be on these drugs and will it be forever? Lotsd of questions to ask new MS Consultant next week and it all feels very early days for me   Sarah  

[fortywhat2]

I was on gabapentin (neurontin) 900mg 3 times daily for approx. 2 years... it works wonders for neuropathetic pain I was taking it along with 100mg of Lyrica 3 times daily.
WhenI had my gastric bypass surgery in December I came off the neurontin and stayed only on the Lyrica.  I agree with the others try it... just remember to give it a chance it won't work overnight.
Debbie
~live as if all your dreams came true~

[zenhound]

I take amitryptyline for pain and it does seem to help, though I should probably ask to raise the dosage.  You definitely need to give it time though.  The first two days I took it I felt like a complete zombie the next day, could barely function.  But I decided to give it a week before giving up and I guess I adjusted to it, or it to me, and now I feel normal during the day, but it does help with the pain and sleep.  Of course I'm still undiagnosed, and just got this for trigeminal neuralgia pain so maybe other things are more normal for those diagnosed.  

[Wendella247]

A number of years I was given Neurontin in an attempt to help my hand focal dystonia (involuntary cramping.)  I didn't find it helped my dystonia, but that was because even the smallest dose made me a little dizzy for a bit when I awoke in the morning, and made me drowsy.  They said they could never get me up to the dose that would be necessary to help my dystonia since I already was having a reaction to the med at the lowest dose.

I actually asked my dr. if I could tontinue to take it at night to help me sleep--it was just enough to make me drowsy and usually helped me sleep, but not too much to make me feel drugged.  I don't take it every night because I don't want to have to increase my dose or have it stop being effective, but I take 100-200 mg. some nights, and it really DOES help me with my sleep!  So, I say, it's worth a try for you!!!  

[PastorDan]

Oh, be sure to read the stuff Quix linked, and take it to heart. Good info.

Wish I could go back to snuggling on the couch, but as every preacher knows, Sunday's coming, ready or not.

Blessings to all.

[PastorDan]

Snuggling on the couch usually develops into a good sleep aid, in my experience.

Gabapentin has been the only thing to provide any long term relief for me.  In my case, it was prescribed for the deep pain behind the eyes.  I started with an Rx of 900 mg/day, but was cautioned to ramp up slowly.  Should've ramped up more slowly.  I seem to recall it making me pretty well zonked out for a while until I backed off & more slowly increased the dosage until I adapted.  I now take a 400mg capsule, 3x/day.  It seems to be doing the trick most days.  Unfortunately, this isn't starting out to be one of those days, but I think the seasonal allergies are more to blame for that pressure lately than anything that the gabapentin is intended to counter.

[Valerie64]

Hi,

I've been taking Gabapentin for about 6 weeks and so far (touch wood) I've been fine with it (a bit yucky first couple weeks but ok after that) -

I took 100mg at night for 3 days, then added 100mg in the morning, 3 days after that another 100mg in the afternoon and increased slowly to 300mg, I've just increased to 400mg nightime and this seems to be keeping my wobblyness under control more than the other meds I've tried

The Gabapentin doesn't make me sleepy but the Dyclafenic I also take does, I've had to cut that down to one a day (at night) because I fall asleep for hours after about half an hour!  

Val

[tonyad]

Ditto What Quix said....and my prior post....

     I also take Amitryptyline and that is a small dose( 25mg) at bedtime.
Amitryptyline (Elavil) is for sleeping and also has the perk in it meaning...prescibed at times for chronic pain (which can be caused by lack of sleep...Not getting enough REM sleep). Or even people with Fibromyalgia.

     I have to tell you though, A lot of people also put Amitryptyline on that  *Bleep* list because they do not give it enough time to get into the system and let it do what it is supposed to. Yes, you would feel tired at the begining...but that is only because of not having that REM sleep and your body FINALLY getting REAL SLEEP.

    So, with that being said, again, I agree w/ quix and my prior post that he may be trying to use this as a sleep aide and would double check with him on his reasoning for using it the way that he has prescibed.

    I take my Neurontin (Gabapentin) throughout the day (q.i.d).
Hope you get some answers.  And have a "wonderful" Date Night :)

~Tonya
    

    
  
  

[Quixotic1]

Neurontin has a huge dosing range with the maximum recommended dose being 3600mg per day.  Most people feel relief by 1800mg per day or so.  I would have to look it up to see if it works by establishing a level that must be maintained.  If that is correct, then once a day would not likely be effective.  I suggest you discuss this with your pharmacist.

It truly sounds like he is using it as a sleep aid for the discomfort.  I've not heard of this, but using all of the meds used in pain is not my specialty.  I would think a small dose of amiltriptyline might be also effective.  Again, this is not my specialty.  

Quix

[lovemy6monkeys]

Quix, thanks for those links! I read them quickly and will read them more thoroughly after the kids are in bed. Or, actually, tonight is Date Night (which is popcorn and snuggling on the couch as we watch a DVD...tonight is The Watchmen) so I'll read them better first thing in the morning!

Is it unusual to take neurontin only at bedtime? I'm dealing ok with the soreness during the day just using tylenol once or twice a day. It's at night where it is harder to ignore.

My doctor has prescribed 100mg. He said to take one two hours before bed. He said every day add one more pill until I find the dose that makes me feel tired 2 hours after I take it. Up to 6 pills (600 mg). I just take it the one time a day.

I'm going to give this a try. My husband knows that he is now on baby duty overnight LOL

Again, thanks for the links and for writing! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
~Jess

[Quixotic1]

Before you start I would like you to read about taking meds for Neuropathic pain.  The problem many people have with Neurontin and meds like it is they start at two high a dose and increase too fast.  That maximizes the sides effects and they stop it, when it might have worked wonders.  Then it goes on their *bleep* list.

Neurontin is not used for sleep unless the problem with sleep is with neuroapthic pain or paresthesias.

We had a pain management doc visit us a while back and he wrote a couple Health Pages for us.  You might be interested in both.  The first is a discussion of the nature of Nerve Pain and the second is a beginning discussion about treating it.

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/Nerve-Neuropathic-Pain---A-Primer/show/371?cid=36

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

I hope this helps!

Quix

[coffeeom]

Hi  I am on gabapentin  for buzzing  and pain, I take 100m 3x a day.  I really feel it helps.. Hope you  feel better!  Linda

[lovemy6monkeys]

Thanks for the feedback!

After reading a bit more on neurontin I'm even more convinced I love my doctor LOL I was pretty much brushed off and dismissed by the first neurologist I saw, so I started to question if anyone even believed my symptoms.

I think if my doctor was thinking lack of sleep is causing all my problems, I would assume he would prescribe just a sleep aide. But, it sounds like he understands that the sleep problems I'm having are because I'm uncomfortable at night.

Lulu, like you said, it won't hurt to try this for a while! I think I will start it tonight.

Tonya, thank you for your feedback! I'm glad to know it help you!

~Jess

[tonyad]

   Hey there...I have been taking Neurontin (Gabapentin) for a while now.
I have never heard of it rx'd for a sleeping aide though..Unless I am reading
your message wrong.  It does NOT make me tired nor groggy feeling. Not
to say that it might not and others.

   Usually this rx is prescibed for Pain specifically Neuropathic pain.
I hope this works for you. Let us know how it goes.

Take Care,
~Tonya

[Lulu54]

Jess,
I have no experience with this but someone else here will know.  I just wanted to say that keep in mind you can always try it and stop if it doesn't help you or doesn't work in the way you hope it will.

be well,
Lulu