Amitriptyline or Gabapentin

[gheko]

Hiya

Just wondering who finds what drug more efficient and what were your side effects?

Amitriptyline helped with the muscle twitching and pain but not numbness - side effects mornings a nightmare as drowsy.

Gabapentin helping with numbness but side effects acne and muscle twitching a bloody nightmare.

[Tingletoes]

I am following the same path as Mrs Aritstotle and have also become a pain junkie!! - trying to avoid these meds.  (although a little gin and tonic at four pm every day does give light relief to the muscle twitching  - well thats my excuse!!!! lol)
I tried gabapentin  a few years ago which did help after a while to reduce the shooting pains and tingling (although neither completely went away) but its effectiveness would wear off again and my doctor kept encouraging me to take  everhigher levels. I then reached a point where my stomach was so bad I felt like I hadpermanent brick in it so the relief I got was cancelled out by the side effects.
I  tried amitryptelene briefly before but soon stopped as I couldnt function properly in the morning (I have to be up early for children).
...however if this cold spell continues to flare up my symptoms  I may give it a go again just to get some undisturbed sleep . I am told to try taking it much earlier in the evening so if I do I will report back.  

[kris_tin29]

I should also mention I am on a releatively low dose of the gabapentin right now.  300mg twice a day.  Most people are 3-4 times per day.  My neuro wanted to start me out low, but will probably raise the dosage when I see her Friday since it it not working.  

so even though I said it it not working for me, it may once I am on a higher dosage.

[MrsAristotle]

Thats a TOUGHY.

I tried BOTH.

My mornings are my best feature. I wake up and have enough energy to do the basic of things like tidy and run the hoover around, perhaps take the dog for a walk, and IF my legs are not stiff I can manage my automatic car and perhaps even a little shopping local. Come 12pm thats it generally and I just rest all afternoon and come 3pm my battery is well and truly winding down.

When I tried ONE tablet of Amytrip, I was bog eyed and stupid for the morning all it did was make me feel like I had been on the booze all night. NO THANKS. It didnt stop me waking up and it didnt stop the tingling.

Gapapentin. Well firstly I got CONFUSED taking it.  Then when I did for a few weeks it made me feel HORRIBLE, spaced out weird and wobbly. Did it stop the burning, tingling and fizzing not enough to cope with the side effects.

So now I go NAKED.

Nothing passes my lips with regard to medication except for my antibiotic for my bladder problems..

I am so USED to the pain (I have a very high pain tolerance anyway) that I now just do stuff to switch it out of my mind.

When it gets too much I sleep. I am usually asleep by 8pm. Sadly I do wake up most nights in pain but I generally can get back to sleep.

I said to my neurologist can you become a pain junky and he said yes you can, perhaps that is what I am now LOL.

I must say this last 2 weeks with the weather changing downwards my symptoms have been so much better so I do get a break now and then.

(I read somewhere that people prone to auto immune disease are more likely to have a high pain tolerance has anyone else read this?)

Big hugs Mariaxsxxx

[kris_tin29]

I am on Gabapentin for my headaches and pain.  I'm not so sure I have noticed anything.  My headaches are maybe not quite as frequent, but I am not so sure that has anything to do with the medicine as I am still getting them.   I am also getting random pains still.  My tingling is worse than ever...not sure what that means?  

As far as side effects go, I'm not so sure I'm noticing any.  I am super tired, but I think that is a symptom, not a side effect.

I've only been on it for a little over a week.

I guess i wasn't too helpful, was I??  LOL