Neurontin ??

[Johnch]

Anyone using it for nerve pain ?

I finally had enough and changed Doctors
We had a "Talk" about my 24 hours a day 365 days a year headaches

One of the things we talked about was the number of times they have cut my head open and "Fixed" one problem after another

So he put me on Neurontin to help with the nerve pain
As he feels that the plates in my head and the rebuilding they had to do messed up where things should be and how they move over the edges of the plates
Making things hurt even more :sad:

Any things I should be looking for ?
Or other side effects ??

I am just hoping for some help with the headaches , but don't want to find out I am taking a drug that is a time bomb

John

[Tom W.]

Sorry, I got the meds mixed up. I just looked in my meds box.


The generic, gabapentin, was prescribed to me for neuropathy, which is a side effect of chemo.

I remember that my late wife had to take it.

I can't handle it. It made me goofy and just difficult to walk around the house. I have decided that the neuropathy was better to deal with than the effects of the medication. Maybe if I took it a bit longer I may have gotten acclimated to it, but with my wife at work and the cat not knowing how to dial 911 if I fell, I decided not to take it....

[LUBEDUDE]

Nuerontin changed my life. I had extreme nerve pain from the tips of my fingers up to my shoulders.

I could just be lying down watching TV and all of sudden it felt like a spike was being driven through my palms. Or a brush of the blanket on my elbows would cause very acute pain. Nuerontin/Gabapentin took that pain away.

The good thing is that it has very flexible dosing that can go very high. The key is start low and go slow. Meaning try to use the lowest dose possible and increase slowly. The higher doses can cause drowsiness and fluid retention. To combat the drowsiness I split the dose and go with a higher dose at bedtime. Works great for me and does not interfere with daily activities.

Headaches:

I had some brain damage from a concussion about 40 years ago. Ten straight years of headaches every day, had it not been for my religious faith I would have put a 45 to my head long ago. I then had/have intermittent headaches the following 30 years.
The most helpful meds for me besides painkillers; used alone or in combination for prevention and maintenance:
SSRI antidepressants and other classes as well.
*** Topamax*** big life saver for me
The above works for me 70-80% of the time.

For rescue meds, I found that Butalbital piggybacked with zanaflex and Benadryl worked best, not perfect; sometimes added Midrin to cocktail as well. Also Zanaflex can be dosed sky high, it’s a very safe drug. The Benadryl is important, it potentiates the effects of the other drugs. Sometimes the Triptans worked, but only about 25% of the time.

Then of course you have probably been through all of the other classes of migraine drugs that are popular with Nuerologists as well.

I truly feel your pain brother. Stay in the fight and make those doctors use their brain and earn their money. Don’t let them get away with a hand shake and out the door.

God Bless

[Wayne Smith]

Neurontin does attach to the opioid receptors, and although is is not an opioid, natural or artificial, it is classed as one because it attaches to those receptors. So far it has fallen through the cracks and is not treated as an opoid in term of the 'opoid addiction problem'.

It is a useful medication that has been around for a while - and has a varying effectiveness by person. Another person's experience with it is not likely to predict yours.

[Reddirt62]

As a long time sufferer of non-diabetic, idiopathic peripheral neuropathy of the feet as well as phantom pain from a BKA I used it for a very short time and wont touch it ever again regardless of the pain. Do some searches on the web and you will quickly find it is a horrible drug with wicked side effects that is only effective in a small percentage of the folks that take it.

https://www.acsh.org/news/2017/12/26/neurontin-over-hyped-and-underwhelming-12242

'The drug de jour in the opioid avoidance circles is Neurotin, which is addictive, and works by numbing the brain. Many people who take the drug report feeling like zombies. It is an anti-seizure drug that can paradoxically cause seizures upon discontinuation. Neurontin is not approved by the FDA for general pain and has not been shown to work for most pain patients."
Thomas Kline, M.D.

Of course this is just my opinion.....

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[LUBEDUDE]

Maybe not shown to work on general pain, but has been shown to work to work on nerve pain, which is what the OP asked about.

Neurontin does nothing for my pain of several conditions, but has almost cured me so to speak of nerve pain.

And yes as Wayne said everyone’s experience may be different. But then to me that is a given since that statement can be true of almost any drug as well as Flinstone vitamins.

[Tom W.]

Zombie.... that's exactly what it did to me. If there weren't the side effects, I'd be asking my neurologist if it was a viable medicine for my epilepsy, which I've been blessed with since 1963....

HOWEVER..... If it works for you by all means use it. Wayne is right, everyone's reactions are different.

[bikerbeans]

John,

No personal experience with Neurontin yet, but my kidney doc may be writing me a script for this drug once i get my latest labs run. In my case it is supposed to stop skin itching related to kidney failure.

FWIW, my RN wife works in a nursing home and she told me Neurontin is widely prescribed to the residents with chronic pain. She says the key is determing the correct dose. Like reloading, start low and watch for signs as you increase the dose.

Tom

[bdicki]

Works for me and my shingles. I'm not sure if I have 3 tab or architect.

[OldBearHair]

Any you guys tried reflexology? All the J points they put pressure on releases indorfins to ease pain. Some pain , not all pain.

[MaryB]

Push for Lyrica, fewer side effects than the gabapentin. Same basic drug just more refined. Gabby made me a zombie, I would forget words etc... Lyrica does that to a much smaller extent.

Nerve pain is NOT like normal pain... if you have never suffered it it is hard to describe. I get the occasional breakthrough nerve pain and it can feel like my toes exploded!

[bikerbeans]

Lyrica can work but depending on your insurance it can be big money.

BB

[RugerFanOH]

Gabapentin was an anti seizure medication initially, then people realized it helped with neuropathic pain. The initial dose should be 100 mg at bedtime, because it can be sedating. The dose can be increased gradually if needed, the highest dose covered by insurance is 800 mg three times a day, some patients may need higher doses. In Ohio it is reported in the OARRS, the controlled substance prescription database. It is a lot less expensive than Lyrica (pregabalin), see GoodRx.com. Each patient is unique, what works for one may not work for everybody else. The best advice is to discuss the issue with your doctor and do research with legitimate sources, the CDC, NIH, Medscape, WebMD.

Do not follow "quack" advice...

[NyFirefighter357]

I find sometimes it's not the type of medication but the amount of the dose. I cut my dose of a medication in half because of it's affects. Instead of 2x a day I take 1/2 twice a day. It's a heart medication that almost caused me to pass out while driving. My blood work shows it's working just fine. I also have had my grandmother over dosed on several medications over the years. Everyone's body metabolizes medication differently and Dr's are too willing to prescribe without discretion.

[poppy42]

The short answer is yes. It works very well for me to alleviate the radiculopathy in my left leg, the nerve pain and radiculopathy in my neck and down my right arm, and the nerve pain associated my surgically reconstructed left wrist. It does not and will not any pain that is not associated with nerve damage. With that pain that I have experienced for the past 25+ years I have to take the typical narcotic pain meds. Just be advised that Gabapentin ( generic for neurontin)is not for everyone. It can come with side effects. All I can say is try it and see if it works for you. Wike I said I’ve been in pain for 25+ years every day of my life. I sleep for an hour or two at maximum before the pain wakes me up if I don’t take my meds. I take what works for and allows me to function some normally. Every person’s symptoms are different. My advice to anyone just to try with the doctor prescribes and if you find something that works without any adverse reactions you’re ahead of the game. There is no easy answer or easy fix at least not in my situation . It’s taken me a long time and many many many many many different medications over the years to find the right medication and the right dosage. You truly have my sympathies I would not wish when I’ve been through on anyone.
Good luck and and don’t Get discouraged!

[Reddirt62]

I am very surprised that folks ask such advice from a bunch of reloaders....go ask folks with Charcot or amputees......you will get answers from a lot more folks who deal with such things.....a larger cross section of those that are actually affected.

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[Johnch]

WOW !!!!

I will be on 300 mg 3X a day

Right now I am just taking it before bedtime and Yes I have found it helps me sleep

My headaches are from falling 10' off a ladder onto my forehead .... really no how I wanted to stop working
Almost died a bunch of times and had to have some of my drain removed

I have 3 types of head pain
With the nerve pain the hardest to control
It ranges from the mild all of the time forehead or neck pain to mid level pain ....to pain ( mostly in my neck ) that I end up in the hospital bed with a IV of pain meds ... Morfin most of the time
And I loose several days

I Have been through lots of pain meds
The Butabit - Acetaminophen works when the pain isn't at the max , but nothing so far will work then that I have been able to use at home
LOL And 20 mg Oxycodon isn't even close to as good as the Butabit - Acetaminophen

I have ask about Neurontin several places and I have gotten the same answers from almost everyone .... but I wanted to ask a wide group of people
As Doctors and the internet website info are sometimes slanted for or against a med .... where a open group of people will give a straight answer

I also have seizures from scaring of the brain .... so I also hope it will be another control .... as they are no fun

John

[Hogtamer]

Does help with nerve pain but agree with some of the zombie effects. balance problems have been the most noticable for me.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Neurontin is aka Gabapentin; Watch the side effects list and if you get any of those going, see if they'll try Lyrica (a 2nd gen Gabapentinoid) or something. For my family it is GOOD at causing us at being unable to think i.e. can't do any sort of problem solving, even the problem of "Something is wrong, how do I get this across to my Dr.?" "feeling like zombies" is another way of saying the same thing. If you're an engineer, it's bad when you cannot think!

[bdicki]

WOW !!!!

I will be on 300 mg 3X a day

John
That's what I'm doing, just make me a little tired at times, but still manage to function. Yesterday cut two 20 inch trees and cut them up and burned both finishing burning and will cut a few 5,6 inch trees today.

[Got-R-Did]

I jousted with a Forklift in June of this year and lost miserably. Broke 5 bones in my right foot, severely sprained my ankle and had to have debridment surgery to remove necrotic tissue from my instep. Opioids were the only way to temper the pain levels and was not able to maintain lucidity to reliably take meds on schedule. My Wife, with the aid of our Daughter, kept watch over me to meet my basic needs and assure proper dosage at med times.
Now weaned off painkillers, back at work, and in spite of continued physical therapy, I am able to perform my duties at work without restrictions. I still suffer from “lightning bolts” of pain from my lower leg and foot/ankle. Physician prescribed Gabapentin at 300 mg at bedtime for me and the results have been profoundly successful in aiding sleep and mitigating pain throughout my day. Perfect solution, perhaps not, as I have some difficulty recalling names of people I interact with daily.
Consulting with Physician to moderate dosage, but happy for improvement of my situation.
Got-R-Did.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Got-R-Did, the rumor I've heard is that, for jousting with forklifts, you want to use either an M1 Abrams, or a T. Rex, as a mount. Apparently this isn't widely known, sadly. Just saying.

Glad you lived and hope the Neurontin works well for you. (Just watch those pesky side effects.)

[mold maker]

In the 90s I took Neurontin for diabetic neuropathy and wound up a total zombie. The lightning strikes in my feet remained and I quit taking it. I have since learned to deal with the nerve pain except for the worst which usually only last about 24 hr. It's called mind over matter. It usually works if you can concentrate on something else. I hate pills but take a handfull every morning that I'm sure interact negatively.
I truly believe that many of the preventive meds they prescribe to us as we age, do us more harm than what they are prescribed for.