I’m currently dealing with a neurological issue for which injections have so far failed, and have discussed with the doctor the possibility of trying gabapentin (Neurontin) as a second form of treatment before the last shot. I’m hesistant, to say the least, since a friend’s husband got zombified on it, and when I had an elderly cat with painful gastric problems my vet and I decided to try gabapentin – which turned the little guy into a semiconscious shambling shadow of himself with the first (and only) dose.
On the other hand, with the injection course of treatment not working, and being unwilling to even consider surgery, I seem to be left with gabapentin or nothing as alternatives. Well, maybe physical therapy, and when I see the doctor next month I will raise that.
So, have you been on gabapentin? Do you have any experience you’d be willing to share with me?
I was once prescribed 600mg of gabapentin four times per day. The sedating effect wears off after three or four days. After a month or so, I didn’t notice any effect at all. It was a rather long taper to get off of it though.
I was prescribed gabapentin for nerve entrapment in my elbows, which was causing numbness and tingling in my hands and lower arms. Didn’t help much and I certainly didn’t notice any sedating effects at all. My allowable dose was up to 300 mg 3x a day, though, so not the max amount.
I took it to heal nerve damage after neck surgery left my right arm half-paralyzed. It did restore me to about 90% of what I once had. After that I discontinued it because of concerns about long-term effects.
I’ve been taking 300 mg a night for restless leg syndrome for a while now. It’s a very low dose, and I haven’t had any side effects to speak of aside from drowsiness at first. That one was kind of a plus for me, though, since I take it at bedtime and anything that helps with insomnia is okay by me.
Some years ago, I was supposed to start a low dose of it for intractable headaches. But I took the first dose and spent the next day unable to stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time. I didn’t take another dose until I could talk with my doctor, but it still took me another couple days before I could shake off the effect.
When I talked to her, she halved the already-low dose, but I was knocked out just about the same. I didn’t try again.
Thinking about it, though, I remember that my mother was on it in her late 80s, early 90s for pain related to shingles. I don’t know how effective it was at controlling the pain, but she didn’t show anything like that kind of sedation. I guess I was just lucky.
I take 300 mg three times a day for peripheral neuropathic pain due to DMII. It works for the pain, for the most part. No side effects that I’ve noticed although my wife, kids, and students have told me my memory has gone to shit since I started taking it.
It worked great for my back pain. I was able to hold off on back surgery for several years on it. Any side effects (a little woozy the first few days) went away quickly. I don’t need it anymore after successful back surgery, but if my back continues to deteriorate, I wouldn’t hesitate to take it again.
My husband took it for a couple of months to treat sciatica. It worked as hoped and he had zero side effects, no drowsiness at all. Then just stopped without incident when the sciatica resolved.
No human experience, but one of our cats has been on gabapentin for a few months now.
We are using a very minimal dose: they recommended 3 times a day but so far we are only giving it once.
The effect seems quite positive: she has regained a lot of her appetite since she started taking it.
Seems as if this is a medication on which it is rather easy to overdose.
Perhaps you should ask your doctor to start with a minimal dose and see how that goes?
I asked my wife because it sounded like something she had talked about before, but I couldn’t remember if it was something she was taking, or her sister, or maybe her dad before he passed away last year.
Her sister was taking it for migraines, but complained that it gave her headaches. (My wife pointed out to her that she complained that every drug was giving her headaches, and that maybe it wasn’t the drugs.) Anyway, she gave my wife a couple (300 mg) to take for her restless legs. My wife said it was two nights of the best sleep she’s had in a while, and if there was any sedative effect it was definitely a bonus.
I’ve been prescribed it in lieu of benzodiazapines (Xanax, Valium, Ativan, etc.) for managing anxiety levels. It doesn’t really seem to do a thing for me. My original Rx was for 300mg 3x a day. I went up to 600mg for a spell, and just don’t use it at all anymore. It really doesn’t seem to do a single thing for me. No sedation, no tiredness, no nothing. I have nerve pain (meralgia paresthetica), as well, and while taking it, it hasn’t done anything for that, either.
Wow. Reading all these responses, it appears that the stuff has widely varying results for people no matter what the dose. I’d mentioned it to my cardiologist on a recent visit as a possibility and he wasn’t encouraging. My discomfort – so far – is quite tolerable though I can see the underlying issue continuing to deteriorate. I’ll keep thinking about it, and discuss it with the orthopedist when I see him next month.
I live alone and work as a proofreader of often highly technical stuff, so I can’t afford to be non compos mentis.
I was also prescribed gabapentin for restless legs syndrome when my original prescription of ropinirole (brand name Requip) was no longer working for me.
I had a severe allergic reaction to gabapentin. Within minutes of taking a dose, I had such muscle pain throughout my entire body that I curled up in the fetal position and began to moan with an intensity that my wife thought I was dying.
And at that point, I was in such pain, death would have been a welcome release. Only after about 30 minutes did the pain begin to subside.
The next drug my doctor tried was clonazepam, which is in the same drug family as gabapentin.
Same disastrous results.
When I looked up common side effects of these two drugs, I found that my reaction was not on the list, nor was myalgia (the medical term for my muscle cramping) on the rare side effects list.
So, I guess I’m … special!
There is good news … my doctor and I landed on low-dose pramipexole (a Parkinson’s medicine) and that works fairly well.
By the way, I’ve noticed that a number of you responding have mentioned being prescribed gabapentin for restless leg syndrome. I found a nondrug solution: hemp extract, specifically this one. I put a dropper-full under my tongue before going to bed and it works very well, in fact not only do they stay away at night, the following day is also usually RLS-free. And the stuff in my experience is free of side effects.
Thanks. But don’t call it a nondrug solution. Hemp extract is a medicine, or drug, because it has an effect (hopefully desirable, and free of bad side effects) on your body.
It’s not a highly synthesized drug developed by “big pharma” but it’s still a drug nonetheless.