Gabapentin

[Alanp35]

Folks,
Some good news, I think, for me anyway. After some 15 month of tests, CT scans, MRI scans et al I have, at last, been prescribed gabapentin and start tonight with 300mg, a week from now 300mg twice a day and two weeks from now 300mg three times a day. I do have some nerve damage and some nerves appear to be more sensitive than expected. I will update as and when I notice any changes.
It is 2014 and I do not feel that anyone should be in an unbearable situation with pain. Please see your GP and get a referral to a pain clinic. As I,said, it took a while but, I am at the start of something good.

 

[noblehead]

Really do hope they help you Alan, best wishes.

 

[JTL]

I've been on Gabapentin a couple of years now.
They helped greatly with the pain and stopped a twitch violent enough for me to throw a cup of coffee all over you whilst sitting having a pleasant chat!
I suffer from chronic pain syndrome arthritis of the spine and damaged nerves.
The gabapentin wasn't quite enough though so I'm now on Palexia too which is a controlled drug that my surgery refuse to prescribe for me even though the pain clinic specialists have directed them too.
I have to get the Palexia prescription once a month from one hospital and take it to the pharmacy at another.
Very powerful new opiate that the hospital had never heard of and at the moment stock just for me!


Tapentadol prolonged release (Palexia® SR) is recommended as an option for restricted use within NHS Wales, only in the following subpopulation within its licensed indication: Patients with severe chronic pain, in whom morphine sulphate modified release has failed to provide adequate pain control or is not tolerated. Tapentadol prolonged release (Palexia® SR) is not recommended for the management of severe chronic pain in adults, which can be adequately managed only with opioid analgesics, outside of the subpopulation described above. AWMSG is of the opinion that tapentadol prolonged release (Palexia® SR) should be initially prescribed by a specialist*. Prescribing may be continued in primary care with appropriate communication and specialist input. *Specialist implies specialist team or GP with special interest (GPwSI) with appropriate accreditation from the specialist faculty.
http://www.awmsg.org/awmsgonline/app/appraisalinfo/651

 

[connie104]

I was prescribed this drug tapentodol by the pain clinic I attended for a year. It is a strong drug and sent me to sleep for most of the day ! I lost so much weight 25 kilos as I never felt like eating. My husband asked the consultant if this was normal and he said I was overdosing but still increased the dosage as I was still in pain !!! I live in Spain and it is more widely available here. I have had a bad experience with all these opoid pain killers coming off them is a nightmare and I feel so much better now without them .

 

[jack412]

my dad has pregabalin and is very good, similar to gabapentin, so if it doesn't work or bad side effects, there is something else.
I use an antidepressant duloxetine, it helps nerve pain a bit

 

[connie104]

I have had duloxetine as well and it was prescribed with tapentadol and the combination nearly killed me I have never been so ill in my life ! The doctor when I told him said oh you better not take it then some people can't tolerate it ! This was the expert at the pain clinic !

 

[jack412]

I have had duloxetine as well and it was prescribed with tapentadol and the combination nearly killed me I have never been so ill in my life ! The doctor when I told him said oh you better not take it then some people can't tolerate it ! This was the expert at the pain clinic !

didn't they have google?
http://www.rxlist.com/drug-interactions/duloxetine-oral-and-tapentadol-oral-interaction.htm
duloxetine oral and tapentadol oral
duloxetine oral and tapentadol oral both increase affecting serotonin levels in the blood. Too much serotonin is a potentially life-threatening situation. Severe signs and symptoms include high blood pressure and increased heart rate that lead to shock.

 

[Alanp35]

Thx everyone. I'll post as and when. Just so looking forward to reducing the debilitating pain.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Good luck Alan I hope you get the relief you are looking for.

I have nerve damage to my lower spine "spondylitis" and get constant extreme pain all down my right leg, have done for years, tried physio for a year (useless) and then the pain clinic for around 9 months after a back rehab course (also useless) and was prescribed Gabapintin and Pregabalin amongst other drugs over my time there and none of them worked for me, well one did and I cant remember whether it was Gabapintin or the Pregabalin but one or the other worked so well pretty much lost all feeling below the waist and it gave me erectile dysfunction and I put on 5lb in a week so I stopped taking that almost immediately and thankfully have not suffered with ED since.

The pain clinic consultant ended up prescribing DF118 (dihydrocodeine) which was some help but I still suffered a lot of breakthrough pain.

Some time later my GP left my surgery and I got a new one and during a consultation with him he suggested that I try Bu-Trans patches having been on df118 for some time and I have been on them ever since and they have been a life changer for me. I have upped the level a few times over the last few years and am now using a Transtec 35u g/h 4 day patch and all I take for breakthrough pain now are paracetamol.

Like all opiode drugs you cant use them if you are opiate naive but assuming you have been down the co codamol - codeine route and start off on a low dose then they can be a great help.

Definitely worth mentioning at the pain clinic if you find Gapapentin is not for you.

You might also care to look at the forum run by Jan Sadler MBE on the Pain Support Web Site here http://www.painsupport.co.uk/

Good luck

 

[Alanp35]

One month in on my gabapentin therapy, no side effects that I have noticed. Main thing is that I feel so much better, brighter without the constant in my face pain. There is some residual pain and that will never entirely be removed, just the nature of RA as it is systemic rather than a local problem.
Such a shame we have to push so hard to get the treatment we so dearly need.
If any one else is having problems see your GP and insist on investigations.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Hi Alan, glad to hear that the gabapentin is working for you, breakthrough pain is something I still get on and off but I guess that is just the way it is, its not nice but its better than the constant pain I was in....

 

[Alanp35]

Hi Alan, glad to hear that the gabapentin is working for you, breakthrough pain is something I still get on and off but I guess that is just the way it is, its not nice but its better than the constant pain I was in....

THX Sid,
Breakthrough pain is something is part of life but as you said so much better than the 24/7/365 (6) previously experienced.

 

[sheltielife2]

I have had problem with pain in my feet and legs for yeas now and it's been said that it's nerve damage due to diabetes. However, it turned out that the only reason my glucose was up was because I had an adrenal gland problem that was over producing all sorts of hormones etc I had my left adrenal gland removed in May and up to now my glucose level has been fine, however, my GP put me on Gabapentin for the pain in my feet and legs. He told me to take 300 mgs at night first day then 300mgs the following morning and then 300 mgs at bedtime and the following day 300 mgs 3 times a day. I have been checking my glucose levels before meals and it's been going up again and there is a possibility that the other adrenal gland will start over producing. I took my first gabapentin last night at bedtime and slept through the night and I took my next one this morning. At lunchtime I started feeling strange, hard to say how and I checked my glucose and it was down at 2.6 so I had something to eat that had lots of sugar in and it went up to 5.9 which is perfect. I am of course wondering if the gabapentin can affect my glucose level, does anybody know if this is possible? Plus, I have read that you should start at 100 mgs and work up to a higher dose. The good thing is that my feet and legs don't hurt at all but I am worried about my glucose levels going too low.

 

[Alanp35]

Hi Sheltie
I take 300mg Gabapentin 3 times a day, a total of 900mg each day and must say that I have not noticed any increase etc from when I commenced. I still have the daily battle with BG levels, as do we all, but nothing untoward. Can I advise to keep an eye on it and if no change or rising then consult a GP.

 

[sheltielife2]

I have just had a thought I don't know if anyone can help me I am also taking buprenorphine as I have rheumatoid arthritis and the leaflet that comes with gabapentin says don't take it if you are on morphine and I am wondering if this is the problem as buprenorphine is an opiate, very strong pain relief. I feel quite desperate at the moment, especially it being Saturday. On top of all this my husband passed away on 1st November due to cancer.

 

[toonarmy1000]

Hi everyone i was only diagnosed withe type 2 on thursday and I have my first appointment on Tuesday and I have a million and one questions to ask but came across this thread while looking about. I have had problems with my hands about 2 years now with pins and needles restricted movement, whitening etc. and for the last 6 months my feet have been killing me and sometimes numb and cramp up a lot. I had xrays at the start of this year after my GP saying it will heal itself! and they showed slight damage and have then been sent for various test for thoracic nerve damage nerve conduction tests etc. eventually in november the neurologist sent me and GP a letter saying my bloods showed slight glucose intolerance and after fortnightly fasting blood tests confirmed type 2. I have been on 2 x 300mg Gabapentin 3 times a day and 4 x 10mg Amitryptline at night time for a mixture of the pain and antidepressants as I have suffered from depression for the last 2 years. I am wondering why I havent been tested before and apparently I had full blood tests in January this year because i was in an induced coma and on life support for 3 days asuffering a gastric bleed in January this year. My GP just said there was nothing on file specifically just a record of treatment. I must be honest I am pleased in a way they have found a possible cause of my hand and feet trouble but also a bit scared of more medication with what i already take plus Metformin which i started taking Thursday

 

[sheltielife2]

Well, I was actually very lucky yesterday! I thought I had fallen asleep as I looked at the clock and it was 1 p.m. and didn't know anything else until 3 p.m. However, I went worse and worse feeling really bad. I know think that I was hypo and passed out, as a friend that has been today said if I had fallen asleep I would have felt it coming on and I didn't. I have since found something on the net that says if you have gabapentin at the same time as buprenorphine then it's very dangerous as you can go into a coma or worse still it could cause death! Of course, it's Sunday so I can't do anything today and I haven't taken any gabapentin since yesterday morning and I am feeling a lot better. So, if anyone else is told to take these two drugs at the same time they certainly shouldn't do.

 

[Brunneria]

Well, I was actually very lucky yesterday! I thought I had fallen asleep as I looked at the clock and it was 1 p.m. and didn't know anything else until 3 p.m. However, I went worse and worse feeling really bad. I know think that I was hypo and passed out, as a friend that has been today said if I had fallen asleep I would have felt it coming on and I didn't. I have since found something on the net that says if you have gabapentin at the same time as buprenorphine then it's very dangerous as you can go into a coma or worse still it could cause death! Of course, it's Sunday so I can't do anything today and I haven't taken any gabapentin since yesterday morning and I am feeling a lot better. So, if anyone else is told to take these two drugs at the same time they certainly shouldn't do.

So sorry to hear about your husband.

How are your sleep episodes and blood glucose levels now? did you manage to get medical advice?

 

[sheltielife2]

I did get medical advice and have now changed my GP practice! I just don't trust my original one. One of the other problems is that drugs are dispensed at the surgery as there isn't a pharmacy nearby and they don't have a pharmacist on site! Had they done then he might have picked up on the interaction. I didn't say that before I must have passed out I checked my glucose and it was 2.6 before a meal and so I went and got a something with sugar in and even so it must have still gone lower. I didn't go into everything at first, but I am not really diabetic. In May of this year I had my left adrenal gland removed as it was over producing all sorts of hormones including glucose and the histology showed hyperplasia and very often you need the other gland removed as well and I think that's what's happening as my glucose is going up again, well it was until that medication interaction.

 

[Brunneria]

I did get medical advice and have now changed my GP practice! I just don't trust my original one. One of the other problems is that drugs are dispensed at the surgery as there isn't a pharmacy nearby and they don't have a pharmacist on site! Had they done then he might have picked up on the interaction. I didn't say that before I must have passed out I checked my glucose and it was 2.6 before a meal and so I went and got a something with sugar in and even so it must have still gone lower. I didn't go into everything at first, but I am not really diabetic. In May of this year I had my left adrenal gland removed as it was over producing all sorts of hormones including glucose and the histology showed hyperplasia and very often you need the other gland removed as well and I think that's what's happening as my glucose is going up again, well it was until that medication interaction.

Blimey.
Good on you for changing practice!
I didn't even know that you could remove both adrenal glands. Can't be fun (massive understatement!) and that must really impact on the body's other systems. Is that Cushings?