Gabapentin

Amanda - posted on 06/03/2010

Hello Nichole, Iv had fibro for 4 yrs and the past 3 of those on Gabapentin it has helpped me so so much without this medication i would of been in a wheelchair because my nerve pain was so bad , but now im taking 4 tablets 3x a day its the max dose but it helps and i can walk around and some days i get no pain at all so it's worth a try ... Good Luck
If you want to chat just send me a message hugs Amanda x

Kristin - posted on 05/27/2010

Hi Nichole! My name is Kristin and I have had fibromyalgia for three years. I was involved in a car accident three years ago that changed my life forever. I also have a ton of other medical issues that I have to deal with due to complications from the car accident. Too many to list and describe and I would rather spend this time helping you with your questions the best that I can.

First I would like to let you know that gabapentin is the generic brand name for neurontin. Neurontin is given when a patient has nerve damage from diabetes, shingles, breast cancer, car accidents that led to nerve damage etc.. I was given neurontin a few years back and the medicine did not agree with me at all. I was on the lowest dose, 100mg three times a day and I had tremors from it, it was scary. It was definitely not the answer to my nerve damage and certainly not for fibromyalgia. I was given lyrica for pain from my injuries and for the fibromyalgia and I found that it did not work as well as they said it would. It never touched the pain at all and I had given my body ample time to adjust and take in the medicine.

I was recently given Savella and I have to say so far I am happy with the results. Savella is what they call a seratonin norepinephrine uptake inhibitor. It is in the same category, but not given to patients who are depressed. It helps to increase the seratonin in your brain in order to help with the pain that is felt all throughout your body with fibro.You will be given a starter pack which starts out at 12.5mg and by day 8 you will be on 50mg twice a day.One tip if you decide this might be something for you to try is to definitely take this medicine with food. Without food, I got extremely nauseated.

I too am extremely sensitive to medications and I have a lot of reactions to many of them. Mostly hives and an uneasy feeling. The best advice I can give you is to research, research, research for medications that are given to people who are dealing with fibromyalgia. I believe there is a new medicine that just came out for fibro that is supposed to help with the insomnia that many of us deal with. I don't remember the name off hand though, you will find it once you research fibro on like web md. Once you have a list and you have read over the side affects, talk at length with your doctor about which one may be right for your pain and discomfort. I am also taking tramadol for pain. It is not considered a narcotic and I find it to be extremely helpful with the deep, intense pain that I feel.

I really hope this helps you somewhat and if you have any other questions or just want to vent I am here and always happy to help!

:) Kristin

Kelly - posted on 05/20/2010

I have been taking it for a while for nerve pain and I really think it helps. It should also help you sleep a little better, if they is also an issue for you.