[SiestaKeys]

Quick background: I've been on Hydro for the last 1.5 yrs with a 2 month break because I moved and also wanted to see if I could deal with the pain. I had a Pain Mgmt Dr(1st 8 months) and now have a general Dr(last 8 months) who wants me to switch from Hydro to Gabapentin. I dont remember the exact diagnosis(spinal strain syndrome & myofascial syndrome sounds familiar) for the pain in my neck and upper back(thanks to car wreck), but MRIs of my entire back and neck show nothing "abnormal". I do know that I had ligaments/tendons torn in my neck. I have tried Ultram, which made me sick and didnt work for pain; percs which actually worked great but in the mornings and whenever it wore off, the pain would be thru the roof. I reread most of my phys therapy reports and never once was pain due to a "nerve" problem reported, yet Gabapentin works only on nerve associated pain.

Has anyone used Gabapentin successfully? If so, for what types of pain?

[lindbws]

Hi Siestakeys, I have had the exact same problem as you have. I am no longer on Lortab since I was getting addicted to it and once it wore off, the pain came back instantly! I know exactly what you are going through. I am taking gabapentin right now for pain from spine and neck injuries due to a car accident 4 years ago. I also go to a chiropractor to get my spine and neck realigned. But, the gabapentin has helped my pain immensely and it also helps anxiety. I have had good results with the gabapentin.

[SiestaKeys]

Thanks lindbws for the reply. What was your diagnosis from the accident? Do you have nerve damage? How much do you take per day? Rate on a scale of 1-100, with 100 being absolutely no pain, lortab vs gabapentin.

The hydrocodone has not given me "extra" pain when it wears off, only oxycodone. For example, when hydro wears off, my pain goes from a 2 to 5-6; however, with oxy, it goes from a 2 to 8-9. On a 12hr driving trip last year, a friend stole some of my pills before I left and repaid me with oxys cuz I wanted to rearrange his face. Thus, I had to take oxy during the trip but only had a few to last me til my next refill. All I can say is that I could not and did not want to move once we arrived at a hotel cuz my back pain was thru the roof.

[Mike VG]

I've used Gabapentin 3600mg/day for 9 months now for Postherpetic Neuralgia. All I can say is that it's a very good drug for all types of neuropathy.
GriffSS

[KhunDee]

Originally Posted by SiestaKeys

Quick background: I've been on Hydro for the last 1.5 yrs with a 2 month break because I moved and also wanted to see if I could deal with the pain. I had a Pain Mgmt Dr(1st 8 months) and now have a general Dr(last 8 months) who wants me to switch from Hydro to Gabapentin. I dont remember the exact diagnosis(spinal strain syndrome & myofascial syndrome sounds familiar) for the pain in my neck and upper back(thanks to car wreck), but MRIs of my entire back and neck show nothing "abnormal". I do know that I had ligaments/tendons torn in my neck. I have tried Ultram, which made me sick and didnt work for pain; percs which actually worked great but in the mornings and whenever it wore off, the pain would be thru the roof. I reread most of my phys therapy reports and never once was pain due to a "nerve" problem reported, yet Gabapentin works only on nerve associated pain.

Has anyone used Gabapentin successfully? If so, for what types of pain?

I would like to intervein here and say that I have been placed on gabapentin and also take hydrocodone 10/325. I take it to prevent/treat my chronic headaches. I initially was on 300mg of gabapentin/day. One tablet of (10/325) hydrocodone would be good for 4-5 hrs. It killed my pain. I had no headache/migraine. Then I was upped to 600mg 3X/day. The headaches would strike! The hydrocodone would not do pooie for my headaches. I even took oxycodone that my wife currently has and it was like drinking water...nothing. I do think with almost certainty that the gabapentin will help, it is to how much it will help, is the question. I have today attempted to see my neurologist, but he was too busy to see me. I have asked to go back down to my 300 3X/day and for him to prescribe my pain meds, but to this hour of the day I have not got a call. "When they don't call, call them, and when they say they will and do not, show up at their office and demand to see them." Lastly, if that don't work, FIRE HIS ASS ( This means find another Dr.)! Good luck. If you have advise for me please write...finding a good doctor these days is a challenge.

[Mike VG]

I have used Gabapentin since January15 of this year. I take 3600mg a day. Gabapentin in my case is being used for Postherpetic Neuralgia associated with a bout of shingles back in January. Gabapentin is mainly used for neuropathy (nerve pain), and people who suffer from epilepsy. It has many other uses of which I am ignorant of. I know that it works exceptionally well in a lot of people for RLS(Restless Leg Syndrome). And there are many other conditions in which it works quite well. The strange thing is the medical community does not know how it works, but it does. It somehow blocks the neuroreceptors in the brain from receiving certain electrical signals put out from the affected area in certain conditions. So there ya go, bud. There's a website where you can read up on it : http://www.rxlist.com/script/main/hp.asp Take care.
Mike VG

[wileybill]

I have been through the ringer on this issue. Gabapentin is not FDA approved for use in pain management. Anyone perscribed gabapentin for off label use should do some investigateing (http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/May/04_civ_322.htm). I have had very little results except for some RLS releif. I have never met anyone who has had satisfactory results with this kind of therapy for pain, yet oddly enough the internet is full of anonomous posts on how well it works. It makes me wonder who is actually making these comments, perhaps the drug companies themselves, after all it is much cheaper than all the money they dumped on doctors and hospitals to push this product's off label use.
Do your home work, look for independant studies on these products and remember your doctor is supposed to be working for you, not some sales agent handing out freebees.

[Ascendancy]

Hi,

I have a multitude of problems. I test positive for lupus, but Dr's don't wanna diagnose it yet, they just check my organs and ana every 3 months. I am diagnosed with fibromyalgia for myofacial pain. I have 4 bulging disc in my back, 1 above and 1 below each shoulder blade, with a fissure @ the right neural foreman. I have degenerative disk disease in my lower lumbar. Currently I'm getting much much worse as my degen disk disease has progressed to begin irritating nerves, especially at L5.

I am 20 male. I stated seeing Dr's around age 16, was on lortabs for nearly 2 years straight on and off with an occasional flexeril script here and there.
After 2 months of lortabs, it did nothing for my pain.

Now I goto pain management. I have been in Fentanyl 25 mcg/hr - 1 patch every 48 hours for 15 months now. It is a miracle drug. Doesn't make you high, and blocks nearly all myofacial & back pain. I take Norco 10-325 up to 6 a day for break-through pain.

All a sudden I started getting terrible, agonizing pain in my right calf / upper ankle, felt like shin splint / bone spurs but my fentanyl + norco + muscle relaxers wouldn't even phase the pain.

I had been on lyrica before, and didn't like it. So my Dr. kept wanting me to try out gabapentin for the foot / ankle pain caused by degen disk disease at L5. I started it almost a week ago. I can honestly say that while my back still hurts at the physical spot of L5, the pain that nearly prevents me from walking at all, or makes me walk like an old man is pretty much completely eliminated within an hour of taking 300mg gabapentin.

So I will vouch, don't expect gabapentin to help with inflammation, bone pain, muscle pain, or anything like that. But if you are actually having pain caused by an irritated nerve which is usually caused by your disk in your back leading to pain elsewhere in the body, in my case my foot / ankle - gabapentin does truly work. It is astonishing that this drug has an incomparably better pain killing / eliminating effect on my nerve pain than does my fentanyl patch + norco + zanaflex + flexeril.

only problem is now I cant pee. which is most likely caused by the nerve just below L5

[BeavisMom62]

Originally Posted by Mike VG

I have used Gabapentin since January15 of this year. I take 3600mg a day. Gabapentin in my case is being used for Postherpetic Neuralgia associated with a bout of shingles back in January. Gabapentin is mainly used for neuropathy (nerve pain), and people who suffer from epilepsy. It has many other uses of which I am ignorant of. I know that it works exceptionally well in a lot of people for RLS(Restless Leg Syndrome). And there are many other conditions in which it works quite well. The strange thing is the medical community does not know how it works, but it does. It somehow blocks the neuroreceptors in the brain from receiving certain electrical signals put out from the affected area in certain conditions. So there ya go, bud. There's a website where you can read up on it : http://www.rxlist.com/script/main/hp.asp Take care.
Mike VG

That is exactly right, Mike. I also take gabapentin 600 mg/600 mg and 900 mg daily for chronic neck and back pain. I was in a car accident and had an abusive ex. Ive been diagnosed with bulging discs, herniated discs, stenosis, amother other things. Not sure if I have any nerve involvement. But I work for a neurologist and also see a neurologist and that is how they describe it. In simpler terms, they say that it "affects the way that the brain responds to pain", which is basically what you said. It really does help me. Its not like taking a narcotic but it does make the pain bearable.