My doctor just prescribed Gabapentin, for my back & leg pain, I am terrified of taking this drug?

This caused me extreme side effects. I would turn down this drug.

I took it 2 weeks and went off, It caused blurry vision dizziness balance issues. Headaches. And I was only taking it at night before bed. The symptoms Occurred when I got up and lasted all day. Other people I know of, Don't have any symptoms.

Sorry about all the pain your experiencing. Advil and Aleve didn’t work for my pain either. The heating pad was okay for awhile. I suggest trying Gabapentin and see how you feel. I was just prescribed it too. I have been satisfied so far.

I am taking gabapentin now and have been taking 300mg 3 times a day and am begining to have weak legs with pain in the morning. To me it is a side effect and I am tapering myself off. I was prescribed this medication for PTSD re Vietnam War.

Hello, first off has your Doctor already had xrays, mri's and ct-scans done on the areas that you are complaining of? If so that may be why he is not ordering them again. Doctor's prefer to expose patients the least they can to any form of radioactive as nessassary as possible. Also, in the case of the Gabapentine, it is just like with any other medications that your Doctor may put you on. They tell you do not stop taking suddenly without my consent. Each drug will have a reason for a Doctor to say do not stop taking without my direction and that is where you as a patient have every right to ask why can I not stop this medication suddenly and if I do, what will happen? You as the patient have every right to ask these questions and be and feel informed about your care when you leave your Doctor’s office.

I as well have been taken Gabapentin for my leg pain and to help me sleep, I do have nerve pain But Nine capsule a day... No Thank You!
it really make you drowsy' so i take two or three it at night just before i go to bed. It helps me sleep. and in the day i take one' Advil, for pain, it helps me. Not two because it doe's thin your blood. i don't like taking medication at all so the less the better for me. Hope This Help's... Ruben Bernal, in Roswell,New Mexico

Yes, I would try it also. All you can have is a few hours of discomfort from the medication. If not, leg pain and spasms caused by a stroke can be treated with Botox injections. Maybe it would also work for your pain.

I must have said this at least 50 times. Gabapentin was my MIRACLE drug!!! I was taking 3600mg 3X/day, and I needed no pain meds. i was in 7th heaven. I was also gaining weight like crazy, which I was told was due to my eating habits. Later on, they put weight gain as a side effect. If I could, I would increase the med again. It was wonderful. BUT what works for me, doesn't necessarily work for you. Everybody has a different genetic code, and my side effects, might have nothing to do with you. Try it, what do you have to lose, except pain???

I too suggest you try it. Its foolish to have pain if you don't have to. Millions have taken gabapentin with success. The only reason you have to wean off of it is because you can have symptoms if you stop it abruptly. It is not addicting. Its just that your body gets used to having it. I take it every day for years now. Its an old medication so many have taken it.

Gabapentin works by slowing your neural synapses. Most people take only about a 100 mg-once a day. It can make you dizzy-and sort of float. Some say shaky. I've used it several times-was taking 800 mg. If a person takes a lot of it, and stops suddenly, the neural synapses speeds up and can cause seizures. I'm impressed with your doctor-most don't advise the patient of this, and then people get headaches and are lucky not to have a seizure.
If you take a lot-like I did it takes weeks to quit, as a person has to slowly back off. The way you'd have to back off is maybe take one every other day for a week, and you'd be OK. You probably could just stop taking it, unless you took it for months and months. Have you tried ice packs for the pain-sometimes that works. You don't get addicted to this