Gabapentin for Pain User Reviews (Page 4)

• Mrs...
• February 2, 2016

"I started gabapentin last night; although it was prescribed a week ago. I have very serious allergies and even though the doctor cleared the medicine, I was afraid to have a reaction. I was/am also afraid of the side effects. I am still trying to lose weight after a full thyroidectomy so I don't want to gain anything else. Anyway I was prescribed this for intractable migraines. I took my first 300 mg pill last night as the neck pain I experience prior to some migraines, was riding up the back of my neck. I swear the pain diminished in less than 5 minutes. I did not expect that...weird. Tonight I felt the same pain so I took the pill as scheduled. Again the pain lessened. I had no migraine today so that is amazing for me. So far so good."

• Wagren
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 21, 2013

"I've had 5 surgeries on lower back which causes nerve damage and pain and been this way since my first surgery in 1992 or 93 lose count, My Dr. suggested Gabapentin 300 mg 3 times a day, now I'm not steady on my feet, when walking I have to hold on to things because fear of falling. Can't function at the work place. I have to be alert at all times, I have a lot of drowsiness and dizziness and this medicine puts me to sleep at all hours, but on a high note I'm drinking a lot of water which is a good thing due to cotton mouth. I don't think this is for me."

• Matilda...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 26, 2015

"Prescribed on Oct 5, threw it away October 25. Experienced wild mood swings, crying, agitated, and an evening of suicidal thoughts when I realized it was the drug. Was a very bad drug for me. Would definitely consider these as possible serious side effects when taking this drug."

• Amy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 22, 2016

"I have just started taking this for nerve pain in my hands, leg and feet. For siatica, bursitis, bulging and degenerative disc pain at 100mg dosage. I have had noticeable pain relief for these issues today . It does make me drowsy but seems to be working. I will do an update on pain relief for a day where my pain is really bad and report on how it works then."

• BadBa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 20, 2018

"A year after the first of two discectomies I still had nerve symptoms bad enough that I couldn’t walk more than about a mile. Being an avid hiker this wasn’t good enough. My spinal doctor put me on gabapentin 3x600 mg per day. One month later I was hiking 6 miles. Two months later I was hiking 12 miles"

• Curve...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 5, 2017

"I started taking this medicine 3 days ago for back pain. So far it has been helping a lot. I'm takin three 300mg pills a day. Before this I had been in terrible pain for about 2 months. I've been trying everything I can to get rid of it. Opiates had been the only thing that helped, but I don't like to take addictive drugs if I can avoid it. I literally would just wait until I couldn't bear it any longer and then take one. But so far with these I'm feeling quite a bit better. The only negative is they definitely have some side effects. They made me a bit dizzy and queasy the first 2 days. I didn't get drowsy from them though. Now that I'm on the 3rd day the side effects seem to be milder. I'm hoping this will last along with the pain relief!"

• Winni...
• November 24, 2008

Neurontin (gabapentin) "I have chronic pain in my thigh from degenerative disc disease in L4-L5. I have tried a couple dozen medications and this and Robaxin are the only things that help. I agree with the previous posts about the dopey feeling and would further suggest that you do not have to drive anywhere, even the next morning. I still felt like I was drunk about 10 hours after taking this medication."

• Mumma
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2019

"I have been suffering with chronic pain due to tendinitis in various joints in my body, I have rheumatoid arthritis (I’m 48) I have been taking co codomol and naproxen. The flare ups have been constant. I also take methotrexate. I started taking 100mg of gabapentin once a day for three days then one twice a day. The pain was gone after 3 days! I don’t think I need to be on 2 a day, The side effects for me are a little strange. Very bad violent nightmares that feel so real, leaving me in tears and feeling off all day. Fatigue, sedation, foggy brain and slurred speech, almost like being drunk but not in a good way. The side effects apparently lessen as you go on. I’m seeing GP soon and will discuss dosage. If 100mg works for me then I’ll stick to that. Oh, headaches and cardboard feeling in mouth. The tiredness is overwhelming. I want it to work as I don’t want to be in pain anymore. Good luck everyone"

• Butte...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 12, 2015

"If the purpose the taking gabapentin is to hurl you into a state of psychosis then it gets a ten because this is a very real side effect of this drug. The Pfizer company does not want you to know that it can and has caused many people to go into a psychotic state. Not for a day mind you but for as yet an indeterminate amount of time.They put on the warning do not abruptly stop this medication, but they don't tell you why. "

• KPete
• February 22, 2012

"My doctor prescribed Gabapentin for spinal stenosis. I started on 300 mg the first week, then increased to 600 mg the second week. The first morning after taking the second pill, I awoke with extreme pain in my lower right leg. It increased to the point of needing crutches. I was sent for an MRI, two ultra sounds, xrays and was scheduled for another MRI on my leg, when it dawned on me that it could be the Gabapentin. I quit the medicines and within a day or two the pain was gone. I realize I may be an exception to the rule for this medicine, but am providing this information in case it happens to someone else."

• Apophis
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 2, 2018

"Been on Gabapentin for over a year and now for pain in my spine but now I have trouble thinking or getting out simple words and I cannot go out by myself because I get these fits of feeling like I am drunk and makes me feel like I am going wobble out into traffic I also get this pressure on my head like someone is pressing on it all the time. I also have been feeling really down a lot which is not nice my moods have changed a lot and what I used to care about I no longer care about. This is a horrible medicine and I would advise anyone not to take it but that is my opinion and my experience with this drug."

• Disap...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 28, 2021

"Not only did this medication (600 mg once a day not, before bed) not help my pain as much as hoped, but it actually caused other problems, like burning eyes, burning skin on my arms, legs and face, blue fingernails, swollen hands and legs, pain on washing and drying hands and wearing clothes that I have worn for years, and waking up with and spending all day with an intractable headache so bad I thought I was having a mini-stroke, plus brain fog, walking instability, memory loss, feeling super cold. I finally realized that gabapentin must be behind all this and tapered to half on the advice of my provider. Been only 2 days of tapering and many of the side effects eg burning eyes, handwashing pain, dizziness and headache have gone plus my brain is so clear, something I haven't felt in the 2.5 months on this medication. Was told to do week to 10 days on 300mg and then stop, which I will definitely do. WILL NEVER TAKE THIS MEDICATION AGAIN!"

• Aunt...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• February 10, 2016

"For 5 years I had severe constant pain from arthritis around my right collar bone pressing nerves. Along that journey, I had a nerve ablation done on my C3-C4-C5 vertebrae that helped a pinched nerve there. Finally found a pain specialist who put me on Gabapentin Nortriptyline (usually for depression). Gabapentin alone did nothing. He convinced me the 25mg Nortriptyline is a tiny dose but works great with the Gabapentin. He was right. Immediate relieve. After surprise surgery for a perforated sm intestine, had to hold off all Rx's while in the hospital. Then started lightening bolts of Siatica nerve pain down right leg. EGAD. Back home, restarted Gaba and Nortrip - Siatica all better. Wow!"

• Anonymous
• November 24, 2009

Neurontin (gabapentin) "I took Neurontin (Gabapentin) for three months as a treatment for chronic pain following a herniated lumbar disc a year and a half ago. Anti-inflammatories and other medicines such as Oxycodone, Tramadol, etc. had minimal effect. After increasing my dosage over the course of three weeks, Neurontin completely eliminated the pain. However, I gained weight rapidly (nearly 20 pounds in 2 months), retained a tremendous amount of water, to the point where my jewelry wouldn't fit and my shoes were very tight, and the constipation was awful and even laxatives didn't help. Also, I was fatigued all the time. Unfortunately, the side effects were just too much for me. I still haven't found a good replacement medicine for the pain. All the side effects!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 21, 2015

"I have found that neurotin has helped with my sciatic pain. It was originally given for the pain in my legs from restless leg syndrome. But it has definitely helped with the bad pain I experience from an injury in my sciatica. It used to be almost unbearable. I do not want to take addictive pain medications again. They only work if you are taking them on a constant basis, and that is not good. With the neurotin, I can take it in the morning and I get relief for most of the day."

• Japan...
• August 19, 2019

"I have degenerative disk disease, bone spurs, spinal stenosis, 3 herniated disks in my lumbar spine and one herniated disk in my cervical spine. Osteoarthritis, ankylosis spondylosis, I’m permanently in pain. I was on tramadol for about ten years. I am now being told by my new pain management Dr that I don’t need to be on so much pain medication (350 milligrams a day) so he decided to take me off of it. I went though a tough time coming off of the tramadol. The pain management DR upped the Gabapentin up to 2400 milligrams a day. It does not help control my pain. I sit in my recliner constantly shifting my sitting position from one side to the other unable to find a position that will not hurt me after a few minutes. My pain management DR then told me my only option is surgery. It really feels like he is trying to force me to have surgery. Unfortunately there is no guarantee that I’ll be ok after the surgery."

• Lil...
• September 26, 2015

"I've been on gabapentin for several yrs & it was originally for back pain. I had my L4/5 disc fused then 6 years later had a spinal cord stimulator put in. 4 surgeries later NO RELIEF AT ALL. I've been on 300 MG 3x's a day. But recently my neurologyst decided that I should actually take 600 MG 3x's a day because I've been suffering from migraines since age 7. The thing that I've noticed is that my memory is off. I will be in a drive thru & have a list of items that I want off the menu & as soon as they ask me what I want, I draw a blank & look at my son like "HELP" At first I didn't think anything of it but now it's becoming habit. Why??"

• Legal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2016

"I jammed my hip about 6 weeks ago. It had been sore and hurting, but starting 10 days ago the sciatic pain was running down my right leg constantly. I was eating Aleve and Advil. Heat did not help. Ice did not help. I could barely walk. I even had to take a day off work because I could not get in a comfortable position. My doctor gave me a steroid shot and had no effect on the pain. I had taken Gabapentin before when I had a pinched nerve in my neck from a car accident and the pain was running down my are. I called my doctor yesterday and asked him if he would call me some in. He did. 100mg, 3 times per day. I can already tell a difference. The shooting, stabbing pain running down my leg through my foot has subsided."

• kayakd
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 22, 2015

"I ruptured L5/S1 disc at work (I'm 58 years old). Nothing seemed to help with the pain until I asked about Gabapentin and started taking 300 mg three times a day along with Ibuprofen 600 mg. It does help a lot but only when I combine it with Ibuprofen...without I really don't get relief. It does take some time for your body to adjust to it - I felt very foggy, and drugged. I had trouble forming sentences for almost 2 weeks. It's a lot better now."

• Ritzie
• November 21, 2011

Neurontin (gabapentin) "I've been taking Neurontin now for 2 weeks and it does help with the pain but the side effects in my case are hazy feeling, cannot concentrate, feel sleepy and I've noticed I'm eating more. My doctor prescribed it together with Percocet for herniated discs, diabetic neuropathy, fibromialgia, osteopenia and a slew of other things. It does help but I work as a secretary for a law firm, which means I have to greet everyone that walks in the front door. I cannot afford not to be alert and this medication makes me feel like I don't want to or don't care to do anything. So what do I do? I need to take the medicines in order to be able to go to work but when I get there I don't want to do anything! Quite a dilemma!"

• Sgw
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 25, 2015

"I'm a recovering alcoholic/addict with chronic pancreatitis, so having the option to take a non-narcotic to manage chronic pain is critical for me. I have been relatively successful at managing the pancreatitis after it's acute and vicious onset which had me hospitalized and on a diladid drip for seven weeks. Now that after a year the pancreatitis has turned chronic, though I maintain a good diet and exercise often, and so pain management is crucial. However it's pretty dangerous for me to be on narcotics, and it is most certainly not how I want to spend my life. The Gabapentin has truly made the biggest difference for me in both dealing with chronic pain and the anxiety I have about controlled substances. I am relieved and grateful."

• CMGold
• December 1, 2016

"I spent almost three years dealing with unbearable tingling and burning around my shoulder blade until I just couldn't take it anymore. My GP prescribed me Gabapentin in the hopes that it would put a stop to it, and it did. It took less than a week for me to feel total relief. I'm not saying it's a wonder drug that will work for everyone, but in my case, it's been a lifesaver."

• Kay
• August 24, 2019

"I was first put on Gabapentin 300 mg last year, 5-18-2018 for the pain of my osteoarthritis. Till January 2019 I thought it worked great, except.. putting 30 pounds on, and severe dry mouth. I also take nortriptyline for antidepressants. I had to 6 cavities filled in my teeth from the dry mouth so bad at night. Got off, and Dr put me Tylenol and ibuprofen 800 mg. Three times a day. Work a little at first. Then nothing. So I have lost the extra weight. Gonna try it again. It works great for my pain. I have made a life style change with food. No pasta, no breads and no snacks. Except once a week to reward myself. Also have a night time mouth rinse to help with dry mouth. The pain in my body with osteoarthritis is horrible. There isn't an hour of the day I have pain running through my body. Pins and needle feeling in feet, my back hurts. Pain runs through my body all day... It's so sad, I'm only 43, and going through perimenopause."

• Donson
• May 7, 2016

"I had ongoing pain in my right leg due to stenosis, a cyst on my spine, and a number of issues with my lower vertebrae. I first went to a chiropractor but that didn't help. Had two injections at a pain clinic with very limited results. Went to a spine clinic and the doctor prescribed gabapentin. Went from one 300mg a day to three as prescribed. I have found much relief and have had some good nights of sleep after months of pain at night. I have not had the side effects described here except it took a couple of times to discover that my tolerance for alcohol is greatly reduced. That may not be a bad thing. I still have a lot of numbness and pain if I walk too far or stand too long but at least I can sleep at night ."

• felin...
• March 11, 2017

"This is my second day of taking 100mg, 3 times a day. I tell you they've helped me with the pain. I can walk and sit up an sit down, with out being in agony. I've had sciatica now for over 2 years an in my back buttocks and legs. I would go to bed to sleep an wake up and couldn't go back to sleep because of the pain. That the pain would stay with me all day. I was taking codamols 30\500. Ibuprofen, an also using cream and hot water bottles too. All I ended up with, pain not shifting and a stomach ulcer. This new tablet I'm taking has helped me loads, like I said it doesn't get rid of all the pain but its such a relief that I'm not in agony any more. The Dr has put me on some anti sickness tablets metoclopramide that helps too."