Gabapentin for Fibromyalgia User Reviews (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 11, 2013

"I was in a really bad flare for months, fearing that new level of pain and intensity was becoming my body's norm. I'm grateful I was able to get in touch with a doctor that recommended Gabapentin and Flexeril. Been taking both, more of the Gabapentin for just over a week. My dosage will be increased, but as of now I'm taking 300mg of Gabapentin 4 to 5 times a day. I really notice the biggest relief after the first hour, then it seems to taper off. I feel like there is hope again with the relief I've experienced on this medication. I will be asking on my next visit about the dosage or difference in how it releases into the body, so that my pain stays at the lower levels. If you haven't tried this medicine, I'd highly recommend to do so."

• Rimmy
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 27, 2013

"After being diagnosed four years ago and several different meds I went to a rheumatologist and he put me on gabapentin. I started out with 300mg at night for one week. Over the course of 4 weeks it slowly increased to 600mg 3 times daily. The first 23 hours I notice a difference. By the time I reached 600 mg 3 times daily I felt like a totally different person with my pain level going from a 10 most days to anywhere from 1-5. Well, the last 2 weeks my pain level has went up to 10 and no lower then a 5. I hope when I go back to the doctor. He will adjust the dosage and get it working again. Being almost pain free was awesome!"

• Annie...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 31, 2013

"I have Fibromtalgia which was diagnosed recently after many, many visits to GP who told me it was a fancy name for depression and took me off dihydrocodeine and gave me 5mg codeine. After many months of pain I changed my doctor who prescribed much stronger painkillers and gabapentin. I immediately felt better with a little pain but nothing compared to what it was. So far, fingers crossed, no side effects except feeling very tired and a little 'spaced' out. Recommend this to anyone."

• Smurf...
• November 8, 2013

"I have tried just about everything to manage my Fibromyalgia pain and taking Percocet 24/7 was the only thing keeping me functional. Doctor put me on Gabapentin in an effort to wean me off the Percocet. So far it's working and I'm taking much less of the Percocet. I have 400mg/3x day for typical days and she prescribed 600 mg for my bad days. However, the 600 mg makes me feel very spacey and unable to focus, slightly headachey. It does help with the pain though. The pain is not gone completely but I can function. Best I can hope for I guess."

• Natal...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 7, 2017

"I was suffering from fibromyalgia pain most of my adult life, I'm 52 by the way, not realizing there was this wonderful medication available to me...I started it about 2 years ago and it really makes a HUGE difference in how my body feels. I take 300 mg 3X daily. I hope it never quits working for me...you should give it a try....It has no side effects on me."

• Phil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 5, 2017

"I suffered for years with bad nerve pain all over my body, nothing helped as it was mainly caused by fibromyalgia. I was worn out and constantly had fibro fog, the slightest bit off worry or stress can cause a big fibro flare up, my doctor a few weeks back put me on gabapentin 100 mg and did the increase up to 300 mg a day. A week later after starting the tablets the intense pain I had was subsiding from say 100 percent to 30 percent. I also noticed it helped me to sleep like a log and have energy the next day which I never had. Fibro pain causes stressing the body. Stress brings on fibro and its a vicious circle of fibro flare ups. I lost both parents recently within 12 months so I have immense anxiety. 10/10 amazed at this drug."

• squee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 27, 2016

"I was diagnoised with Fibromyaligia back in the mid 90's but didn't treat it till I started to feel so bad in 2000, and I had to work, so I was on Prox-y-propanate for several years till it was pulled from the market, was then on Vicodin 4x a day and it worked great, but so many people have abused it or died from some mixing of it and other drugs that my Dr. pulled me off and put me on Tzanidine, which gave me headaches and heartburn, then on to Clondine, which made me tired and a terrible dry cough, then finally to Gabepentine, which has been awesome, I also take Duloxetine, and together they have me feeling awesome, I can go to my exercise classes everyday and the energy is great remember try everything, donot give up!"

• fibro...
• July 7, 2011

Neurontin (gabapentin) "I've been on it for 7 years now, and it is amazing. I had to go off of it for a while when I was in the hospital, and I got to see how it actually helps me. All of my fibromyalgia pains and everything else came back. I was in so much pain until I went back on it. Now, presto, it has taken 99% of the pain away. I am now able to move around and not let it slow me down or keep me in bed all day. So very effective for me. I tried Lyrica, and it made me gain weight and made me very suicidal, so I went on this, and it's a wonder drug. Hope it helps you too."

• MacIn...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 14, 2012

"Gabapentin kept twitching muscles and nerves at bay. I found the side effects to be very annoying. I had cognitive issues, while on Gabapentin, such as, hunting for the correct word from my varying and large vocabulary. I also experienced memory (short term) problems. Now that I've tapered down to 300mgs 3 times daily, my memory has improved, and my vocabulary is coming back. I recommend this medication, yet, if you find yourself entering a room in your home and not knowing exactly why you are there, forgetting why you went there in the first place, blame it on the medication. You are not losing your mind, nor are you suffering from early onset dementia!"

• Annab...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 10, 2016

"Pretty much saved my life. 13 years ago fibromyalgia symptoms (severe pain especially legs and shoulders), started. My father was taking high doses of gabapentin for chronic guillaune barre. He urged me to try it--and it was the first real sleep I had in months! My rheumatologist had me on 1600mg. 3x, gradually lowered to 1600 mg. 2x. Studies at Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins show very few (and very mild) side effects, even at high doses. The only problem I have is if I forget to take them. Then I get flu like symptoms. I was able to continue my career (elementary school teacher) with no problems. Retired this year age 66 and very active. BTW my memory seems better than most friends my age."

• Sasha
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 18, 2019

"I was first prescribed gabapentin back in 1997 by a pain doctor. It was one of three medications to be used in unison for my back pain. Since then I've developed fibromyalgia and the trio of meds have ended with the opioid obsession. I now take 3600mg of gabapentin daily. 1200mg three times daily. It works great. I started out with a much lower dose and as the fibro got worse the dosage increased. Another great thing about this drug is that it's free with my mail away insurance drug company. To those who think it doesn't work, perhaps the dose was too low or you were misdiagnosed."

• dresan
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 8, 2015

"I've been on 600 mg in the morning (an hour or more before I get out of bed) and 1200 mg. at 6:30 p.m. for a bedtime of 10:00 p.m. In almost a month I've had a return of my "can do" attitude, a reduction in pain, a seeming improvement in memory and the greatest sleep in years. Unfortunately I've also had a 16 pound weight gain. I am already obese, so this is a huge problem. It breaks my heart because for the first time in 27 years I've been excited to have a flower garden again. Before that I had no interest because even the thought of it was too overwhelming due to pain. Dizziness was a very bad problem at first but I was down in bed anyway for other problems so it didn't matter to me. That wore off (mostly) in three weeks."

• freed...
• April 30, 2017

"I was prescribed gabapentin for fibromyalgia 3 weeks ago.. taking 300mg 3x a day after years of trying every depression medication and being in pain killers for back pain for a year. I was consistently unmotivated.. I didn't want to do ANYTHING, had severe body aches, and generally felt like crap with depression and anxiety to top it off! After my first dose of 300mg I felt better within the first 10-30 minutes. I got up and felt like I had purpose.. my anxiety and depressed ceased and my body felt better. I would recommend this to anyone unless you have problems with weight gain. It seems to cause water retention. Also, sometimes I get dyslexic or clumsy.. those are the adverse effects for me, not sure about anyone else?"

• Fred
• July 27, 2017

"Amazing. Have severe fibromyalgia pain as well as chronic cervical spondylosis, following a failed neck surgery. Tried everything, was put on pregabalin but it stopped working & so expensive. Dr. switched to Gabapentin (dirt cheap) at low doses below 600mg just caused sedation did nothing ,but at higher doses 900 mg (at night only) my pain melted away from 9 to 1. No longer sedates me but clears brain fog and restores energy and motivation. It's also done wonders for uplifting my depressed mood (a real happy pill). Some insomnia, but I need far less sleep & no longer fatigued. Side effects are some occasional tremors & dizziness , myclonus, when it's time to re-dose, but nothing bad. A miracle medicine. Great for chronic fatigue"

• ranch...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 2, 2018

"I have had fibromyalgia since 2003 and started taking 300mg of gabapentin 3x daily in 2015. Within a couple months, my pain and fatigue subsided to the point I could work again. I had been out of work and mostly bedridden for 8 years. I still don't feel as energetic and normal as I was in 2002 (when I was 22), but that could simply be due to the 8 years of inactivity and my age creeping up on me. I have no known side effects from this drug."

• J_Samps
• March 26, 2015

"I am a 22 years old male University student, diagnosed with fibromyalgia in March 2014 after an extensive series of blood and imaging tests to differentially rule out other diagnoses. I have been on Lexapro since then, working up to 20mg daily with no relief. After having become fed up with the excruciating whole-body pains I've suffered for the past two years, my research landed on gabapentin as an effective treatment for fibro. I spoke to my doctor, and now having worked up to 600mg, x3/day, I can say gabapentin WORKS!! My daily pain levels have diminished significantly, I sleep normally, have improved mental & physical energy, and I actually feel normal again! I also use tramadol 50mg up to x4/day as needed for break-through pain."

• shaaw...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 11, 2017

"I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 14 years ago. I have done the rigamarole of drugs for pain and sleep...spent years running on 2 hours sleep here and there and unable to function normally. Tramadol used to provide adequate pain relief but my insurance stopped covering it and I could not afford it after that. Muscle relaxants helped for a while but over time they became less helpful. Eventually I stopped taking them. Recently my doctor put me on Gabapentin and for the first time in years I got some real sleep and my pain is dulled to a low roar. The brain fog happens when dosage is increased but subsides after a few days...overall I can function at a higher level than ever before. It is a good compromise for me!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 25, 2016

"I'm a 45 year old female,diagnosed with fibromyalgia,chronic fatigue syndrome since 2000,i have been on many different medications to ease my pain,about 3 months ago i started taking gabapentin and can honestly say that i feel so much better i take 300mg in the day and 600mg at bedtime,i sleep well and my pain has decreased tremendously,it does gives me headaches but i take 1000mg of extra strength tylenol and the headache is gone plus it helps the gabapentin work longer so im grateful and i haven't gained any weight but i sometimes experience pain in my fingers, they get stiff but overall im thankful for this medication and will continue to take it as long as it works for my body"

• Stone...
• May 7, 2017

"I have had fibro for 7 years, finally have a doctor that prescribed me Gabapentin. It's amazing I feel like a normal person again. I sleep through the night, with no pain anymore. My anxiety is gone also, which is awesome. I know everyone is different, but it works for me. I have had little to no side effects yet. First few doses was a bit of an air head other than that no complaints. Being able to function pain free and agitation free is a blessing."

• redli...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 29, 2016

"I had been taking Amitriptyline for 6 years, and at flare ups was also topped up with Gabapentine, however I didn't feel the Gabatentin was helping more than the Amitriptyline, so just stuck with Amitriptyline, and road the flare ups.. BUT after 6 years I was SICK of the "drugged up" feelings in the mornings, (and not seeing them!!) so finally went back to my doc for a drug review. She suggested trying Gabapentin on it's own at a higher dose (200mgs 3 times a day to start with, upping if required) and all I can say is, WOW, I have my life back! I am awake in the mornings, I am relatively pain free, (yes I still have background pain and occasional false ups, but at a level low enough for me to manage in other ways,)"

• Derfl...
• June 18, 2015

"I have been taking Gabapentin for about 3 months. It has decreased my pain tremendously. I take 600mg twice a day for Fibromyalgia. But some of the side effects are bothersome. If I take it on an empty stomach I am ok. But if I eat with in 5 hours of taking it I become dizzy and feel drunk. Because of my family and work obligations some times I have to skip a dose so I can function properly. Also I have trouble with my memory. I am a huge trivia buff but right now it is hard for me to remember anything, I have not put on much weight but it does seem that after I take a dose and eat then I am hungry and can not get full. So I have to choose, pain and no side effects or no pain and feeling and acting drunk. I choose no pain."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 2, 2012

"I have diabetic neuropathy and fibromyalgia. I could barely walk when I started taking this medicine 4 years ago. The first two weeks were difficult as I felt like I was "high" but that wore off. I am now up to max dose 1200mg 3x per day. If I miss a dose the pain is INTENSE. I try not to ever do that. It makes me a bit chatty so we've affectionately nicknamed it "gabby"."

• Sparky
• January 15, 2019

"Initially I started Lyrica which made fibromyalgia pain worse. Specifically the vastus medialis muscles above the knee cap. Ditched Lyrica for gabapentin. Take 600 mg morning & noon, 900 mg at night. The pharmacy supplies 300 mg capsules which I take 30-60 minutes apart. Raises the bioavailability for major symptom relief. This drug is poorly absorbed at high doses. 3x dose is not equal to 3x more absorbed by the body. Also take baclofen 10 mg X 2 /day This combo relaxes muscles , helps shut down my brain and induce sleep. Also migraine frequency is reduced from 10-12/month down to 1-2/ month. Miss a dose and it's so bad . Virtually guaranteed a migraine and certainly fibromyalgia pain increase. Side effects on GABA are brain slowness. Identifying thoughts is like trying to pick up an ice cube with oily fingers. Also it hard to get motivated to go do stuff."

• Mlili
• January 2, 2018

"I have been suffering from fibromyalgia, lower back nerve damage and knee tracking disorder for the past 5 years. Gabapentin has been a miracle medication for me, I take 900mg daily. Prior to medication I was severely depressed, gained 70 pounds and the medication did wonders. I got pain relieve, started to move around more, went back to work on mortified duties and was able to lose 50 pounds in 1 year."

• Jenelle...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 14, 2016

"I have been on gabapentin for over 15 years. I love this medication for my fibromyalgia. The only reason I didn't give it a 10 is because I do have short term memory loss. That is one of the side effects. It also has been wonderful for my restless legs at night."