Gabapentin for Pain User Reviews (Page 2)

• Birder
• June 6, 2009

Neurontin (gabapentin) "I suffered with spinal stenosis and sciatica in my right leg for years. I tried pain pills, spinal cortisone injections, acupuncture, to no avail. About a week after I started gabapentin 3 times a day, the pain was better. Eventually I was pain-free. Side effects were minor for me."

• Abbys...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 31, 2014

"I had suffered with chronic sciatica on my right leg for four months before finding the great doctor who prescribed gabapentin to me. I've spent 3 weeks working up from 1 to 3 pills a day. Each pill is 300mg. My pain has dropped from unbearable to nothing! An MRI shows a trevor cyst about 3/4 inch in diameter which is on my 5th lumbar putting pressure at the top of the sciatic nerve. I thought I'd be facing cortisone shots and eventual surgery to deal with the tricky cyst, but maybe thanks to this medicine, I'll be able to dodge that path of treatment. I am sleeping more soundly, I have less energy in the evening, and my overall energy level seems reduced, but given the trade-off of being pain-free, it's worth it."

• rosey...
• December 11, 2014

"I had a 23-week gestational premature baby. I was on severe bed rest with an existing compressed disc. My L5 ripped/ruptured and leaks fluid. The surgery to get my daughter out was very invasive, and they gave me a spinal tap in my C7/8. They hit a nerve big time. So I am in constant pain. My daughter is fine now. However, I too take pain medicine, which I prefer not to. Vicodin, Norco, Percocet, tramadol, and now Gabapentin, which really works very well. Helps with the anxiety pain puts you through. Helps with withdrawal from pain meds. At first, it gets you loopy, but your body begins to adapt. But it's worth not being on a narcotic for years."

• mid...
• May 12, 2015

"I'm 53 year old male. First back surgery was when I was 30. Have had 5 lower back surgeries total. Last one was a fusion L5-S1. Big mistake. Major nerve damage and left my left leg, mostly my foot and toes numb. Have been on hydrocodone for years and years, which helped, but you build up a tolerance. My new pain doctor asked me if I had ever taken Neurontin? I advised no. He wrote me a script of 300mg up to 4 a day. It has made a major difference in pain level. I only take one hydrocodone a day and that is when I first wake up. Downside is feeling groggy and dry mouth, but I can deal with that. Big difference in my life now. Much better."

• DJ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 1, 2015

"I'm 67 and got shingles of the eye 8 months ago. The pain was so bad I considered suicide—I mean a bulged right eye that made me look like a frog run over by a Mack Truck—screaming, rolling on the floor. I actually screamed so loud, neighbors thought of calling the cops thinking I was being tortured! I got the postherpetic nerve pain in the head and forehead after the initial 90-day shingles began to let up, and my eye pain went down, but on the forehead and down the nose, the nerve damage actually burned like someone had a blowtorch on my forehead, eye, and nose. I'm taking 300 mg time-release Gabapentin for 3 months, no side effects. I'd kiss the scientists who made it! A LIFESAVER for me."

• Bizibe
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 10, 2018

"I was prescribed gabapentin for nerve pain from back problems. I have also been severely depressed for over a year. 3 days in I felt a massive lifting of weight, and as if sun had come out. No idea why. Couldn't understand it. I felt like the duracell bunny. 6 days in on long walk noticed no pain in back of legs. First time in months. If gabapapentin IS responsible for my duracell bunny syndrome, long may it last. I can do stuff again.. very happy bunny. Will see if it lasts........"

• jackd...
• November 7, 2013

"After taking the medicine the first day, the pain in both of my feet has almost disappeared. I have not felt this good since I used to dance back in the year 2000. I'm on my feet all day at my job, and I can now move faster without the pain. Thanks to Gabapentin, my life is more enjoyable, and I look forward to taking walks with my wife again."

• Green...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 4, 2013

"First, I must say this page and all the reviews I have just read helped me SO much, so thank you to everyone on here. I have suffered with lower back disc pain for about 30 years, but I lived with it. I spent a crazy amount of money on physical therapy, chiropractors, and doctors with zero results. I finally was referred to a surgeon in Feb. of this year and told I have 3 herniated discs that would require surgery in July to repair them with metal ones. At that time, I was put on 2 x 10mg of Percocets every 4 to 6 hours. After 4 months, I ended up in the E.R. in excruciating pain. The doctor put me on gabapentin 2 times a day. I'm on day 6 and I'm pain free! Dry mouth is the only side effect and slight dizziness, and down to 1 Percocet a day!"

• Quali...
• November 12, 2015

"I have suffered from chronic pain since I was 19. I've taken just about everything available to treat this curse. After about 5 years of refusing Gabapentin, I finally tried it. Don't let the side effects scare you, try it for at least a week and let your body and mind get used to it. This stuff really works for pain relief. Also, the combination of this with your narcotic pain relievers will help greatly. The key to treating pain is moderation and avoiding alchohol. I have had great success combining my pain reliever with this and Naproxen or APAP. Help with depression , mood and sleeping. Some side effects can be dizziness. As your body gets used to this it will start working subtly and relieve your pain and help you rest."

• April...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 24, 2016

"Okay, I want to start off by clarifying that this med won't work for everyone. But when it does work, it is amazing. This drug has been a godsend. I have Lupus which has caused me to have horrible pains to where I can't sleep. I now can sleep through the night because of this med. I was on 400 mg of methadone and I still had pain. So, the doctor added gabapentin and started to taper the methadone. I am now only on gabapentin and it is wonderful. With that being, when you first start taking it, you will feel drink and clumsy. However, those side effects go a way. This medication works best the longer you take it. Good Luck!"

• Doodle...
• May 18, 2014

"I have been dealing with right leg pain for over 8 months, tried chiropractor, physical therapy massage, epidural shots after MRI showed narrowing of the spine where the sciatic nerve runs through. Went to specialist starting me on Gabapentin 100mg 3 times a day now. Been on it for 6 days now with one of my Zipsor 25mg every now and then not every 4 hrs like before, feeling much better so far. Still have some pain but tolerable! Love the Gapapentin, was a little drowsy first couple of days now I'm fine. My miracle -No surgery for now! "

• n132rcc
• May 20, 2015

"I have had pain in my left leg and various other places on the body for years and when I was prescribed this medication, it was gone the next day. I had more energy, pain was gone, felt better in the mornings and lost any depression I had."

• Pjano
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 12, 2019

"Gabapentin is so bad for some of its users. Doctors know how to put you on it but don't have a clue on how to get you off it if you start have problems. I was on it for a year and started having side effects. Confusion, vertigo, stammering, nausea. There are no antidotes for helping you get off of it. Getting off of gabapenton has been horrific. Stay Away From This stuff!"

• GEM
• August 16, 2015

"After 3 weeks of excruciating sciatic pain, due to herniated disc at L5-S1, I was prescribed Gabapentin. I was scared about the side effects so I only took a third of my daily dose, alongside naproxen and codeine. I noticed a change in my mood, very tearful and low also. The pain got worse, so I gave in, took the gabapentin as prescribed, continued with codeine and naproxen and then the pain became manageable within 3 weeks. I'm no longer on any drugs now apart from Gabapentin. My mood is better and I am sleeping better. The pain hits me when I walk for 5 minutes, especially going up a hill. Or when I sit/stand for too long. But my quality of life has improved with gabapentin. I am having surgery next week as the disc herniation is large."

• Blackie
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 24, 2013

"It took a good few years of chronic lower back pain to finally find out I have a dislocated coccyx. I've tried everything from cortisone injections to minor surgical procedures, but nothing helped. My GP prescribed gabapentin 300mg three times a day 12 weeks ago, providing immediate relief. I've had my dose slowly increased and am now on 900mg three times a day. I am waiting for a major operation to remove the coccyx, so until then, these are managing my pain. I have even stopped taking tramadol as these gabapentin were so effective!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 1, 2014

"Greater Trochanteric Bursitis diagnosis, did Physical Therapy, cortisone injections, tight IT bands, stabbing, shooting pain from hip to ankle. Was put on Gabapentin, I only take at night due to some "drunk feeling" side effects. I can sleep most of the night. After an X-ray, two MRI's finally found out I have a full tear of the gluteus minimus in left hip and partial in right. I will continue taking til surgery and probably after as well, as I can only have one side repaired at a time. Has seemed to work wonders for me!"

• Dr Mark
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2014

"I have had ruptured discs in the middle of my back as well as two ruptured in the lower spine around the hip area. Had severe pain for years with therapy, and many medications. I have been on Norco 10/325 four to six times daily for about 5 years now and it has become very minor help now. I think I'm getting immune to it after so many years. I started the Gabapentin and now am up to 600mg three times daily. I have some side effects such as dizziness, sweating, confusion, and headaches, but it is beginning to reduce the pain level to almost tolerable. I've only been on it for a couple of weeks but hope it will increase the pain management where I can reduce the Norco to once or twice a day. Thanks for the reviews above. They have helped me."

• Anonymous
• January 22, 2012

Neurontin (gabapentin) "I was given this medicine in the hospital to help with pain/nerve damage after a ruptured disc. BEWARE, it made me suicidal! I am a normal, healthy person but after a week or so on this, I started sobbing almost all the time and was in total despair. Fortunately, my husband worked out what the stimulus was, and I was told to stop taking the medicine immediately. This was recommended as the withdrawal effects would be better than carrying on with it and weaning off. It took a couple of weeks, but I could only have close friends around who understood that at any moment, a wave of crying would overtake me but wouldn't last."

• Soopr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 24, 2016

"Been dealing with sciatica for 5 months. 1st 3 months were insane pain, couldnt even dress myself. Here is my med issue: Degenerative disks at L5 S1 and minor at S1 S2, 6mm herniation inside left side at L5 S1 Gongenital spinal stenosis from L5 down This has caused a lot of pressure on my sciatic nerve and severe pain down my entire left leg, mostly at the hip but moves around. I started with Norco...it was not even as good as ibuprofin for the pain. Stopped after a week Next was tramadol...same results as norco, barely any relief Then started naproxin and gabapentin. Pain was reduced by 80-90%. Stopped the naproxin due to potentially very bad side effects. Stayed on gabapentin, same reduction in pain. Gabapentin works!!!!"

• framb...
• January 24, 2009

Neurontin (gabapentin) "I had a work accident over a year ago. I have taken every pain medicine, had the spinal shots therapy. Now I'm taking this and have virtually no pain. However, if/when you are taking this, be careful - about 2-4 hours after taking it, you will feel extremely drunk or high for a while. Don't drive on this stuff. But overall, it has worked better than all the other medicines I have been on."

• heart...
• January 4, 2014

"I have prolapsed disc at C7 in my neck and inoperable spinal stenosis. The pain is relentless and unbearable. I took various NSAIDS and Co-codamol at maximum dosage. The pain was still very bad. My doctor prescribed Gabapentin. I started at 300mg, 3 times a day and as this took the edge off the pain, I decided to go straight up to 900mg, 3 times a day. At this level, in conjunction with the other medicines, the pain is now generally distant to tolerable which is fantastic, although the efficacy does tend to wear off a little near the time of the next dosage. Ramping up to a high dosage so quickly definitely made me feel a bit tripy, as well as paranoid, irritable and aggressive but this has, thankfully, subsided over time."

• Steven...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 18, 2019

"I am a chronic pain patient now on 100mg gabapentin, it’s amazing the pain relief. When it comes to gabapentin less is more. For ten years I suffered chronic pain (cervical 5-6 and 1-2... had 2 open shoulder surgeries with titanium). I was given 300mg gabapentin various times but made things worst, horrible side effects. I suffer the most from nerve damage coming from the cervical 5-6 that shoots into my arm and gabapentin 100mg stopped everything. I’m in the gym everyday. I have quality of life. I feel so blessed, no more hardcore narcotics!!! I was a patient who was taking extended release oxycodone with 15 mg oxycodone instant release for breakthrough pain and Valium #10"

• Flori...
• December 14, 2015

"Herniated a disc in my lower back in fall of 2009 (via MRI). Couldn't be out of work 12 weeks going the surgery route. Talked to my Family Doctor....said I could try Gabapentin, but that it doesn't work for everyone. Told him I wanted to try that route. Slow dose build- up...starting with 100 mg morning & night. 100 mg add every 3 days until pain disappears. Got up to 600mg am and 600 mg pm. Pain, numbness, etc...gone. Went off it in 2010 without any remaining symptoms. Moved our house contents again in 2015 and again re-herniated the same disc. Dr. re-prescribed, only this time I had to slowly get the dose up to 1,500 mg twice a day before all pain symptoms were gone. I personally never experienced any of the side effects indicated below."

• marga...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 22, 2013

"Reduces sciatic pain down my legs very well. Also loosens up some of the stiffness. Not very effective for the pain in my lower back at the curve of the spine. Easy to use with no side effects for me except sometimes drowsiness."

• Ryan...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 11, 2020

"I use this drug to help with neuropathic pain after fractured spine T4 & T5 so metalwork put in and it is agony without pain help. Gabapentin cures it 100% the pain can still be felt but it is not as mentally crippling it was before. There are side effects. I take 2700mg per day over 3 doses. Weight gain from fluid retention, memory loss, motor movements affected but you adapt. Also a change in personality, for some as me its simply boosted me as a person as I am not in that dark place anymore. You have to find right dosage for this drug and it takes a week+ to adapt and go through initial side effects. If you need to come off go very gradually."