topic Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please in Community Chat

Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

grandma petes — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 19:35:20 GMT

I truly need advice and help from anyone taking Neurontin. My doctor has prescribed it for constant nerve pain that I have daily. I've read some of the side effects and they scare me. Has anyone taking it experienced weight gain, confusion, fluid retention, depression, anxiety? Please share your experiences while taking it. I truly need your advice. Thanks in advance.

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

Mama Mia — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 19:41:34 GMT

Grandma pete's, I take gabapentin, which is the generic Neurontin and have for about six years. I started it for polymyalgia rheumatica at that time. I had chemo last year and now I take it for neuropathy in legs and feet. My dose is 1800 a day, six of the 300 capsules. You can go to 2400 a day. I think they can make me a little tired, but that is all.

Just try them, generic will be cheaper, and see how they work for you. Don't be afraid, they always have to put all the side affects in case. Good luck!

my edit

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

grandma petes — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 19:47:15 GMT

Thank you so much MM....I really appreciate your input. I'm in a lot of discomfort and pain, especially when I try to sleep, so any relief will be welcomed, it's just that I've read so many side effects from people on this drug. I'm willing to try anything, but the thought of other unpleasant symptoms makes me nervous. Thank you again for your reply.

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

LilacTree — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 19:59:24 GMT

My sister was on a Neurontin patch. It's a heavy pain med. She had to come off it. Research it carefully.

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

grandma petes — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 20:07:15 GMT

Thanks Ford1224. I know many people have said they had multiple issues while on it and when they stopped taking it. I appreciate your reply. The unknown is so scary and wanting to have no pain makes it even worse. It's never easy to weigh the options. That's why I appreciate these boards. Great advice from people who have shared the same experiences.

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

sophiamarie — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 20:20:34 GMT

My husband has peripheral neuropathy and has been prescribed Neurontin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, etc.... He tried them all and did not like the way they made him feel. He was disoriented, dizzy, had no memory of things he just did, and on and on.

He decided not to take any of the meds and live with the pain. His neurologist is okay with it and gave us his cell phone number just in case. He said he has never had a patient like this, who would rather live with pain and no pills. But my husband is tough and can put up with a lot. A few years ago he had a kidney stone and his doctor said he didn't know how he could stand the pain and hubby said "I don't have any pain" - the doctor said "oh yes you do"..... He burned up two lasers trying to break up the stone while in the hospital.....

There are also side effects to this family of drugs so be very careful when taking them..... I hope they help your symptoms. I asked the neurologist if these pills cure or slow down the neuropathy and he said they did not - they just send a message to the brain.... So then, I said why couldn't he just take pain pills and he said "I have no problem with that" and prescribed pain meds, which are still sitting on the shelf three years later...... He won't take them either because he says he doesn't like the way they make him feel.

Everyone is different and there are those who swear by these medications. Just be mindful of the side effects and if you want to put up with them, then at least, give it a try.....

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

Jeremiah 2911 — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 20:30:26 GMT

My sister took Neurontin and had to get off of it because she began to suffer severe side effects of the drug. She took Neurontin for neuropathy pain.

Neurontin caused my sister to have worse nerve pain(neuropathy) in her hands and feet than what she started with. But the primary reason she came off of the drug is because she began to suffer from short term memory loss -- and she began having seizures. She didn't have problems with her memory or seizures before she began taking Neurontin.

Her neurologist told her that neuropathy and seizures can be side effects of taking Neurontin.

She had a terrible time weaning off of the drug and failed at doing so several times. The final time she weaned herself of Neurontin she did it very slowly, taking about 7 - 8 months to get off of it.

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

croemer — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 20:32:25 GMT

Sorry I do not but wanted to say hello grandma petes it has been a long while since I have seen you. Sorry you have so much pain.

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

LaterGator — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 20:42:24 GMT

I was on gabapentin for 3 years when my rheumatologist started me on Lyrica instead. They both work but Lyrica works better for me. My insurance company doesn't like paying for it. They approved it for one year after that I guess I'll go back to gabapentin.

I have had some swelling in my legs from them but nothing major. I have neuropathy but you'd never know it. I absolutely have no pain in my feet now other than from the RA.

I'm also on Cymbalta.

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

grandma petes — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 20:55:16 GMT

A huge thank you to everyone that posted. I truly appreciate you taking the time to help me with my questions. I will do more research before taking this medication. It's awful to think that it could cause many more problems than solutions to the pain. Waving hi back to you croemer!! I haven't posted for quite awhile, but I do visit the boards daily to catch up on the latest and greatest. So nice of you to say hi. Have a wonderful weekend!!

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

I am still oxox — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 20:56:50 GMT

My husband has taken it since last Winter for foot pain, he does not complain any side effects

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

sylviahomeatlast — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 21:47:28 GMT

I take it now and took it in the past I've never had side effects and I took upwards of 15 300mg per day for a year before my back surgery

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

glb613 — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 21:52:51 GMT

On 10/24/2014 grandma petes said: I truly need advice and help from anyone taking Neurontin. My doctor has prescribed it for constant nerve pain that I have daily. I've read some of the side effects and they scare me. Has anyone taking it experienced weight gain, confusion, fluid retention, depression, anxiety? Please share your experiences while taking it. I truly need your advice. Thanks in advance.

No, no, no, no, no.

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

YorkieonmyPillow — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 01:23:19 GMT

On 10/24/2014 sophiamarie said:
My husband has peripheral neuropathy and has been prescribed Neurontin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, etc.... He tried them all and did not like the way they made him feel. He was disoriented, dizzy, had no memory of things he just did, and on and on.

He decided not to take any of the meds and live with the pain. His neurologist is okay with it and gave us his cell phone number just in case. He said he has never had a patient like this, who would rather live with pain and no pills. But my husband is tough and can put up with a lot. A few years ago he had a kidney stone and his doctor said he didn't know how he could stand the pain and hubby said "I don't have any pain" - the doctor said "oh yes you do"..... He burned up two lasers trying to break up the stone while in the hospital.....

There are also side effects to this family of drugs so be very careful when taking them..... I hope they help your symptoms. I asked the neurologist if these pills cure or slow down the neuropathy and he said they did not - they just send a message to the brain.... So then, I said why couldn't he just take pain pills and he said "I have no problem with that" and prescribed pain meds, which are still sitting on the shelf three years later...... He won't take them either because he says he doesn't like the way they make him feel.

Everyone is different and there are those who swear by these medications. Just be mindful of the side effects and if you want to put up with them, then at least, give it a try.....

That's what I call a man!!! Yowza

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

littleblueparakeet2 — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 01:29:06 GMT

I'm taking the generic form (gabapentin) for trigeminal neuralgia; dosage is 2,400 mg/day.

The first few days after starting it, it made me a little tired. Other than that, I've had no other undesirable side effects. It has also been very effective controlling my TN symptoms.

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

Gooday — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 05:04:07 GMT

Try Lyrica. DH takes it when his post herpatic pain flares up. As a side note; I have been having significant groin pain. Hips x-rays were negative. I have an appt. with a new ortho. next week. Last week the groin pain was so bad I was crying. DH said, "why don't you try a Lyrica"? Normally, I would NEVER take a non prescribe medicine but at this point, I was in such bad pain, I went for it. It's been 4 days with barely a hint of the pain. I am walking better. I think I have some sort of nerve impingement.

So....maybe the Lyrica is the medicine to try. I have not had any side effect, nor has DH ever had a problem with the Lyrica.

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

Shorty2U — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 05:35:04 GMT

I took the generic of it, and it didn't really help me and I think it made me gain weight so I stopped taking it.

BUT I did NOT have any weird scary side effects.

(My entire spine has various damage on every level except the 2 levels I had fixed, and I have nerve damage on my right side down my leg to my calf),

So if I were you Id take it because everyone is different and even though it didn't help me it MAY help you because it has helped many people who have chronic pain!

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

sophiamarie — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 05:36:20 GMT

On 10/24/2014 Gooday said:
Try Lyrica. DH takes it when his post herpatic pain flares up. As a side note; I have been having significant groin pain. Hips x-rays were negative. I have an appt. with a new ortho. next week. Last week the groin pain was so bad I was crying. DH said, "why don't you try a Lyrica"? Normally, I would NEVER take a non prescribe medicine but at this point, I was in such bad pain, I went for it. It's been 4 days with barely a hint of the pain. I am walking better. I think I have some sort of nerve impingement.

So....maybe the Lyrica is the medicine to try. I have not had any side effect, nor has DH ever had a problem with the Lyrica.

I hope you didn't cancel your Ortho appt.

Last year I fell and also had groin pain. My doctor sent me to the ER for x-rays and a CAT scan. Both were normal. They sent me home with a paper telling me I had a contusion that would take days or even weeks to clear up. After 12 days, it was no better and I called the doctor and he told me to go back to the ER for an MRI. It turned out that I had a fracture of the femoral neck. I had titanium screws placed in my hip. I was only in the hospital for 2 days but I'm glad I went back for that MRI.

My pain was not as bad as yours sounds. It surely didn't make me cry but was very uncomfortable, especially when I was getting up from a chair....

Don't ignore that pain. I'll bet a pain pill would probably take care of it too but it's not the cure. Good luck and let us know......

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

tansy — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 05:41:14 GMT

Sophiamarie, does your husband have diabetes? I had zero pain with a bad gallbladder but had other symptoms from it. I was told that happens sometimes for diabetics.

Re: Anyone taking Neurontin..need advice please

tansy — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 05:42:16 GMT

I have a friend that takes Lyrica with relief of her pain and no bad side effects.