Gabapentin

mellman01
mellman01 Member Posts: 5,306
edited 24. Jun 2011, 05:52 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi all well my GP wants me to up the gab dose but I keep getting 2 side effects, the first is fask heart rate at night and second is when using PC's, it doesn't take long before I feel really sick and yesterday I tried to play on the X box and noticed if if fixed on the corner of the screen it twisted and melted soon as I moved my eyes it snapped back,is this normal?, bloody horrible toxic stuff were given honestly is this the best they can give me for nuropathic pain these days!., Sorry rant over!. :oops:

Comments

  • liesa
    liesa Member Posts: 821
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hopefully it will settle soon... i had that for a while but put on to much weight quickly so stopped again but didnt have anything other then the rapid weight gain xx
    love and hugs
    8997C823B17A6252CBCA252F4BF2932D.png
  • barbara12
    barbara12 Member Posts: 21,281
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Mell
    They upped mine to 200mg 3 times a day, my worst side effect is memory.. my OH says say's one of these days I will forget to come home:shock: and the sickly feeling does come on when Im on the computer, but I am slowly getting used to it.
    But to be honest it nowhere near has bad has the pain i had,
    Good luck with it.
    Love
    Barbara
  • hileena111
    hileena111 Member Posts: 7,099
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I was told I couldnt go on it because I have epilepsy {well controlled} but take meds for it and apparently it would clash with them??? Sorry no help to you there

    Love
    Hileena
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi, I take amatriptyline and as I'm still having problems, the doc suggested moving up to gabapentin or increasing amatrip but I said I can manage and would rather have the pain than the slightly woozy cotton wool brain effect I got when amatrip was increased too quickly. I'm on a higher dose of amatrip now but although a lot better I'm still a bit woozy at times, especially reading, but its not too bad. Love Suexx
  • liesa
    liesa Member Posts: 821
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    i take 150mgs of amytriptiline at night time so its good to be drowsy then...lol

    i really wanted gabapentin to work as it was the pain clinic that gave it to me so i put a lot into what they gave me... also tried pre gabelin
    love and hugs
    8997C823B17A6252CBCA252F4BF2932D.png
  • pepperflo
    pepperflo Member Posts: 91
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I take 3 Gabapentin each day, also Etoricoxib 1 x daily, I'm also on Sulphasalazine, I was on 3 of these daily, but after a visit to see the rheumatoligist today, they are upping them to 6 a day. They are also starting me on Amatripoline for my neck pain to see how I go with them. I too get that glazed look from the Gabapentin. I feel like I rattle when I walked with all the meds I have to take, but if they do their job, I'm not bothered, it just costs me a fortune at the chemist for them all. I just wish I could afford to buy a pre paid perscription, but at the moment I don't have the money to do this.
  • bubbadog
    bubbadog Member Posts: 5,544
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I'm on Gabapentin, and have been on it for a couple of years now The dose I take is 300mg 3x aday. I have found it really helps with my tummy cramps as I was in and out of hospital the one year nearly every monthI was admitted to hospital as I couldn't eat without not rushing to the loo every meal I couldn't keep down! And since I've been on Gabapentin my tummy has settled down. I'm a firm believer in this med! :smile:
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Pepperflo, you don't have to buy a pre-paid all in one go, you can do it monthly (£10.40) or in three monthly certificates (£29. 95, I think.) I do mine three monthly with a break of about six weeks in between each, that comes to only £90 per year. It saves so much money, it has to be done. Each item is now £7.40 I think - my full prescription renewal totals seventeen items so I have to do it with the pre-payment. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • pepperflo
    pepperflo Member Posts: 91
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thanks for that Dreamdaisy, I will certainly look into that this week, as I have 3 scripts to get so that is over £22 this week, so the sooner I do it the better, It would be a better place if the government would give us a helping hand, when we have to be on long term meds, saves us all moving to Scotland where the perscriptions are free.
  • madwestie
    madwestie Member Posts: 383
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    mellman,
    I am on 600mg of gabapentin 3 times a day i did have a few problem when i started but now i find them ok and they do help to dull the pain.
    I am lucky I don't get a fuzzy head very often and i work on a computer all day although i do find fast movement on the screen a bit odd.
    I do forget more than i used to but i still hold down a technical job so not too bad although ask me what i went to the bedroom to get or to get the dinner out of the freezer well that is a diffrerent matter.

    I hope things settle down for you soon.

    Tracey
  • pepperflo
    pepperflo Member Posts: 91
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I just put my forgetfulness down to my age, or years with working with the elderly, they do say " if you can't beat them, then join them " but I like it better to blame it on the meds, and not me getting older, but it does get frustrating when you have forgotten where you have put something or what you went for. :roll:
  • seamonkey
    seamonkey Member Posts: 323
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi i take 3100 mg of gabapentin daily. Its a huge amount and after a few weeks of taking it any side effects wore off and the difference it has made is fantastic. Give it time and hopefully the side effects you are having will go and it will work well for you too.
    Seamonkey
  • jangar
    jangar Member Posts: 11
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi There
    I am taking 2100 mg of gabapentin (Neurontin) daily. I find that it takes the edge off my severe shocking/stabbing pains throughout. At first, they didn't do anything and I was told to persevere. I am so glad that I did because now I cannot imagine going back to what it was like before.
    I also have MST (Morphine sulphate) and mobic (anti Inflam's).
    I was misdiagnosed with PA (Psoriatic Arthritis) over 4 years ago and was put on Methtrexate for about 9 months. I had terrible eye pain on it and the rheumo took me off it. I know it is a toxic drug, a lady at the centre I used to attend told me her retina had become detached with using it and I am glad they took me off it especially as I moved home and my new Rheumo said I didn'y have PA anyways... :roll: I am still trying to find out what is causing all these shocking/ stabbing pains.
    I had to have my thumb fused in surgery last year because it had come out of the joint and I couldn't grip cups or paintbrushes etc a couple of my other fingers loosen out of the joint but I can still push them back in. If anyone is reading this and have any ideas about what could be happening then I would appreciate it.
    Good Health :smile:
    JG
  • lavenderlady
    lavenderlady Member Posts: 409
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    liesa wrote:
    i take 150mgs of amytriptiline at night time so its good to be drowsy then...lol

    i really wanted gabapentin to work as it was the pain clinic that gave it to me so i put a lot into what they gave me... also tried pre gabelin
    I was given gabapentin by the pain clinic along with my 3 ammytriptalin I never knew Gabapentin makes you gain weight, but it helps with my nerve pain from SMA,
  • liesa
    liesa Member Posts: 821
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    the dr was reluctant to give it to me because of that, put on 8lbs in 10 days and we monitered the weight still put on

    have just googled it... just type into google, gabapentin neurotin weight gain and it does come up xx
    love and hugs
    8997C823B17A6252CBCA252F4BF2932D.png
  • pepperflo
    pepperflo Member Posts: 91
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi DreamDaisy I have now got myself a pre-paid perscription, and thankfully was allowed to use it yesterday, before it has actually come through, and that saved me nearly £30 thank god. Thank you for your advice.
    I'm now on Amitripoline, took my 1st one last night, and I slept all night didn't even get up to go to the loo, Ive also been put on Stemitol to help with my ear problem, as my gp says it is linked to my arthritis in my neck, something about an artery to the brain that is causing the sensitivity in my ears that is giving me all the pain and dizziness.
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello pepperflo, I am pleased you have sorted out the prepayment thing - it's no wonder to me they keep it a secret from the long-term meds user, it saves so much money! I hope your new meds help. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • bubbadog
    bubbadog Member Posts: 5,544
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Wow we should all be called the Gabapentin club! Well it seems to be the med of choice for alot of Consultants and G.P's. at least we have a med in common! We should start Gabapentin club!
    1st rule of Gabapentin club, you must take Gabapentin!
    2nd rule of Gabapentin club, you must take Gabapentin !

    :lol::lol::lol: