Gabapentin (Neurontin) as a treatment for FMS?

[AugustGreig]

Has anyone else ever had any experience using gabapentin to treat fibromyalgia? I had a friend who was prescribed this drug for pain associated with diabetes. Knowing that I suffered from insomnia and chronic pain, both from fibromyalgia and Scheuermann's Disease, she suggested that I try some of her medication, as she had found them to be pretty much a miracle drug. Now, I have tryed all kinds of medicine to deal with my pain, including some really strong opiate narcotics, and nothing ever truly helped.

But when i took these Neurontin every four hours like she suggested, I was absolutely amazed. My pain was not completely eliminated, and I didn't really ever expect that it would be. But what I got was also extremely unexpected. The results were amazing. There were periods throughout the day when I would be doing something like sitting in a chair for over an hour typing which would normally cause me a lot of pain and discomfort, but suddenly I would realize that it had been an hour or two and i had not felt any pain whatsoever. There where actually periods throughout the day when I can honestly say that I was entirely pain free. I was blown away.

And that was not the only benefit. When I got ready for bed that night, I went ahead and took my fourth and final gabapentin for the day, about forty-five minutes or so before i actually laid down and closed my eyes. I was in disbelief. I laid down and wasn't experiencing the discomfort and restlessness which were normally routine for me. I was immediately able to get comfortable and drifted off to sleep easily. And not only that, but i was actually able to sleep for hours at a time without waking like I normally would every forty-five minutes or an hour or so.

I haven't taken any since, but I am really thinking of going to the doctor and asking for some as soon as I get my insurance. Now, don't get me wrong here, I am by no means trying to sell you snake oil. I am not promising that this will work for you, nor am I saying that my results are typical. As a matter of fact, I came here to ask if anyone else had any experience with taking gabapentin for FMS. I am curious to hear from you if you have. If you have, or still are, was your experience similar to mine? Did the benefits continue after long term use? Are there anu negative side effects to the drug?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Seph]

I take it, but it can make me dizzy and makes my exhaustion worse some days. That being said, it's the best treatment option we have tried so far.

 

[AugustGreig]

I take it, but it can make me dizzy and makes my exhaustion worse some days. That being said, it's the best treatment option we have tried so far.

Yeah, I absolutely agree with you. I didn't remember that, but now that you mention, I did at times feel really off balance. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it actually made me feel dizzy. But I definitely had difficulty in walking a straight line. I know that my friend who is prescribed to them initially started taking them when they were given o her during about a week long in-patient hospital stay. She was taking those, phenobarbital, and something at night to help her sleep. I remember speaking to her while she was still in there on the phone and she said, "Man, they have me buttered in here... I feel like I just drank a six pack of beer!" XD

But seriously, I have heard people say that when they take them, that they feel an effect similar to when they would take something like hydrocodone. Now I didn't think that it felt like that at all. Aside from being off balance, it didn't really have any deleterious consequences for me. However, as i said, it did make me sleep really well, so I could totally see this possibly adding to my lethargy and fatigue.

So my next question is, Neurontin isn't a narcotic, is it? Someone told me that it was, but then other people have told me that it wasn't. i don't really want to take a narcotic. Also, I know that Lyrica (pregabalin) is very similar to Neurontin, but it is actually prescribed specifically for FMS. I was given Lyrica once when I sliced my arm open down to the nerves for pain, and I did notice that as a side effect it helped with my FMS pain, but it didn't seem to be as effective as Neurontin is. Has anyone else tried Lyrica and Neurontin, and if so, which do you prefer?

 

[Seph]

So my next question is, Neurontin isn't a narcotic, is it? Someone told me that it was, but then other people have told me that it wasn't. i don't really want to take a narcotic. Also, I know that Lyrica (pregabalin) is very similar to Neurontin, but it is actually prescribed specifically for FMS. I was given Lyrica once when I sliced my arm open down to the nerves for pain, and I did notice that as a side effect it helped with my FMS pain, but it didn't seem to be as effective as Neurontin is. Has anyone else tried Lyrica and Neurontin, and if so, which do you prefer?

It's not a narcotic. It's an anti-seizure medication.

 

[SickandTired]

I used Gabapentin and it did help the nerve pain. It did cause me to have brain fog.
So much so that I forgot to pack it for my vacation!
I have stayed off it for now as I hate being in that fog. It was great as a sleep aid, also.
You can avoid the dizziness by increasing your dose very gradually.
I was taking 2100 mg. per day when I quit it and had no ill effects.
Nerve pain returned gradually and is a lot less now. I'm wondering if it
Has partially "retrained" my nerves?

I still have muscle pain all over my body, but I'm trying other medications for now.

 

[1sweed]

I have taken it for over twenty years and it helps with the pain. But not all of it. It depends on the dose you take how it effects your body as in side effects that can be disabling as well, such as dizziness and balance, and brain fog. Lower doses on a daily basis are better in the long run. I take 1500 mg per day.

 

[Trellum]

I tried it when I was younger, to be honest I didn't see a lot changes in my pain levels. I was better off not taking it, since it actually caused some really nasty side effects. I had to stop taking it for that reason, but I'm glad to hear it did wonders for you. Just remember that high doses of this med can really harm you, a member was sent to the hospital with pancreatitis thanks to it, the dose might have been too high.

 

[trayne91]

I was prescribed it, but I didn't see a different and I had amnesia, like once I stopped, I had no idea what I did that week. The work I did was a disaster. And I didn't do things that I thought I did. And, I was only on 10mg. There was barely any more in my system by my next pill time, according to half life.

 

[lilminks]

Gabapentin really helps me with nerve pain (neuropathy). It seems to quiet the nerves which is a big part of my fibromyalgia pain. I take 600 mgs twice a day. I also take cymbalta (60 mgs) in the morning and tramadol, as needed (usually once daily). I am trying to get off as many meds as possible, and using natural herbs and supplements. I get*outside and get some sun at least 4-5 times daily. I do some light gardening and play with my cat. They both give me something to do and I enjoy doing both of them. I take calcium, magnesium and D3 at night, with passionflower and valerian. I was taking ambien, but it no longer works for me. I am trying to get something different, like xyrem , because I don't sleep more than 3-4 hours. I wake up at 1:30 to 3:00 am every morning and I cant get back to sleep. Without sleep, my days are miserable and my pain seems worse. I take cannabis CBD to get to sleep but its expensive, otherwise I would take more when I wake-up at 1 or 3:00 am. I can't wait until my plants mature and I can make my own cannabis oil.