Gabapentin/Neurontin

Hi guys I am guessing that some of you have been prescribed Gabapentin/Neurontin before? I went to the doctor recently for an issue with my hips and tailbone causing me pain and needing to be popped all the time. She's referred me to an orthopedist but in the meantime prescribed Gabapentin for pain.

I called my mom who has taken it before for a chronic pain disorder and she did not like it at all. I am worried because I work as a zookeeper for lions and bears so I can not take anything that will make me confused or sleepy. What are your experiences with this medication?

Yes, Gabapentin can make you tired and sleepy, but it depends on what dose you are taking. This is why it it best to take it at night so the worst effect can wear of. In fact many people who have difficuty sleeping find that it helps them to have a better rest.

The doses prescrobed can vary a lot and you do not mention what dose you are perscribed. Also the initial s/e can wear off in time. The s/e can be very different for different people, like for example some people find they put weight on, but I have been taking it for several years at quite a high dose, but I never put any weight on. However I do get sleepy, but since I am now retired this is not such a big problem for me, as I can rest when I need to, but Gabapenting has helped me so much with reducing the migraien pain levels, that I am prepared to pout up with it.

You also need to give it few weeks before you know if it helps with pain, or not/ I foudn it very beneficial.
I hope you do too.

Thanks, I have decided not to fill it for now. The dose prescribed was 100mg, but unfortunately it only comes in pills with tons of food coloring in them which equals migraines for me. My mom told me to try taking vitamin B1 because it helped her nerve pain. So far the B1 seems to be helping a lot with my leg pains... or maybe they got better for now and it's just a coincidence.

I am glad your leg pain is getting better. It is always better not to take anything unless it is really necessary.
BTW the dose of 100mg is very, very small so I doubt if it would make much difference to your pain anyway, unless of course it was the starting dose and to be increased gradually (which is the correct way to introduce Gabapentin anyway) until required relief is obtained.
Also at 100mg I doubt if you will have many s/e anyway.

Yeah that is kinda what my mom said - 100mg did not help her pain at all, but then when she increased the dose she got too confused and had too many side effects.

I took this for months and I had no issues with causing me to be sleepy. But I know others that had that too. Meds are so weird with how they affect some people so differently

I took this for 4 months increasing the dose very slowly to check for side effects ending on 1200mg a day.
I had no side effects. Although it didn't help the pain that much either.
Pregabalin (sp?) Is the same drug but newer and more expensive but without the side effects some people experience in gabapentin. But doctors over here are resistant to give it unless you have already tried gabapentin and experienced side effects.

PS: great job

Hello! I just came across a study that concludes that gabapentin is not effective for migraine prevention. According to the study, people who took it had just as many migraines as those with the placebo. Glad you didn't fill it!

it didnt make me sleepy, whereas gabapentin did. the only thing was i felt like it was affecting my memory, but when i stoped it its still remained pretty bad so maybe it wasnt that. you wont know unless you try. if it knocks you out then u can stop it?