My rheumatologist and psychiatrist decided I should try Gabapentin to see whether it helps with my pain, and to see if what I am feeling is nerve pain. Well, I've been slowly increasing my dose from 100 mg three times a day to 500 mg three times a day over the past two months.
I go to see the rheumatologist tomorrow to report back. But I have questions for any of you who take it or have in the past.
I don't know what to tell her... what should I be feeling if it's working? I know that I feel sedated all day when I take it, and the fog in my brain seems worse. It's like I can't call up the right word when I need it? And if I can call it up, my mouth sometimes can't form it?
By late afternoon on good days I ache like I have the flu and the fatigue hits me hard. On bad days, I have body aches and a low-grade fever from the moment I wake up. This seems unchanged no matter what the dose of gabapentin.
Could it be that I'm describing my symptoms wrong? Am I using the wrong words to describe the pain?
I'm in the murky undiagnosed category right now ... maybe RA, maybe PA, maybe UIA, maybe Fibro, maybe not. I'm looking for guidance from some more veteran folks!
hi. it seems that everyone has a different response to the meds for pain and what doses work well for some and not others.
I am only assuming that you got a diagnosis for fibromyalgia after much testing and ruling out other illnesses that mimic each other. I have a severe case of CFIDS ( aka CFS and ME). for me there is way more than agonizing pain and debilitating fatigue that goes on.and one of which is the flu alike symptoms and more crap on that list.
My suggestion/advice is you have not already done so is to undergo lots of tests and many of us do to try to rule out as many illnesses as you possibly can. I wish you all the best and let us know how that appt with the rheumy goes.
Hi Suzie, so my last appointment with the rheumy was when she changed the label on my chart from myosis and myositis, to possible undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis, and fibromyalgia-like symptoms.
So far, she's ruled out lupus and celiac. She hasn't ruled in anything else. I'm watching the chat in the main room as you write to another lady in my situation. Are there things I should be asking about?
I have all the symptoms of so many autoimmune things, plus enough sickness and trauma to provoke FM, but ...
I have been on the Garbapentin for at least 2 years. I take a 300 mg pill twice a day and it seems to help some with the pain. I have tried not taking it and I seem to have more pain, so I have decided to keep with it. The Dr. wanted me to try 3 pills a day but when I did I seemed to be more woozy/fuzzy headed, so I went back to 2 a day.
I guess what I am saying is that it seems to help me with my pain a little, and I will take whatever help I can get.
I have also just started on generic Prosac, and my doctor said if that helped maybe I could get off the Garbapentin, but so far, at about 5 weeks in on that I don't see any positive changes.
Hello, you have gotten a lot of good suggestions here. I also take Gabapentin, 300mg 3 times a day for a few months now. I haven't noticed a decrease in the nerve pain I have (I failed another medication for that as well, Nortriptyline). However, for me the Gabapentin helps with the brain fog so that is why I continue to take it. Sometimes I will forget the mid day dose and if I do that 2 or 3 days in a row I start to notice a difference in that I will become more foggy. Everyone has different experiences with medications and it is important to give the med a chance to work. However, if you aren't seeing any positive signs after a couple of months, it would be good to discuss that with your Rheumy. Please keep us updated on how you are doing. Hugs.
I was on gabapentin for a couple of months. I was on 600 mg 3X a day and Amitriptyline. Amitriptyline helps me get thru the night and Gabapentin did nothing for me. I’m now trying Lyrica. I’m still in a lot of pain and not sure what the next step is for me. I see my Rheumy in 2 weeks.
Before seeing your Rheumy, send him an email with all your concerns and bring a copy in so you don’t forget anything. But you should tell hime everything you are experiencing.
Thanks PB, I just downloaded the track + react app from arthritis today, so I'm hoping this will help me see some patterns with the pain (or that there is no pattern!)
J purplebutterfly said:
Hello jwalkergraham
My rheumy will do lots of test to rule things out but she usually want make a confirmed diagnoses for at least 6 months.
She says this gives her time to check labs and rule things out.
Try starting a diary to track foods, pain, and other symptoms to see if anything makes things worst or better.
I believe one thing you are describing is called aphasia. For some, it's part of fibro fog.
Gabapentin may help with the nerve pain. (It seems to lessen it for me, but I only take 100 mg 3 times per day.) For most, however, it also increases the fog.
Make sure that you are prescribing the symptoms as accurately as possible. It will also help if you know something about your family history.
So, interesting update from the rheumatologist, thanks so much to everyone who responded. I am starting methotrexate tomorrow, and I can add back my prednisone at 10 mg until I reach the max for the methotrexate. She says she is calling what I have undifferentiated connective tissue disorder this time, but it doesn't matter so much because the treatments are the same for inflammatory processes, no matter what's causing them.
I will follow up about gabapentin with my psychiatrist next week. She thinks keep increasing the dose in the meantime? Oh boy!