Hi. I am fairly new to this site so please excuse me if there is already a discussion on this.
My doctor prescribed Gabapentin yesterday and I wanted to see if anyone out there has taken this and what do you think.
I’ve been taking this for at least a year, but not for Fibro. My pain doctor gave it to me for nerve pain. Not sure if I notice any difference, but also had no side effects. It did make me sleepy.
i took it for several years for siezure disorder. my doc tried to increase the dose to help with pain but i could not tolerate any higher dose than i was taking. i took 300mg 3x daily.. then i went to nuero who changed me to lyric but i put on too much wait so then he gave me Vimpat. but this is protection for the seizure disorder. i dont seem to tolerate high doses of meds. There is no 'one size fits all' so i suggest you see how it goes for you. i wish you much luck and send you much love
suzie
Thanks Jackie. I was wondering about the sleepy thing. Only taken a couple and it has made me sleepy. I had cervical fusion and my doctor is still trying to help with the pain I still have. They couldn't correct all of the issues.
Thank you Suzie. I will give it a try. At this point I have to see what works and what does not. Sometimes I feel like a lab rat. :-)
Hello Gaila
I have been taking Gabapentin for a few years for pain and it definitely helps with pain.
Thanks Rachel. Did it make you sleepy?
I meant to tell you what dosage I am taking. It has been increased over time because my pain has increased. I am now taking 400 mg three times a day and my doctor tells me it can be increased should I need it. It hasn't made me sleepy.
My doctor has started me on a very small dose and tells me I can increase over time. I am hoping this works.
I take it for nerve pain also. Took awhile to adjust too. I gradually increased. It does help most of the time. I did gain about 8 pounds when I started it though 
No, it did not.
Doctor did tell me there was a chance of weight gain. I certainly don't need that. Hopefully I can avoid that.
Thank you for the feedback.
Thank you. I am hoping I am tired from the time change and not the new medication.
Hi Gaila,
I am new too. Welcome. I started Gabapentin about four months ago - 300mg - 3 times daily. The first few days I felt very sleepy and must say I had an almost pain free day that first day - wee bit of heaven. After that I guess I adjusted and they haven't made me sleepy since. My symptoms are medium, and I can't say for sure if I have noticed a decrease in pain, as there are so many triggers for flare-ups around me presently. I am on celebrex for my osteoarthritis, and tried to go off it.....I lasted 6 days without. I didn't think celebrex would help my fibro, but apparently it does, and my doc supports that it seems to help me. Due to that experience I am somewhat loathe to go off the gabapentin now to see if it is making a difference, in case it increases my pain. Good luck.
Thank you for the feedback. Although I am sleepy it seems to be a good day. So maybe this will work. Staying positive!
Gabepentin helps and is a great drug, the down fall is that you gain weight! My family dr prescribed for the nerve pain. Hope this helps good luck with it. Gentle hugs
Hi Gaila: I am on Gabapentin 600mg three times daily with no side effects. So far no weight gain and I have been on it for awhile. It helps with my pain. I had to go a week without it waiting on a new script for it and I was really painful that week! It does not take the pain away 100% but it sure helps me. I hope you do well with it.
Hi Gaila,
I went to a neurologist because I was having excruciating pain up and down my back in November 2013. I asked about a shot as some members suggested shots. He gave me the prescription and asked me to wait on the shot. I was on the gabapentin for 2 days and my back had really improved. After week 3 my mood improved. I also have bipolar depression. I am taking 300 mg 3 x s/day and if I forget to take a dose my back starts up so then I remember. I have been consistent with the doses recently and I am still having back issues so I may consider the shot. It has been very cold here in Massachusetts and I am hoping with warm weather in the near future my back will improve.
Hi Gaila,
I have been taking Gabapentin 300 mg three times daily for about a month. I started with 100 mg three times daily and worked up to the 300 mg dose. I must admit I tend to skip my mid day dose because I am at work and worry it will make me sleepy, but I am finding that if I take it consitently I feel better. Does help with sleep. I feel like it is a subtle pain reliever. Pain still there but muffles it to the point that I can go on with my day. The drowsiness diminishes, particularly when you get a good nights sleep which it helps happen.
Gaila - Welcome!
Gabapentin was the first thing my doctor tried - 7 years ago. It did nothing for me. I''m on Lyrica and Cymbalta now. If you can tolerate the side effects they work well. Lyrica is a cousin to gabapentin. It's generic name is Pregabalin.
BTW Singingtrees - I find that whenever I get a flare from any of my other conditions (including arthritis), the Fibromyalgia seems to act like a sounding board, multipying and spreading the pain until it's all around my body. I suspect that could be why going off the Celebrex could trigger a Fibro flare.