My doctor started me back on Neurontin for nerve pain. I dislike taking this drug as it makes me feel all fuzzy- which I am right now. And I am thinking I am supposed to take another dose at lunch time which means I may be fuzzy all day! I feel like I have had two stiff drinks and I don't even drink. I am afraid to drive like this or use power equipment lest I get hurt or fall so here I sit messing around on Homesteading today and feeling sorry for myself. I cannot remember if this side effect goes away or not, hope it does. Any one else take this med and have this reaction?
Some side effects wear off the longer you take them, and then again he might change the meds. If you leave a message the doc will probably get back to you at the end of his day. That is when MOST doctors make their calls
Hubby just started taking it and is not complaining of having medicine head yet. In fact it's helped his pain so much he went out and bush-hogged the pastures yesterday.
neurontin (gabapentum) can certainly make you feel that way.
it is a very commonly prescribed drug with a wide dosing range.
initially, you start on a lower dose, and gradually titrate up to the
target dose/effect needed.
when you picked up the med from the pharmacy, it should have come
with a 3 page print out covering side effects, drug interactions, precautions, and
warnings. read it, if you haven't. if side affects persist, and interfere with quality
of life, discuss them with your prescriber. your pharmacist should be able to answer
most of your questions or concerns about the medication.
Hi Sisterpine, I was wondering how you were doing on this medication now. I took this one for nerve pain some years ago and did not do well on it and stopped taking it after just one month. Like you, I would rather be in pain than feel drugged and have no life at all. I would not make a good druggie.
A similar drug Topiramate, or Topamax which is the name brand is what I ended up taking that did work. Like Neurontin it is an Anti-seizure medication that has a side effect of blocking nerve pain. It also has a bonus temporary side effect of causing weight loss. If you need that. This is partially because it causes a temporary change in your sense of taste. I promise it is temporary. It will last about 6 months after you reach your therapeutic dosage. It also causes a temporary beneficial change to impulse control. So if you are trying to quit smoking or biting your nails it can help but only for about 6 months. Since the effect wears off it will not be approved by the FDA to be prescribed for these issue though testing has shown it is effective even on the drug addicted who forget to get high, smokers who forget to light up, the obese who forget to eat, etc. It inhibits the impulses that cause the habits in the first place.
As for blocking nerve pain, it works quite well for that. It was a life saver for me. My pain was so severe that I was partially wheelchair bound. I could walk about 35 feet before pain stopped me. I spent most my time in a chair for 2 years and progressively got worse until Topamax. As a result I got heavier from lack of exercise and comfort eating. I had a constant migraine and then I started taking the Topamax. Ten days later I woke up with the odd feeling I was floating and I reached out and grabbed the bed with both hands trying to discern the reason for the strange feelings. Then it hit me. No headache! I was walking on my own 6 months later. I never had any issues with the cloudy head feeling. It didn't get rid of ALL the pain but I can handle what is left.
I finally quit taking it yesterday. I was tired of feeling like I was drunk, not sleeping well and stumbling around in my own head. I managed to fall twice out in the yard (tripped over my own feet) and that was it. I see the doc on the 21st and sent him a message that I quit taking the drug. I took the same thing at high doses several years ago for trigeminal neuralgia pain which it did help some but it was like i was in a wakeful coma and I hated it. I finally hit my last straw and had the brain surgery to decompress the nerve and that worked well so I was able to stop taking the med.
I have heard good things about cymbalta and also about lyrica. I personally have not tried either as it would mean having to go off the Topomax I am taking and since it does seem to work for me... even if not perfectly. I hate to mess with a good thing.
Sisterpine, keep us informed. And please know there are folks out here caring about you and praying for improvement in your health and quality of life. I am one. I know how difficult the struggle can be to find the right doctor and for the right doctor to find the right treatment.
It has taken 12 years to find what works for me. Problem is after awhile what worked stops working. Or your doc decides to change meds or insurance won't cover or they stop making the drug.
I have been on duloxetine for the past year and a half or so. Unfortunately I find myself becoming more depressed after this time though I do think it helped some with pain which is why I chose that med to re-try. Will have to see what doc says this month.
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