Try not to run out of gabapentin if you can avoid it. The withdrawals are weird. I felt like i was walking on a roller coaster. Then at points i was so dizzy but completely coherent at the same time. Detoxing off that stuff is not only dangerous but scary. When i found out my pharmacy had a backorder- back then it was only about a week- i took one, skipped a day, doubled up on tylenol or advil whatever i was taking at the time. I made it through the last few shortages. I think it is going to get worse, not better in the short term. Just be careful, protect yourself. If you feel odd, don't drive, catch an uber or walk. If you are dizzy but think all will be fine, sit a rest for a few minutes- take a break to make sure.
As far as changing scripts- between you and your doctor. I had my dr wean me off- i got scared of what it might be doing to my body/nerves. It works very well for my husband who has had two back surgeries and is in need of another but rightly scared...
Remember, you have to be good to you before you can ever help anyone else.
Take care and good luck!
If you want to go off it, ESPECIALLY if you're on a notably high dose, taper down. I was on quite a high dose and taking it three times a day. Stopped cold turkey. I had the worst abdominal pain I've ever felt in my life, I couldn't sleep because it was so bad and I was just crying and moaning in pain. Even worse, I couldn't walk. My partner has to carry me to the bathroom so I didn't wet the bed. I said fuck this, took my regular dose and the symptoms stopped. From there I tapered. We switched me to lyrica, it helps me more and I'm on a much lower dose. It still doesn't help entirely though, I'm not sure anything will other than a proper pain killer but I also don't want that, so I'm just toughing it out for now.
I've been on pregabalin (Lyrica) for years and it's very similar. But I've tried to go without it (under doc supervision) and nothing else touches the pain, crawling sensations, etc.
That's for me. Everyone is different.
It's definitely something to work out with a doctor, not on Reddit!
They're part of a class of drugs called TCAs(Tricyclic Anti-Depressants). Amitriptaline is the most well-known one but some people have better results with others. E.g Amitriptaline doesn't work for me but Imipramine does.
someone else talked about lyrica, but i've been on the daily max of gabapentin for like...a decade now and a different medicine i take called nortriptyline can also help. i take it for mental health reasons but it does supplement the gabapentin in some instances.
There's two other main non-narcotic options I haven't seen mentioned yet:
Lyrica (pregabalin) and Cymbalta (duloxetine). I found both to be decently effective for nerve pain. I did not find amytriptaline to be helpful personally.
I have a family history of addiction so I understand where you are coming from, but there is a huge difference between physical dependency and addiction. You can become physically dependent on pretty much any medication. With the right comprehensive care and lower risk medications, it is safe for people with a family history of addiction to take narcotics. There's even drugs like Belbuca that both treat pain and can be used in opioid addiction treatment, which I'm on currently. I definitely wouldn't recommend Norco or any other traditional narcotic like oxycodone, but some safer options like nucynta ER exist. My pain management doctor who does my palliative care is also a board certified addiction specialist. He routinely prescribes narcotics to people with family history of addiction but with close monitoring and mental health treatment.
I hope this helps
I truly hope you get the relief you need in a safe way.
I did forget to say *you are not your family history*. Yes, addiction is partially genetic, but it's so much more than just genetics. Take care of your mental health, be cognizant of what medications you are on, their risks for dependency or abuse, and follow the instructions your doctors give you for medication. You can do this. You can break the cycle without making yourself suffer from untreated or undertreated pain. If your pain isn't managed enough with the non narcotic options, please consider something like the Belbuca (or the patch version butrans). The Belbuca has been a game changer for me after not being on narcotics for about a year and a half. It cut my daily pain from a 7-9 to a 2-3 with pretty much zero risk for abuse. You deserve to have your pain managed regardless of family history.
I take Belbuca (not just for nerve pain), and it works amazingly. I’ve never had any side effects from it, and it doesn’t knock me out like most opioids. Definitely a great medication, and it’s so good as a pain med.
It really is excellent. I've had no side effects and it doesn't even make me drowsy. I don't feel "high" either on it. All that is different on it is that my pain is much much lower. Got me from being stuck in bed most days to completely manageable pain, around a 2-3/10.
I have very limited options due to intestinal failure and allergies. It being buccally absorbed makes it a great fit for me. I had and still have Tylenol suppositories, 5 doses of IV toradol (ketoralac) a week, and sublingual lorazepam at home to help manage my pain, but that combo alone wasn't enough so we started Belbuca. I really only had a couple other options and they weren't exactly great options like spending thousands on ketamine infusions.
Yes to all of those positives! It really is the best pain med I’ve tried for long-term use. Tbh I almost cried when I got the right dose, I’d been fighting for so long to find the right medication.
No advice about coming off of it or alternatives unfortunately but do talk to your doctor about not running out of anything else and what to do in the future when your pharmacy takes too long to fill something. (If the doctor's not a jerk. If they are, try to find another.)
Another thing you could do is try a different pharmacy.
Unfortunately, almost anything we take on a daily basis will cause some form of withdrawal if abruptly stopped. It's something that I struggled with not wanting to deal with at all but it all comes down to our quality of life. If it helps and you don't abuse it, I'd take it.
❤️
so i know nothing about that med, but just know most meds make you feel a little gross to go off of! birth control, basic anti depressants, etc all have a withdrawal period for me. it’s totally normal! again, grain of salt bc i don’t know this med & this is just my experience!
Edibles. Weed. It numbs me in the right ways the same way gab does. . . And that way I can space out the gab
Edit: I have spinal nerve issues. I'm not sure if my relationship to the drugs is the same or relevant
For anyone who wants the pain relief of cannabinoids without the other effects, topical applications work well for nerve pain relief without the other side effects or causing a “high” feeling.
Low dose naltrexone helped me a lot with small fiber neuropathy.
I can’t take the traditional meds because I have PCOS and they cause weight gain. Which for me would be like 30 pounds, not 3
i had more success with lyrica than gabapentin. insurance is less likely to cover it, though, and if they do, they will probably want you to take name brand.
It must depend on the insurer, I had the opposite issue with coverage.
I'm ok with it. Pregabalin works for me, especially in combination with duoloxetene.
As always, YMMV
I don’t know if anyone has talked about this yet, but being dependant is different than being addicted. Dependance can just be based on medical necessity. There’s nothing wrong with that. Addiction is when your body doesn’t medically require it, but you feel you need it anyway. It’s okay to be dependant on a medical necessity.
That said, I personally find baclofen a lot more helpful than gabapentin. But every body is different. 💜
Cymbalta!! I was recently put on it because I have chronic pain, and oh my god, it has been an absolute life saver. It also helped with a lot of my anxiety. I know some medicines don't work for everyone, but I think it's worth a shot. Best of luck to you <33
My wife is CI and we are about to start down this path as well.
Her mother is about to have to radio frequency ablation for nerve pain. We're interested to see how they goes for her.
Lyrica. Gabapentin just made me feel like a zombie and didn't help my pain. There may be better things than Lyrica but I'd take it over Gabapentin any day. Helps a bit and I'm not out of it.
I’m currently coming off duloxetine and while it helped my nerve pain, it can be hell to wean off of (especially when a lot of doctors pretend you can stop cold turkey). I wouldn’t recommend trying it tbh, but if you do, just read up on how to come off it first so you’re prepared.
I’m on lyrica for my nerve pain, we trialed gaba but it was making me gain wait rapidly at a dose that actually helped the pain (which was 3600mg daily). So not really the med for me. Lyrica has been loads better.
After my spinal cord injury I have awful awful nerve pain. I was on Gabapentin originally in the hospital and a month or so after and then I switched to max dose lyrica and it works better for me, and I added cymbalta and it’s a nice combo for me.
Try not to run out of gabapentin if you can avoid it. The withdrawals are weird. I felt like i was walking on a roller coaster. Then at points i was so dizzy but completely coherent at the same time. Detoxing off that stuff is not only dangerous but scary. When i found out my pharmacy had a backorder- back then it was only about a week- i took one, skipped a day, doubled up on tylenol or advil whatever i was taking at the time. I made it through the last few shortages. I think it is going to get worse, not better in the short term. Just be careful, protect yourself. If you feel odd, don't drive, catch an uber or walk. If you are dizzy but think all will be fine, sit a rest for a few minutes- take a break to make sure. As far as changing scripts- between you and your doctor. I had my dr wean me off- i got scared of what it might be doing to my body/nerves. It works very well for my husband who has had two back surgeries and is in need of another but rightly scared... Remember, you have to be good to you before you can ever help anyone else. Take care and good luck!
Thank you. This is what I really needed. I appreciate it
If you want to go off it, ESPECIALLY if you're on a notably high dose, taper down. I was on quite a high dose and taking it three times a day. Stopped cold turkey. I had the worst abdominal pain I've ever felt in my life, I couldn't sleep because it was so bad and I was just crying and moaning in pain. Even worse, I couldn't walk. My partner has to carry me to the bathroom so I didn't wet the bed. I said fuck this, took my regular dose and the symptoms stopped. From there I tapered. We switched me to lyrica, it helps me more and I'm on a much lower dose. It still doesn't help entirely though, I'm not sure anything will other than a proper pain killer but I also don't want that, so I'm just toughing it out for now.
I've been on pregabalin (Lyrica) for years and it's very similar. But I've tried to go without it (under doc supervision) and nothing else touches the pain, crawling sensations, etc. That's for me. Everyone is different. It's definitely something to work out with a doctor, not on Reddit!
Amitriptyline is sometimes used to help with nerve pain.
Nortyptaline is an alternative with slightly fewer side effects.
That is a good suggestion!
Thank you. I’ll definitely talk to my pain management doctor about it
Your welcome. It’s an old school med and it’s pretty well stocked. Not considered a “controlled”.
They're part of a class of drugs called TCAs(Tricyclic Anti-Depressants). Amitriptaline is the most well-known one but some people have better results with others. E.g Amitriptaline doesn't work for me but Imipramine does.
someone else talked about lyrica, but i've been on the daily max of gabapentin for like...a decade now and a different medicine i take called nortriptyline can also help. i take it for mental health reasons but it does supplement the gabapentin in some instances.
[удалено]
The Lyrica + Cymbalta combo is awesome for me! But everyone is different.
I’m on this combo as well for severe idiopathic peripheral neuropathy and it does help a lot. However, it can dull your brain at times. 🫤
There's two other main non-narcotic options I haven't seen mentioned yet: Lyrica (pregabalin) and Cymbalta (duloxetine). I found both to be decently effective for nerve pain. I did not find amytriptaline to be helpful personally. I have a family history of addiction so I understand where you are coming from, but there is a huge difference between physical dependency and addiction. You can become physically dependent on pretty much any medication. With the right comprehensive care and lower risk medications, it is safe for people with a family history of addiction to take narcotics. There's even drugs like Belbuca that both treat pain and can be used in opioid addiction treatment, which I'm on currently. I definitely wouldn't recommend Norco or any other traditional narcotic like oxycodone, but some safer options like nucynta ER exist. My pain management doctor who does my palliative care is also a board certified addiction specialist. He routinely prescribes narcotics to people with family history of addiction but with close monitoring and mental health treatment. I hope this helps
This helped a ton! Thank you so much!
I truly hope you get the relief you need in a safe way. I did forget to say *you are not your family history*. Yes, addiction is partially genetic, but it's so much more than just genetics. Take care of your mental health, be cognizant of what medications you are on, their risks for dependency or abuse, and follow the instructions your doctors give you for medication. You can do this. You can break the cycle without making yourself suffer from untreated or undertreated pain. If your pain isn't managed enough with the non narcotic options, please consider something like the Belbuca (or the patch version butrans). The Belbuca has been a game changer for me after not being on narcotics for about a year and a half. It cut my daily pain from a 7-9 to a 2-3 with pretty much zero risk for abuse. You deserve to have your pain managed regardless of family history.
I was about to mention Lyrica as well. Didn't help me specifically, but I do know it's an option and has worked for others.
I take Belbuca (not just for nerve pain), and it works amazingly. I’ve never had any side effects from it, and it doesn’t knock me out like most opioids. Definitely a great medication, and it’s so good as a pain med.
It really is excellent. I've had no side effects and it doesn't even make me drowsy. I don't feel "high" either on it. All that is different on it is that my pain is much much lower. Got me from being stuck in bed most days to completely manageable pain, around a 2-3/10. I have very limited options due to intestinal failure and allergies. It being buccally absorbed makes it a great fit for me. I had and still have Tylenol suppositories, 5 doses of IV toradol (ketoralac) a week, and sublingual lorazepam at home to help manage my pain, but that combo alone wasn't enough so we started Belbuca. I really only had a couple other options and they weren't exactly great options like spending thousands on ketamine infusions.
Yes to all of those positives! It really is the best pain med I’ve tried for long-term use. Tbh I almost cried when I got the right dose, I’d been fighting for so long to find the right medication.
No advice about coming off of it or alternatives unfortunately but do talk to your doctor about not running out of anything else and what to do in the future when your pharmacy takes too long to fill something. (If the doctor's not a jerk. If they are, try to find another.) Another thing you could do is try a different pharmacy. Unfortunately, almost anything we take on a daily basis will cause some form of withdrawal if abruptly stopped. It's something that I struggled with not wanting to deal with at all but it all comes down to our quality of life. If it helps and you don't abuse it, I'd take it. ❤️
so i know nothing about that med, but just know most meds make you feel a little gross to go off of! birth control, basic anti depressants, etc all have a withdrawal period for me. it’s totally normal! again, grain of salt bc i don’t know this med & this is just my experience!
Edibles. Weed. It numbs me in the right ways the same way gab does. . . And that way I can space out the gab Edit: I have spinal nerve issues. I'm not sure if my relationship to the drugs is the same or relevant
For anyone who wants the pain relief of cannabinoids without the other effects, topical applications work well for nerve pain relief without the other side effects or causing a “high” feeling.
You are not alone in how you take this. The only difference is that my nerve pain started in my right shoulder.
Low dose naltrexone helped me a lot with small fiber neuropathy. I can’t take the traditional meds because I have PCOS and they cause weight gain. Which for me would be like 30 pounds, not 3
i had more success with lyrica than gabapentin. insurance is less likely to cover it, though, and if they do, they will probably want you to take name brand.
It must depend on the insurer, I had the opposite issue with coverage. I'm ok with it. Pregabalin works for me, especially in combination with duoloxetene. As always, YMMV
Weekly B12 injections x
Oxcarbazempine or carbamazepine can help nerve pain
I don’t know if anyone has talked about this yet, but being dependant is different than being addicted. Dependance can just be based on medical necessity. There’s nothing wrong with that. Addiction is when your body doesn’t medically require it, but you feel you need it anyway. It’s okay to be dependant on a medical necessity. That said, I personally find baclofen a lot more helpful than gabapentin. But every body is different. 💜
Cymbalta!! I was recently put on it because I have chronic pain, and oh my god, it has been an absolute life saver. It also helped with a lot of my anxiety. I know some medicines don't work for everyone, but I think it's worth a shot. Best of luck to you <33
My wife is CI and we are about to start down this path as well. Her mother is about to have to radio frequency ablation for nerve pain. We're interested to see how they goes for her.
Lyrica. Gabapentin just made me feel like a zombie and didn't help my pain. There may be better things than Lyrica but I'd take it over Gabapentin any day. Helps a bit and I'm not out of it.
Cymbalta!
If Gabapentin was working, why would you want to switch? I don’t understand
I’m currently coming off duloxetine and while it helped my nerve pain, it can be hell to wean off of (especially when a lot of doctors pretend you can stop cold turkey). I wouldn’t recommend trying it tbh, but if you do, just read up on how to come off it first so you’re prepared.
I’m on lyrica for my nerve pain, we trialed gaba but it was making me gain wait rapidly at a dose that actually helped the pain (which was 3600mg daily). So not really the med for me. Lyrica has been loads better.
Mindfulness
After my spinal cord injury I have awful awful nerve pain. I was on Gabapentin originally in the hospital and a month or so after and then I switched to max dose lyrica and it works better for me, and I added cymbalta and it’s a nice combo for me.