Gabapentin for Fibromyalgia User Reviews (Page 4)

• ElleHM
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2017

"The only reason I haven't rated this drug higher is because it'a relatively new for me. Having been completely incapacitated and unable to do anything physical for more than an hour or 2 a day for several months during a bad relapse of fibromyalgia, I was prescribed gabapentin. Initially, I was more light headed than usual (get that as a symptom anyway) and couldn't drive as was extremely disoriented. I slowly increased the dose and can tolerate it well. Yesterday and today after 3 weeks I had the first 'normal' days for years. I am putting this down to this drug and if it lasts I will be extremely happy!.. that's coming from someone who hates taking medications and believe in health via diet... suits me (so far) ☺"

• Fibro...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 12, 2018

"After having an operation to remove my appendix I started getting pain in my legs burning sensation in my arms and back I saw the muscular bone consultant here in the UK who put me through test after test. A month later I had my first full blown fibro flare up to the point I was hospitalised. The same doctor quickly diagnosed me with severe fibromyalgia I have been on gabapentin 400mg 3 times daily with room to adjust dosage in case of flare-ups. If I miss a couple of dosage I'm in trouble. Gabapentin is a wonder drug but guys and girls this drug should be a CD class drug as it can easily be used for recreational use. It is wrong for people to abuse it as it can have severe effects on your liver and kidneys which could lead to them failing - then you are in trouble."

• short...
• April 10, 2011

"Gabapentin is the best drug I've tried in the last 10 years after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I have taken Amitriptyline, Cymbalta, and Savella. These drugs have made me tired, depressed, and even gave me heart palpitations. I take 1500mg at bedtime along with 100 mg trazodone. When I wake up, I'm alert, have energy, and I'm excited about starting my day. Something that I haven't felt in years. No side effects so far. When I first started Gabapentin, I got violently sick... threw up, but after my body got used to it, it's WONDERFUL."

• Anonymous
• April 15, 2012

"Well, I have a variety of issues. Specifically, I have 3 herniated cervical discs and a dozen disc bulges down the thoracic into lumbar back. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 6 months ago, and I am still not certain it just wasn't my back issues now that I had several MRI scans this past month. I was given a cortisone injection in the spine and prescribed this medicine along with Percocet, which I find I only need between dosages of Gabapentin if I let it wear off. Amazing, this medicine, the very first dose kicked in 2 hours after taking it. I felt clearer in the mind than ever since I have ADHD as well. I didn't get tired, but I did have a very clear calming effect. My pain reduced 10-fold. I really feel great and extremely happy with the result."

• Mykii
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 18, 2015

"I am on 100mg of gabapentin. When I read on the drug info that it may cause drowsiness I took it before bedtime. Well, it was four hours before I could fall asleep! So I skipped a day and started taking it in the morning, much better! It has topped my tingling in my toes and fingers as well as the aching in my legs. I do notice it comes back late afternoon so I will have to start to take a second pull then also. This medication has my stamp of approval so far "

• deeby
• February 13, 2017

"I have been experiencing symptoms of fibro and chronic fatigue to the point where I had to stop working a year ago. The most incapacitating was when I could not use my right hand and this kept recurring for a few days at a time so the doctor suggested gabapentin. It has helped to stop the experience of the nerve pain in my shoulders and it helps with the other pain in legs and overall. I do keep up my exercises and stretches and have to be cautious and aware all the time of my positions so that I don't sit too long as this aggravates the problem. Also I have to sleep on my back or it will flare up. It is worth trying this medication. helps with pain and possibly that helps with fatigue"

• Volub...
• February 13, 2010

Neurontin (gabapentin) "I have had lumbar and cervical neck surgery. I tried to go without medicine and suffered anxiety/depression and was at times overly ruminating on body symmetry, checking myself for lumps, bumps, and whatever— I guess after the surgeries and being home, I was now switched on to be ever so vigilant to an anxious degree. Well, anyways, I went onto Cymbalta, and that helped greatly with my chemical imbalance that was causing my depression, but I needed a little more to simply be in a relaxed mode. I had tried Lyrica 75 mg, which was fantastic, but the insurance company wanted me to go with gabapentin (Neurontin) 600 mg for cost savings. So far, gabapentin has been very effective in reducing my pain and my anxious responses. Fantastic!"

• Ksk
• September 25, 2017

"I was prescribed gabapentin for pain due to fibromyalgia. I was in severe pain. My pain doctor told me she thought I should try gabapentin for relief for the fibromyalgia. It actually worked very well. The problem was that before I started taking it I had no problems with breathing or water weight gain. After only a month of being on that medication I had to go to my normal pcp because I felt like I couldn't breathe. I could feel water all the way up my thighs and into my belly. I had gained 30 pounds in one month due to water weight. I ended up being diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension because, I believe, of gabapentin. I will never use it again. I'm still on oxygen 5 years later."

• Eskie...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 28, 2015

"I have been taking gabatin for relief of fibromyalgia for two and a half years. At first the medication worked tremendously well. However in the beginning it relieved my migraines but now my migraines are back so badly and are so much worse than ever before. I also have horrible vision now cannot sleep and my depression is severe. I go back to my neurologist on May the 11th and I am going to insist that he changed my medication and get me off this gabapentin as it is not effective anymore. I believe from experience long term use is not a great idea!"

• Nachsie
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 17, 2016

"It honestly helps a lot for my nerve pain, I get it super bad in my arms and It helps so much. I only notice the pain if I don't take it. I take right now 900 ml. I would be in so much more pain without this. It's a blessing. Also I for some reason never get tired from this. I never get tired or anything and can take it in the morning if I forget. It does nothing for my insomnia. Idk if I have a rare reaction to it or what, but my doctor finds it funny. Ha ha"

• Sydne
• June 7, 2009

Neurontin (gabapentin) "I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but I've always thought it was something hormonal, and the doctors never paid attention to that. I have found a doctor that listened to me, and I am now taking Neurontin for my severe PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). It works! I have my life back. I never nap anymore. I am going all day—quite unlike me for the past 5 years."

• Red
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 27, 2018

"Hi I’ve been using gabapentin for 15 years I was on 1200 mg all I did was sleep, and lived in a brain fog. I am on 900mg now and I can’t sleep, of course still brain fog and in pain. Not quite sure what medication is good for fibromyalgia. I have tried several other medications for me nothing has really helped - unless I want to sleep all the time in which the gabapentin is fantastic."

• Bipol...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2019

"Gabapentin is a wonderful drug. I have restless legs, joint pains, pain pains, stingy pain etc and it really helped. Oh! and anxiety! Gabapentin helped with all of that. Only problem I had with Gabapentin is it made me hypomanic (then I heard stuff that wasn't there, got angry all the time etc.) before the drug went about destroying my memory and making my hands swell. So, uh, be careful taking this if you have BPD or Bipolar"

• Anonymous
• December 13, 2010

"I was started on 300 mg at night for a week, then 600 mg, up to 1800 mg at night. I loved it in the first week and a half (it erased most of my pain and my anxiety!), but then I got headaches from the 600 mg dosage. I stopped for a week, then began again with 100 mg in the morning, 100 mg in the afternoon, and sometimes 100 mg at night. It works! A lot less pain, a lot less anxiety, and my negative thoughts seemed to have mostly disappeared. I exercise, work, and live like normal. I recommend this medicine highly, but start slow. I like taking it midday when my pain starts to kick in, taking a huge dosage at night makes me groggy in the morning."

• Deano
• March 31, 2019

"I started taking Gabapentin for 6 years ago for my pain and nerve pain and Fibromyalgia pain and it is good. I learnt to not skip a day because the withdraws are horrible. The pain is worse then ever. I take 600mg 4 times a day."

• Coots...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 5, 2016

"I've had fibromyalgia for 14 years. I was prescribed Gabapentin and within days I had a horrifying headache and it felt like my brain was going to explode. I have the same issue with Lyrica, Cymbalta, Savella and amitryptiline. Maybe my brain chemistry doesn't like to be altered with this type of med? I only know the reaction scared me badly and the only medication I can use for my fibromyalgia is Tramadol. Fortunately it keeps the edge off my pain and I can work full time. If only it would work on the soul crushing fatigue! :-)"

• dresan
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 30, 2015

"UPDATE: It worked for about a month and a half and then stopped working. Fiddling with the dose didn't help. Then I tried to stop taking it and felt bad so had to go back on and taper off very slowly. I had terrible withdrawal symptoms including mental issues and increased pain. I started in April and now its almost December. Most of that time I've been withdrawing. I've gained 70 pounds!!! Reducing the dose has not reduced the weight. This is the only drug I have ever had dependancy issues with. I will never take it again."

• Anonymous
• October 25, 2011

Neurontin (gabapentin) "I started taking Neurontin for fibromyalgia pain about 2 weeks ago. It has made such a huge difference in my life already! I have energy now and I am actually sleeping regularly, first time in over 3 years. The only side effect I am experiencing is clumsiness. I keep dropping everything and tripping. But, I think that's a small price to pay for relief!"

• pangea
• November 8, 2016

"I have fibromyalgia,chronic fatigue syndrome for 30 yrs, I have like most tried every drug under the sun and non have really worked even at very high doses pain meds do nothing for my pain. I decided to try gabapentin because I read it would help with the insomnia and hopefully stop some of the pain. I stopped all pain meds and started at 100 mg at night, yes I have slept, yes it has relived some of the pain, yes I am like a zombie during the day, no I will not continue it. But I feel it is worth a shot for everyone with FMS or CFS as I see it has helped many."

• Bevj_2
• February 11, 2017

"I was prescribed Gabapentin this past September for sciatica caused by herniated disc. It worked incredibly well, for about three months, with no real noticeable side effects. After that, they got crazy. Body zaps, foggy brain, numbness in extremities, etc. Now I hurt from head to toe ALL the time, and have every single one of the listed symptoms of fibro. I wonder if the gaba is actually either causing, or amplifying low key symptoms that I didn't realize I had? If anyone has any feedback, it would be appreciated. :)"

• slscts
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 12, 2016

"I took Lyrica for 10 years until the copay went to $100. So I began Gabapentin at 100 mg twice daily. It helped with the pain, but not enough. My Dr. increased the dose to 200 mgs twice daily, and I began having the following side effects after only 2 days: cold symptoms, bloated feeling, constipation, cough with mucus, excess gas in the stomach, excessive eye tearing, feeling dizzy and lightheaded, indigestion, passing gas (a lot, plus, stomach pain from it), runny nose, tender glands in the neck, headache, bad taste (like eggs). I'm back to 100 mgs and the side effects are going away, but pain has increased again."

• Jen
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 30, 2016

"I took gabapentin for 1 month. My Dr started me at 100mgX2 @ bedtime. I slept great but had excess daytime sleepiness. The first week I felt really calm but had no pain relief. The next week, my mood began to go downhill & still no pain relief. Week 3, my mood became depressed, I began having increased anxiety, increased blood pressure to the point of pre-hypertension, hot flashes, memory problems, & feeling disoriented, still with no pain relief. Week 4 I got hit hard with a flare. I couldn't tell the difference between whether things had happened yesterday or last week, I was getting unusually angry, & I started having horrid back to back panic attacks. I discontinued without tapering down & interestingly, my flare reduced in intensity."

• Skyla
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 18, 2019

"Gabepntin was prescribed for nerve pain and anxiety. I experienced horrible joint pain, confusion, and it suppressed the signal to know when I had to urinate or have a bowel movement. I have permanent damage due to this medication. Seek professional help if you decide this medication is not right for you. The withdrawal is a nightmare."

• cheryl
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2016

"I been taking gabepintin 100mg 6 pills a day and my pain has gotten worse I'm so sore and stiff barely wanting to move because it hurts to bad and gaining weight like crazy please help I have been so depressed the pain at times is unbelievable can't handle much more"

• Vitamin...
• August 9, 2019

"In the last two months, I've been attacked by an inlaw who's become violent after being put on gabapentin, and watched an old friend become irrational and aggressive after being put on these drugs. We all have pain, but these drugs are dangerous."