Gabapentin for Postherpetic Neuralgia User Reviews (Page 2)

• Far...
• February 25, 2008

"I started trying gabapentin for fibromyalgia, and it has worked really well. I had been on small doses of amitriptyline, but that was awful, it made me feel stunned in the morning. Gabapentin, on the other hand, has a shorter half-life, and I wake feeling OK."

• Man...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 28, 2024

Gabapentin "I have permanent cervical and lumbar spinal cord damage with fusions. I take 1800 mg after dinner every night. It doesn't take away the pain completely, but it makes it tolerable enough to live a normal life. No side effects that I can notice. The only bad thing is the price. It is very expensive. Hopefully a generic form will be on the market soon."

• May...
• April 18, 2016

"A month and 53 days ago, I had a case of the shingles. Two weeks after the shingle rash started to go away, I experienced sharp stabbing nerve pains at the main shingle site. I was put on Gralise (gabapentin) by my neurologist, moving from 600 to now 2400 mg at night. I have found very little relief so far, other than the stabbing pains are not so severe. I was told it could take 60 days or more to work. I have had no side effects from using this drug at this level."

• ale...
• April 4, 2014

"I started gabapentin 600 mg 3x daily after I had 2 bulging disks removed from my neck that had crushed my spinal cord. I was a paraplegic, but I could feel nerve pain. I couldn't even have sheets touch my legs without pain. It's been a year now I've been on it. I can tell when I'm late taking it. What a lifesaver. I get blurry vision sometimes and have gained weight (might be because my movement is limited). Might have to take it the rest of my life, but it beats pain pills."

• nic...
• February 2, 2016

"Does not make me dizzy or overly tired. Most doctors don't know how to dose it or prescribe it. A lot of doctors don't know much about shingles either. They know it is for pain, so they treat it like a narcotic. It is not habit-forming and not a controlled substance. It does take two or three days to start working, though. I was misdiagnosed at the ER after I told them I thought it was shingles. They said I had facial cellulitis and put me on the wrong meds for two days, during which I suffered through the peak of the attack."

• Nic...
• February 25, 2016

"I had a cyst removed from my spinal cord, cervical (neck) region; I recovered well, but the cyst had permanently damaged my spinal cord. I was eventually given this drug, Gabapentin, which I take 1,800 mg per day. The pain and other sensations are not completely taken away, but I can do basic household chores for 20 minutes at a time without feeling too hampered. I can also sleep through the night. Side effects for me (female, 38 years) are slight constipation (handy, as I have double incontinence!) and more fuzziness/clumsiness than usual. I felt dizzy and 'doped-up' at times when I first started taking the meds, but this sort of thing improved over the weeks. I recommend trying this drug if typical strong pain meds haven't worked for you."

• Pre...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 3, 2022

Gabapentin "Had been on regular gabapentin for years, with terrible side effects, for some reason, I don't have problems on the Gralise. It isn't perfect, but I do not feel loopy. Not 100% pain relief with either form, so I'll do the Gralise, thank you very much. (Cost is a problem though.)"

• Gwe...
• July 20, 2017

"I am a week into taking gabapentin. The pain from Postherpetic Neuralgia brought me to my knees, and for the first time in my life, I had to take to my bed. Now I am feeling a little better, but don't know if it is the medication or bed rest. I am still on bed rest, but getting up for short periods."

• Jmo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2016

"My 81-year-old mom with dementia got shingles on her right head, then postherpetic neuralgia. The doctor started her on 100 mg gabapentin, told to titrate up to 300 mg. Taught mom Lamaze breathing, which reduced the pain duration from 60-minute episodes down to 5-7 minutes and reduced pain from level 9 to 6/7. I showed the doctor a video of mom during level 9 - I said, 'Doctor, you keep calling it shingles. I call it postherpetic neuralgia!' The doctor then said, 'I am calling it PHN. Titrate her to 3,600 mg!' Mom is now taking 1,200 mg three times a day plus 3,000 mg extra-strength Tylenol. It took 10 days to conquer side effects (dry mouth, scratchy eye, constipation, blurry vision, instability, confusion). Bedwetting began at week 4 but is getting better. Pain is now 3-5. Now in the 5th week of gabapentin."

• emb...
• March 14, 2008

"I was having horrible tingling and pain in my legs and feet because of diabetes. But I took 1 pill, and within a few hours, the pain and tingling were gone, I felt more relaxed and calm, it's wonderful! I feel normal!"

• Jun...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 18, 2021

"I am a 74-year-old woman, and I got shingles in Feb. of 2021. Mine started as excruciating pain in my forehead, as if a horn was trying to push through my skull. Two trips to the ER before the lesions came out, and I was diagnosed. I now have PHN and was initially given OxyContin, but while it helped minimally, I was afraid of becoming addicted. I called my doctor again and asked to be put on something non-addictive. She prescribed gabapentin in 100 mg 3 times a day. No relief. She upped me to 300 mg 3 times a day. No relief. Finally, I was put on 600 mg 4 times a day, so 2400 a day total. Finally, I can say I'm pain-free! My pain has changed to extreme itching now though, but the gabapentin takes care of that also. I've been on it for 11 months, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. But at least I can live normally with this miracle drug. The only minimal side effect is I get drowsy about a 1/2 hour after taking it, but nothing serious. Also, occasional word lapse. Miracle drug!"

• Lis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 10, 2020

"I was prescribed gabapentin at the lowest dose of 200 mg a day and increased the dosage all the way to 800-900 mg a day but still felt no relief for my post-viral neuropathy. It seemed to provide me pain relief for the first hour, but it didn’t do much afterwards. I am currently trying Cymbalta right now. Good luck to all trying out gabapentin :)"

• gba...
• April 15, 2016

"I've been on it for almost two weeks. Started the day after I found out I had shingles, so probably three or four days into developing shingles. It does not seem to be helping with the pain I have in the immediate area of my shingles (entire left torso), but it has seemed to lessen the neuralgia I was experiencing higher up in my body due to the shingles infection, namely the trigeminal neuralgia. I'll probably be on it for a while, and my hope is that it prevents or at least lessens any chronic or ongoing pain post-infection. I was told it would."

• dai...
• September 6, 2015

"I had many symptoms at first, especially imbalance and drowsiness. I could never drive my car during the use of this medication. But overall, it helped with the sharp, needle-like stabbing pain all over the area in which my shingles spread. I was the worst case my doctor and neurologist had ever seen. When the shingles scabs had fallen and my doctor said the episode was over, I had no pain. Then, suddenly from nowhere, terrific pain began to increase to the point where my doctor had to prescribe this medicine. I've only been on this medicine since June. It is now September, and the dosage has only been increased once (to 1800 mg per day)."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 14, 2023

"Started gabapentin 2 days ago for PHN post shingles. I was fortunate that I was put on an antiviral early enough to minimize the shingles rash and duration of the shingles, but I developed severe pain in my right side once the rash started crusting. I now have burning, sharp, and electric shock feelings on the whole lower right side of my body where the shingles presented. My doctor has prescribed my gabapentin for the nerve pain. So far I have felt some light-headedness, tired, feeling 'stoned.' I've not had any pain relief as of yet, but I believe it is too soon to tell. I am started at 300 mg a day, titrating up to 1800 mg a day. I really hope this medication works for my PHN. I will only rate this a 1 because it's too early for me to know and because of the side effects I have already experienced."

• Moy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 5, 2016

"I was prescribed 300 mg in the early stages of shingles, for what I don't know. Since the shingles kept getting worse, they changed my prescription. It started out as an 'ear infection.' It didn't do anything for or to me. Crazy..."

• Nic...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 18, 2018

"My hands have had a severe rash. I thought I tried everything! Finally, got a biopsy done, and during the time I was waiting for the results, my hands broke out in hives. I ate sushi and figured it was the sushi! Had no idea what to do, just my hands are all of a sudden worse! The rash was only on my hands up until I did UV light therapy, and the rash has now broken out all over my body! I finally realized two days ago it is the medication, and I stopped suddenly! The rash is so bad, and I have been living with it for so long! I cannot wait to get my hands back!"

• Wes...
• June 12, 2017

"700 mg gabapentin at night allows me to sleep approx. 6 hours, then another 100 mg gabapentin, then back to sleep, so I'm up around 7:30 am & take 100 mg gabapentin with 300 mg extended-release tramadol. At 2 pm, take 100 mg gabapentin with 400 mg Advil & 1300 Tylenol."

• NER...
• November 6, 2013

"For 3 years now, I've been getting these electrifying, stabbing pains in my right breast, very erratic. They come and go, sometimes for months at a time. They are completely crippling. I cannot use my right arm, hot showers will trigger it, certain movements with my right arm interfere with my sleep, rolling over in bed, etc. UNBEARABLE.... When I first went to my primary about this, I was sent for a mammogram and ultrasound, which of course showed nothing. They chalked it up to hormonal changes and never investigated it any further. I might add I was 49 years old when this started and now 52. I finally went to a neurologist (after doing my own research), and for the time being, he is calling it PN. I've taken my first dose of Gabapentin. Praying this helps."

• Lyn...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 6, 2023

"Taking gabapentin for 19 months now at 3600 mg a day. The capsules are quite easy to take. While the terrible pain, like electric shocks, has lessened, I still experience pain. The side effects are constant tiredness and a dull, foggy feeling in my head. I have also gained weight. I guess I expected more after all this time."

• Gar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 17, 2016

Gabapentin "I came down with 'shingles' a little over 2 weeks ago, was put on antiviral drugs, this helped in fading the rash, still there but faded. Problem now is the pain, it's in the rash area, it's painful, 24/7. Was first given Tramadol, too many side effects, then Hydrocodone acetaminophen, this helped a little, but not much. Then regular aspirin helped some, but pain is at the point can't sleep more than 2 hours. Called back to my doctor, now it's Gabapentin for nerve pain. I just took the first dose last night, so really it's too early to see if this will help. Sure hope so!"

• Jam...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 1, 2013

Gabapentin "I'm on 300mg 3x a day. It's my lifesaver for neuropathy and restless legs. It allows me to sleep at night. I find the only side effect is increased appetite."

• mhm...
• March 9, 2014

Gabapentin "I am on Gabapentin for nerve damage due to chemotherapy. I am now up to 600mg three times a day. I am not having a lot of relief and have a lot of dizziness, joint pain, headaches, and unsteadiness."

• 64n...
• August 15, 2010

Gabapentin "It relaxes me so that I no longer hold my upper body rigid and the pain is lessened. I am able to get much-needed REM sleep."

• bra...
• August 20, 2009

Gabapentin "Do not like the weight gain."