Chronic Pain Support Group

Physicians and professionalsdefine pain as chronic if it lasts longer than three to six months and is persistent. It's distinct from acute pain that is a direct result of injury or trauma. This support group is dedicated to those suffering from chronic pain. Discuss treatments that have worked for you, find advice for your specific experience, and find support. You're not...

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Brain & Nervous System
/ Chronic Pain Support Group

Medication reactions/combinations

yadlim
yadlim
It is too quiet today. I am too tired. I can't pack anymore today - though with all the help we got a lot done. I tried to sleep, but that is not happening.

So this is my 5th day on gabapentine (no clue if I spelled that right). The first night I took it was GREAT and I slept for almost 10 hours. It was wonderful...

The second night I took my 300mg and caught maybe three hours of sleep in snippets through the night. Sigh, back to my usual of not being able to sleep. My pain that next day was up again also.

the third night on 300mg I got about six hours of sleep, with some seriously lucid dreams. I was able to snatch a 3 hour nap so that helped. Getting sleep at all is sort of a hit and miss. Sometimes I sleep, sometimes not. This is both naps and at night.

Yesterday was my first day taking a morning dose also... and a couple hours later on the way out to the stable, I learned that gabapentine and hydrocodone don't mix well in my system. I have had the same reactions today... ug. I don't know if it will pass as my system gets used to the new meds or hang around for as long as I am taking both...

But my symptoms go something like this and happen only within a few hours of having taken the gaba. Needless to say today I put it off as long as possible.

About 20 minutes after I take a hydrocodone (5/325), I start to feel cold. My vision flattens out, leaving me with zero depth perception. Then my balance starts to spin, and finally I get full body tremors for up to an hour.

Yesterday I had this while out riding - and luckily my horse just compensated for my lack of balance. (I have a great horse). Today it happened at home and I told hubby about it. He had me take one of my anti-panic tranquilizers (clozapam, 2mg) and got me a bottle of frappacino (Starbucks), wrapped me in a blanket, and toasted me a bagel so I would have some food on my stomach. All of this helped a lot - but it still took about an hour to go away.

Any thoughts? I see the doctor again in a week and a half, or I am supposed to. I have not heard if they made me an apt yet. Tomorrow is my last day on two doses and after that I move up to three for a total of 900mg a day. Any one have similar issues changing over meds?

yadlim and critters
yadlim
yadlim
Dr was unhelpful. I could stop taking it and just go back to opiates if I didn't like it. She is not willing to try any different meds at this time. I am going to hang in and see if the symptoms don't level out. The pain relief is better than I have ever had... Even though I rode my daughter's horse for an hour, I have only had three vicoden today. Usually an hour ride would have put me at six or seven vicoden.

I am willing to deal with the side effects for the pain relief at this point.

yadlim - who didn't even hurt being in the car!
jeremy1999
jeremy1999
I would also have dealt with a few adverse side-effects if the med would have helped me in some way. Also, you won't have to beg your doc for Gabapentin as it is non-narcotic. Any doctor will have no problem prescribing that drug to you all day long. I wish there was a drug on the market that just neutralized the pain without getting you loopy. I wonder how that would change the way chronic pain is treated in this country. If you are getting good relief from the med, try and stick it out. Perhaps go slower on your dosage changes to allow your body time to adjust to the side-effects. I hope it works out for you, Yadlim. Hugs!
deleted_user
deleted_user
Yadim I'm not surprised that the doc doesn't want to change yet. It can take weeks or even a month or more to really adjust. Nerve treatment is really long term work. When I was working and taking Gaba and Skelaxin(have you tried a muscle relaxer?) I would time them around my schedule. First dose was early morning so I had time before I drove to work. Then after lunch so I had time before leaving work. Then early evening. If I got off schedule I would wait until after I had to drive to take them, just in case.

In time you probably will adjust and adapt. Very glad you are getting pain relief.
yadlim
yadlim
today I am supposed to go from 600mg a day to 900mg a day - I am thinking of putting it off for one more day. Then again, it is not like I am doing much. I am just packing and doing laundry.

Right now I have just shy of 500 RPG game books, collected over the last 30 years, spread out on a table, sorted into piles. Today I will write down what books go into what bins - later to put them in a spreadsheet so we can find them. If I can get hubby to bring some laundry from the laundry room I will do some laundry. It is not like it is going to matter if I am dizzy or having issues walking( er... different than when I was taking just opiates).

I have tried muscle relaxants, but only one has ever helped, and that was carispodol... but the new pain doctor is pretty sure it was the other reactions to that med that was giving me relief as no others do anything.

You are not kidding about not having to beg. When we saw her last week, she was quite upset that I wanted on stronger meds - right up until I said that I wanted something that was NOT an opiate. At that point we stopped arguing and she instantly was happy to put me on Gaba.

Yet the pain relief I am getting is fantastic. Yesterday I drove with hubby while he did some running around, and being in the car did not hurt!!! Then we stopped at the stable on the way home and I rode for almost an hour. total opiates consumed yesterday = 15mg!!!! Last month that same day would have required at least 50mg of opiates.

So, I will just cope with the side effects. Even if they don't go away, it is well worth the pain relief.

yadlim and critters
AnnNY
AnnNY
I took gabapentin and Tylenol #3 together without any problem. The only side effect I had from the gaba was sleeping alot the first few days. (I had just left the hospital, so the extra sleep was welcome). Soon that side-effect had disappeared, although some help with sleep remained. Unfortunately, I kept gaining weight and I didn't think it was going to top off at some point. So, I quit, but fortunately I found something else that helped. (Aspirin--I suspect Hughes Syndrome.)
AnnNY
AnnNY
My point is that I suspect, your side effects will lessen.
Aronia
Aronia
Yadlim - i am concerned that your docs brought up your dose of Gabapentin rather fast. Most docs i dealt with prescribed 300 mg daily x 5 days, then 600 daily x 5 days, then 600 at 5 pm and 300 in am, and so on.
For me personally - i cant take it every day. Idk why, but for me it works on as needed basis only. I stopped taking it because it makes me crazy, so it is not worth the struggle.
If you do get new meds, it is probably wise not to drive or ride horses until you have reached the right dose and know what to expect.
Gabapentin can give you morning hangovers so i always took it at 5 pm instead of 9 or 10, this is why if you are also taking a morning dose it can seriously kick your butt!!
Hope you will be feeling better soon
Hugs
yadlim
yadlim
Hey Aronia, I am really thinking that the doc has me increasing too fast. Yesterday I was supposed to go from twice a day (300mg a dose) to three times a day. I put off adding the third dose for now. I might do it today, but I will see how I feel.

I don't drive so that is not an issue. LOL - but it will be a cold day in a very warm place before anything keeps me off my horse!! What I am doing is focusing on my horse who will compensate for anything wrong with me, rather than my daughter's horse who is still young and learning.

thanks for caring!

yadlim and critters