I'll add in on David's caveat there: the concern in the study was focused on *high* dosages. He was on a very high dosage himself if it was 3600mg/day. Over on FM, people typically start at 100 to 300 mg daily, and my neuro---whom I see for epilepsy---never uses it for seizures unless it works at 1200 mg a day or less. Some people have good results at 400, others at 600, some at less. And I know of people who take it at bedtime to avoid it being "peak" at the same time as other meds (or at breakfast, for same reason).... All things to usefully discuss or ask if this is not too late for that.

In any case, keep us updated, okay?

Caring purrs,

I take it and they say it's suppose to help balance me out but idk if it does or not lol. I haven't had any bad experiences with it at least. Nuerotin seems to help with a lot of nuero issues. I take it for the anxiety from the ptsd symptoms. Most people seem to take it for seizures.

This might be a good time to zone out and visualizing being someplace safe. (hugs) Just keep thinking it will be over soon and it you are doing this to better your health.

I'm back from my appointment with the neurologist. I was scared, and it showed when I taught my morning class at the community college. I was able to teach the lesson plan I had for the day, but not to be my jovial self. Since it was my class of freshman year students, that matters. They're easily disconcerted. But I couldn't help being distracted and a little grim. So on their end, it showed in that they didn't participate in class much.

The appointment in the afternoon was a lot more serious than I'd been led to believe. My primary care doc had set it up. What was at stake was whether I had too much foot nerve damage from chronic kidney disease. Too much to drive a car. The test involved electric shocks to see how nerves did/did not respond, needle pricks up and down my legs to see where I felt them, and vibrations all over my legs to see if I felt them. I didn't feel any below the top of my socks. I did feel them when they were done above the top of my socks. I got really worried about what that meant for driving. But at the end, the doc said the nerves in my feet were dead down to the muscle, but that the muscle nerves were responsive. Translation: I can still drive.

Whew! I jumped for joy. Then he suggested neurontin for pain. I asked if it was for anything but pain, and he said no. I told him I've been teetering on the edge of dialysis for 3 years now by not taking any meds for anything except diabetes. I was willing to take the pain if it meant keeping meds from worsening my kidneys any so I could stave off dialysis. He said OK! He asked me how I manage PTSD without meds and I told him about DS PTSD. He was really interested and really impressed by what we do for one another here.

So now I thank you because you helped me through this appointment in which more was at stake than I even knew. It wasn't just about taking neurontin or not. It was really about whether I lost my driver's license now or not, and with that took another step toward another loss due to chronic kidney disease.

It was hard enough giving up my job as a hospital chaplain when this started 3 years ago because I couldn't walk my rounds and run to the ER like before. Not driving could have cost me this job, too, and even though it's not hospital chaplaincy I've grown to feel useful and love this job, too. Even if I found a way to get to and from work, at the very least it would mean no independence. Since I got kidney disease and appreciate that I can drive, I've started carpooling every day drive a co-worker with me to work at the college. He can't drive because he's epileptic and had his license taken away. So I've seen first hand over the past year how limited his life without a driver's license is in our rural county that lacks public transportation.

I'm so grateful I can still drive. Thank you for the support to get through this nerve test appointment today. It was literally nerve-wracking. One thing: the doctor did let the test be done by rolling up my pants rather than having me remove them. Your suggestion that I tell him about my PTSD allowed for that accommodation, and that was helpful that I wasn't going through these nervous tests all triggered.

There were tough moments. Both the physician's assistant and the neurology doc asked me if I knew the score about chronic kidney disease and where it heads if there's no eventual transplant. In both cases I told them I now teach community college courses in death and dying to nursing students, so I was well aware of the fatal aspect of the disease. It's true, but it felt odd to say so out loud to doctors, though, for the first time.

Still, I'm not at that point--actually, I can still drive. As I drove home just a couple of hours ago I had a renewed appreciation for that fact.

And a renewed appreciation for your support. Thank you!

Now I hope I can get back my jovial teacher mojo up in front of the classroom again...

Oh, and rotti: thanks for remembering my appointment today, and good luck with your doctor's appointment tomorrow!

Muji, as always, you leave me awed by your resilience. And I am glad your neuro was willing to listen!

As an epileptic whose meds mean she can't drive? Thanks for carpooling for someone in a similar situation.

I am soooo glad you got some good news! And don't sweat being less than jovial in class. Teachers are allowed bad days, too!

I'm so glad it turned out for the best for you today. That is so thoughtful of you to carpool for someone who cannot drive. That makes it evenall more special for you, because you just found out that you can still drive

Yes and be careful about dosages like some mentioned here as every one is different and are in all different categories of severity with health issues. Praying that this is the right med for you!!

Thanks, it means a lot to keep driving for me, and for my friend, too. Carpooling has turned out to be good for us both. I fly solo a lot as it is, so it's good to have a partnership like that.

I'm so happy for you that you can still drive and that you made it through that very serious doc appointment without any major repercussions... The needles and electric shock would have had me flipping out big time, lol, you are very brave! And I'm so glad the docs understood the PTSD and allowed you to keep your clothes on... That is perfect!
Don't worry about you jovial teacher persona it will return to you with no effort, you just like everyone else has the right to a few non jovial days in life... I'm very certain your sudents like you no matter how jovial you are, because the goodness of your soul will always shine through :)

I take neurontin twice a day. Its really great. Some people say it makes them feel high, but I've never had that. It also make you absorb more of your other medications, so they work better. I have really bad migraines, and I noticed they got allot better too. Hope that helps.

Thanks for the kind words about getting back to jovial in the classroom. And I'm so glad to hear good things about neurontin, even though I don't have to take it now.

So happy for ur good news!

So glad for your good news!

Neuron tin worked, and I took about 3,600, but developed non-pitting edema. Now I take tramadol ER and lyrica.

I dislike doctors' visits, too. Sorry you do, too.