Neurontin for IC Pain, anyone else on it? Have ?'s

[ibtracy]

My MD has prescribed an increase in my Oxycontin for pain as well as Neurontin. I take 1 pill the first day, 2 pills the the day and 3 pills per day every day after that. They're 300mg capsules. So after day three I will be on a total of 900mg per day. That just s ounds like a lot of medication to me plus all the rest of the stuff i'm on.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has been on this and if there's anything I should know before starting it.

Has anyone had any weird reactions other than fatigue? I'm just a little nervous starting a new drug is all... (Dang it's just another pill to add to the huge stack already)

Anything anyone can tell me about it would be a real asset and let me know what millegramss you're on as well just for comparison.

Thanks so much in advance :kiss:
Tracy K.

[mary124]

I'm also on Neurontin, and thats how they started me out on. Yes, I was tired for awhile, but it wore off. I now take 1200 mg. plus eveything else that I'm on.

[ICNDonna]

Hon, even if it makes you tired for a while, that's not so bad. You need to rest and heal anyway.

Donna

[ICNJess]

I was up to 2400 mg. at one point and it did nothing for my IC pain, but helped my Fibromyalgia a great deal. I had better sleep, and less aches and pains, but eventually, I weaned off of it.

[kelly McC]

I could not take it but I know others have had success with it. Hope it helps you and glad your doctor is helping you,
Kelly

[LooGirl]

I take 200mg per day, along with Elmiron and Nortryptelene. Everything made me tired and dizzy at first, but most of that went away after several weeks. To avoid nausea, I started out opening each capsule and putting the powder in just a spoonful of tapioca pudding. I never had nausea at all. Then I was able to graduate to taking the capsules whole with a glass of water.

[Ralph]

I thought I'd chime in here. I can tell you that Neurontin is an antiseizure medication that is also commonly used to treat chronic pain. The pain management dose is lower than the dose used to control seizures, typically 900mg a day as opposed to 1200 mg and up for seizures. It is frequently used to treat diabetic neuropathy and can be useful for other painful conditions. It may or may not work for you and is considered a safe drug. Side effects are mainly drowsiness, but you can acquire tolerance over time. There is a new SSRI antidepressent ( the name escapes me at the moment) that has been found to have the same properties as neurontin for pian and is gaining acceptance. Hope that helps a little.

[liznazz]

Ralph, can you find out the name of the antidepressant with similar properties to neurontin and post it? Thanks, liz

[Ralph]

Here it is, Cymbalta (Duloxetine HCL). It's a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Look through this site:

http://www.insidecymbalta.com/index.jsp?ccd=cymbaltaDTP357

These drug sites are getting more interesting to view. This one has a video.

I have no personal experience with this medication nor have I ever perscribed it. A medical doctor friend told me about it as a new substitute for Neurontin. Ask your doctor about it before you do anything. Pain and depression go hand in hand. It's the old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg.

[ICNJess]

Ralph,

Thanks so much for sharing this information. For some personal reasons, I was afraid to stay on Neurontin. This sounds like a reasonable alternative. I might bring this up with my MD. Thank you very much!

[radstudent]

I am on Neurontin and have been for several years. I have been on as much as 3600mg per day. I have never had any problems with it. I only take 900mg per day now. I don't know that I have really seen that it has helped me any, but I know it hasn't hurt.