What has your experience been with gabapentin?

Coloman

I was given a prescription for it because of tingling in my feet. A friend of mine who went through cancer a few years ago said Oh no, you don't want to take that, the side effects are worse than the tingling. I've known her to blow things out of proportion before. So, what about it, have you daken it without terrible side effects?

LiveWithCancer

I took Gabapentin while I was waiting on a prescription of Lyrica (which is the much more expensive alternative). It worked okay and I didn't have side effects. I switched to the Lyrica when it arrived ... put on a lot of weight ... stopped taking it because I was more willing to put up with the symptoms than the weight (because, since cancer, every pound that finds me stays with me forever )

For me, neither Lyrica or Gabapentin did enough to relieve my symptoms to continue taking them.

BuckeyeShelby

I've been on Gabapentin for almost 8 years. I generally don't have a lot of pain from my neuropathy, just lots of numb. However, I can tell if I don't take a dose or am late. Yeah, then there is pain. Not severe, but definitely uncomfortable.

BoiseB

I was on gabapentin for several years. Then my PCP pulled me off it. I asked her why she said it doesn't work for people over 75. Now I am on zonisamide which is not working and I believe it increasing my other pain.

JaneA

I took it for about 3 years for occipital neuralgia (burning nerve pain in the cranial nerves at the back of my skull). The pain was debilitating, and I had taken several anti-seizure drugs to no avail. After just a week on Gabapentin, my pain was gone. Eventually, we were able to wean me off, and the pain did not return. It works for some people and doesn't work for others.

BIBmom

I took very heavy doses of Gabapentin for shingles, which caused constant searing pain. The pain went away almost as soon as I started the drug.