Gabapentin

[xtremx]

Hello all and thank you all for helping to calm my fears of my constant fasciculations in my calfs (still have them) and other areas have them also in my thenar muscle but have come to terms that it is BFS. With has helped alot.
Thank you
One thing if someone knows what is the diagnostic value of the palmomental reflex as i do have it on my right hand (its strange to see it, tickles my chin like mad)


Would just like to ask a question about Gabapentin (and hope some of the kind people on this site my be able to help), My doctor is looking to put me on Gabapentin (Neurontin) for anxiety and would like to know if anyone has had any experience of it as have read it can be used in neurologic disorder.

As with dr google all i seem to have read about it is mostly negative but maybe i am not looking in the right place.


Thanks for taking time to read this (Hope I am not being a pain in the bum)

 

[SHU80]

I take 3 100mg of Gabapentin in the morning when I first wake up. Usually around 6:00 am. I then go back to sleep for an hour or so. I've noticed I'm a bit cranky when I skip the morning dose. I sometimes take it again during the day depending on how I'm feeling. It seems to help calm the fasiculations.

 

[Zaphoon]

I was prescribed gabapentin, had it filled and then read the l o n g list of possible side-effects and never had it refilled.

It was prescribed to me, in addition to baclofen, to help ease the pain of muscle cramps.

I now take neither the gabapentin nor the baclofen and have found that stretching vigorously throughout the day brings a tad more relief.

 

[xtremx]

I was prescribed gabapentin, had it filled and then read the l o n g list of possible side-effects and never had it refilled.

It was prescribed to me, in addition to baclofen, to help ease the pain of muscle cramps.

I now take neither the gabapentin nor the baclofen and have found that stretching vigorously throughout the day brings a tad more relief.

Hello Zaphoon.
The long list of possible side-effects is one thing seem to sway me away from Gabapentin and considering it is as they put it "used off-label" to treat anxiety as that is mainly whay my new doc whats me on them as not to use things like valium or citalopram.

Like I said with reading all the usefull info that is posted on this site and the answers you give people I am able to cope with Bfs (what used to be anxiety in regards to thinking ALS), it is just the underlying anxiety.

It may sound strange but dont what to keep refusing what the doctors offers as they may feel i am wasting their time ,But wish to find the correct thing to do.

As it is in the uk my doc keeps asking me if i wish to be signed of sick so I can get high rate benefits but I kept saying no thanks just want to get myself sorted and not fall into the whole benefit trap.

All the best Chris

 

[trfogey]

xtremx,

The best place to get advice about the drugs that can be prescribed to help with BFS symptoms is the aboutBFS dot com website. The folks over there are much more likely to be helpful to you than we are simply because they've got similar symptoms and are getting the same kinds of drug recommendations that you are.

 

[Will]

My PALS take Neurontin for Trigeminal Neuralgia. (and it works). I often wondered though if taking so much of it has a impact on his ALS. He takes 1800 mg /day.

 

[notme]

I took it for trigeminal neuralgia (which it didn't help) and found it caused severe swelling in my legs (to the point I couldn't walk) and many, many memory issues. I was on 3600mgs per day.

Took me a while to connect the dots. I hate the stuff

 

[grandmommyk]

My husband takes 100 mg at night to help with discomfort in his feet. The doctor seems to think the long term effects of ALS effects the nerves somehow. His prescription is for 300 mg per day, but he only takes 100. I do not have a MND, but take 900 - 1200 mg a day for neuropathy from scoliosis and other back problems that are compressing the nerves. The doctor says that the maximum dosage for Gaberpentin is 3600 mg per day, but was concerned about uping mine from 900 - 1200 for fear that it would make me too sleepy, which it did. I could not drive for half an hour without struggling to stay awake. I was also having problems just functioning mentally and physically. I just had 3 steroid epidurals yesterday so I will be decreasing the dosage of the gaberpentin and hopefully going off of it again soon.

On the other hand, a think a plus is that it is better than being on pain meds that contain narcotics.

 

[grandmommyk]

My husband takes 100 mg at night to help with discomfort in his feet. The doctor seems to think the long term effects of ALS effects the nerves somehow. His prescription is for 300 mg per day, but he only takes 100. I do not have a MND, but take 900 - 1200 mg a day for neuropathy from scoliosis and other back problems that are compressing the nerves. The doctor says that the maximum dosage for Gaberpentin is 3600 mg per day, but was concerned about uping mine from 900 - 1200 for fear that it would make me too sleepy, which it did. I could not drive for half an hour without struggling to stay awake. I was also having problems just functioning mentally and physically. I just had 3 steroid epidurals yesterday so I will be decreasing the dosage of the gaberpentin and hopefully going off of it again soon.

On the other hand, a think a plus is that it is better than being on pain meds that contain narcotics.

 

[grandmommyk]

Sorry. I am not sure how I posted the last message twice.

 

[Blubear]

I took Neurontin for pain a long time ago, and it worked really well for pain, but I had a rare side effect from it so I didnt take it more than a few times. I didnt even know it would help with anxiety, which I take xanax for and I still was taking xanax at the time, so for me it didnt help lessen the anxiety. My father took Neurontin to also help with the pain in his feet. It worked well for him for that. He was only taking 300mg 2 x a day. He still had a lot of anxiety though and we had to give him lorazapam for the anxiety.
Hugs, Kari

 

[hopefulma]

I have been taking 300 mg at night for over a year to help with the muscle cramps. I believe it does help, but I think it also helps me fall into a deeper sleep than I did before taking it. This is a wonderful side effect. I have wonderful dreams each night and feel more rested in the a.m. Who knows - it may all be in my head, but I'm happy to have something work on my side.

 

[olly]

The palmomental reflex, an involuntary contraction of the mentalis muscle of the chin caused by stimulation of the thenar eminence, can be tested easily and rapidly. Its presence may alert the clinician to the possibility of cerebral pathology. However, the reflex is often present in normal people and may be absent in disease states. Testing merely for the presence or absence of the reflex therefore lacks both specificity and sensitivity. A strong, sustained, and easily repeatable contraction of the mentalis muscle, which can be elicited by stimulation of areas other than the palm, is more likely to indicate cerebral damage.

 

[Alyoop]

Sounds like the hoffmans in that it's a non specific test that many neurologists don't bother doing. Never even heard of this one,

 

[xtremx]

Hi all, Thank you for taking the time to answer my question all the answer have held some interesting info for me to think about in regards to Gabapentin.

And also thank you olly for you reply to the palmomental reflex, as most that have happened in the last 2years to myself ie; anxiety,stress, monster headaches and most recently my BFS i can trace back to a few days after the passing of my mother (sad to say i got very drunk and fell and smashed my face up on some large stone steps ended up in A&E)

Thank you all (I will not be bothering you all anymore).

Chris

I found a quote on the net i think i will adopt for myself.

“Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.” ~ Groucho Marx