Gabapentin Works Right Away, But Dose Doesn't Seem Enough-after 1 Week

This was my first visit to a neuro.. I started Gabapentin on a friday night a week ago. 100MG 3xDay....I felt some relief the first night and the next day (albeit I had some wacky wacky side-effects at first).....

So I call the Dr.'s office and got a doctor who was covering and explained that I started Gabapentin the night before and wanted to increase the dose. The doc said that if I could handle the side-effects to go ahead.

So, the next day I started taking 2x100mg capsles 3xDay... and this helped right away even more.. but in 7 days I feel no more improvement.. and a few days ago I asked the Doc who is my Doc if I can increase it further because it was helping but only 40-60% now.. He said I had to give it 2-4 weeks on this dose....

Couldn't the fact that i'm feeling relief right away after I up the dose, and not getting more relief than that on the same dose for 7 days indicate that I need to take a higher dose for more improvement, and waiting 1-3 more weeks will make no difference?

I think this stuff must hit my system right away... but I don't know bacause i'm not a Doc... I don't know the tiny tech details.. etc...

All in all i'm wondering "What does it mean when gabapentin works right away - but no more improvement unless you up the dose"... I'm also wondering if it works right away does that mean I have lots of nerve damage or just a little? or maybe not even nerves at all?

BTW... Both ENT & Several Dentist's could find nothing wrong and said that the pain i'm having is nothing Dental or Sinus related..

REPLY

REPORT

While you may feel some immediate relief, Gabapentin is not an analgesic, so it does take approximately 4 to 6 weeks to reach its full efficacy in your body.

Thus, if you keep upping your dose, before that time frame passes, you may end up finding yourself taking too high of a dosage.

https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Gabapentin/­

Do they have any idea of what is causing your pain?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

I first saw a neuro about 11 days ago.. They started me at the 100MG. I go for a brain MRI today... I have severe pain in my whole face.. but it's not TN where I get sharp-electro-jolts.

3 years ago it started comming on slowly and I thought it was afternon stress headaches... but then over the next year it became more painful and 'always there'... However it only comes on wen i'm 'upright'... so laying in bed will keep it at a dull-ache..

It starts in the AM as a foggy dull ache... like 1 or 2.. and then by afternoon or evening it's worked it's way up to 8,9,10.... I get Pressure, Dull Ache, steady sharper pain.. the sensation of swelling in the upper jaw...all at the same time... It feels like someone punched me in the face and the adrenelin wore off...

I have 1-1.5 weeks to stop at least 80-90% of the pain 'and' get over any dibilitating side effects so I can go work P/T..

Needless to say.. 2 days ago I upped it to 300mg 3xday... and now for the past 2 day's i'm actually about 70-95%!!! I've read that it does work on some people right away though... I also take tylenol or ibuproffen..

Before the neuro I was having to get pain medication from other sources... long story... no insurance... no job... not eligible for medicaid (at the time)..

Couldn't I always drop it down a bit if it's too much? How would I know if it's too much after a time?

I'm just wondering cause it's working very very well... Could I have so much damage that my brain is just eating it up?? LOL

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Oh.... and from what I understand... 300MG 3xday is usually a starting dose... no?

If I don't start coming up with some money for rent... I'll be hurting and suffering in the street.. so..

I was taking pain meds and they helped 70-95% most of the time... but ofcourse they're not going to give me a perscription for that on my word.... So, i'm so desparate to get out of pain and be functional... i'm willing to be a drooling retard (it's not that bad - mostly spacy, slight dizzy at times, spurts of lethargy) for a couple weeks to be functional... I have to...

I can't wait 3,4,6 weeks to go to the next dose because it's not working.. Truthfully... When I was on the 200mg 3xday for like 8 days... I felt no more improvement than there was in the first 2 days of startign the higher dose.. In fact.. it kind of faded off a little... like from 70% to about 60%... But liek I said.... this is day 2 and I am at like 70-95% out of pain, have clarity..

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

hmm... I wrote somethign else givign detail and they said it will be up to 7 days before it's posted.. WTH?

SHort form.... I am not at 70-95% out of pain from the gaba... I have 1.5 weeks to be able to work at least p/t to pay rent or i'll be in agony in the street...

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I just started gabapentin last night at only 300mg/once daily at night for 1 week, then 600mg/once daily at night for 4 weeks. I honestly believe I felt immediate relief, which was so surprising, I kept walking around the house testing it by bending over, and doing the things that usually hurt - with barely even a tinge of pain. I am probably over-enthusiastic about it, so night #2 will convince me or not.

At any rate, I was trawling through the internet last night trying to find answers to whether or not it worked that quickly. I came across a page I've visited before for other meds I'm on, and was surprised to find this reference to the Neurontin (gabapentin) Patient Information sheet quoted on their page:

"As dose is increased, bioavailability decreases. Bioavailability of gabapentin is approximately 60%, 47%, 34%, 33%, and 27% following 900, 1200, 2400, 3600, and 4800 mg/day given in 3 divided doses, respectively.â€

I don't know if that would explain why you don't feel an incremental increase in relief while increasing the dose. ??

Their page on gabapentin was pretty informative:

crazymeds.us/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Meds/Neurontin

As a sidebar - years ago I was put on Lyrica and suffered from the "brain fog" and confusion so much, I was afraid I was going to lose my job. My doctor took me off it right away. I know gabapentin has this same side effect, but I am praying that at such a low dose, I won't have to experience that again.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

I was taking 800 mgs 3 times a day or three at one time I found that it was garbage I'm on Percocet and morphine I have a bad back and neck issues that require surgery my name is m.c pain

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Lotofpain

Everyone responds differently to different families of drugs. At least surgery holds an answer for your back and neck pain since the morphine and Percocet is only a temporary relief . Hopefully following surgery you'll enjoy a pain free/limited life and can function without powerful narcotic analgesic's. Good luck.....

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I started gabopentin about a week ago at 300 mg at bedtime for neuropathy. For some reason the side of my left foot has stared swelling and is very painful. This started before I started taking the med. Had to call my doc to increase the dose some. I just want to know how long it takes for this stuff to kick in some I s! So tired of being in pain and my job requires me to be on my feet. I dont know how much longer I can take this without some relief.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hi there, I just saw your post and I wanted to ask you some questions. I've been trawling the internet for months for help, and the symptoms you had are nearly identical to mine. Started as a tooth pain after using a teeth whitener, over the last 3 months has gradually progressed into an intense aching pain affecting all my front teeth. Starts when I wake up and get out of bed and gradually worsens throughout day, until it is so bad at night I can't do anything but sit there are cry. It's absolutely excruciating. Worse when upright. MRI and other xrays show nothing, teeth are supposedly fine, multiple dental and specialist appointments. Oxycodone, codeine, ibuprofen and pregabalin have NO effect. Just been started on Gabapentin. Just wondering if they found the cause of your pain and if it has since resolved? Did Gabapentin have a long term effect and at what dose? Please help, I'm bloody desperate!! Travelling to see a neurologist next week. Thanks in advance, hope you are now out of pain.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I have the same problem as you. I thought it was my wisdom tooth. They took it out at the dentist. Then the day after, the pain comes back and it's like a shooting pain. It feels like it's stemming from my teeth but the dentist said that my teeth look fine on X-ray. So I went to the doctors and got Gabapentin, but it's not helping at all.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hi. Please help. Was only gabapentin 200mg at nighttime for just over a week. Side effects were awful. Really bad dizzy ...

5 REPLIES

Hello, I was on 300 mgs of Gabapentin for 1 year. I reduced it to 100 mgs 1 month ago. My legs and knees are constantly ...

4 REPLIES

Does gabapentin help after you have suffered from the adverse effects of cipro or another fluoroquinolone? ## Hi Jerri, ...

1 REPLY

Been off Gabby for months now and starting to feel like my old self except still having digestive issues..bloating, smal...

3 REPLIES

prescribed gabapentin for fantom tooth pain. started at 100 mg for 5 days then upped to 200 mg. after 4 days at 200 mg s...

4 REPLIES

I've been prescribed 10mg targin with 600mg of Gabapentin , can I take a Vicodin a couple of hrs later to help relie...

1 REPLY

I take 800 mg 3x a day of Gabapentin for my diabetic neuropathy. Pain management is considering raising it to 900 mg 3x ...

5 REPLIES

I have very recently moved towns and therefore got a new doctor. he has different views on my dose and instead of going ...

I'm taking 1800mgs 4 times a day and there's really no high but it keeps me off the booze. I'm tapering down...

2 REPLIES

My elderly mother is prescribed 800 gabapentin 3x daily. She sometimes takes only one or two doses. What effects will th...

1 REPLY