"Gabapentin (Neurontin) for ME" (April 13) by cfssufferer

[Dolphin]

https://livingwithchronicfatiguesyndrome.wordpress.com/2016/04/13/gabapentin-neurontin-for-me/

He gives information on what some ME/CFS experts have said, some research evidence (from fibromyalgia) and his own experiences

 

[Martial]

I was prescribed gabapentin off label for anxiety and panic attacks many, many years ago. That stuff can have some pretty negligible side effects but I did hear it prevents some kind of brain processing while on the drug.

 

[SilverbladeTE]

I was prescribed gabapentin off label for anxiety and panic attacks many, many years ago. That stuff can have some pretty negligible side effects but I did hear it prevents some kind of brain processing while on the drug.

"Negligible" ? think you mean the opposite, surely?
varies by person quite a lot as to the severity and pro/con.
I have to take it at quite a low dose or it really messes me up, but the low does helps

 

[charles shepherd]

MEA has an information leaflet covering all aspects of the use of gabapentin in relation to pain relief in ME/CFS:

http://www.meassociation.org.uk/shop/management-leaflets/gabapentin-pain/

 

[hellytheelephant]

I was prescribed Gabapentin for chronic pain...and it had some really unpleasant side effects etc hallucination, paranoia etc. I know some people who have had vile side effects and others who cannot imagine life without it.

 

[Strawberry]

I have to take it at quite a low dose or it really messes me up, but the low does helps

@SilverbladeTE what dose do you take? Also, how do you deal with the tolerance issue? When I tried it, I could only take a certain level for 3 days then I had to take one pill more. Then 3 days later take one pill more... Do you stagger days on, days off? I have thought about giving gabapentin a 2nd chance. I just don't want to deal with constantly titrating up.

 

[Martial]

"Negligible" ? think you mean the opposite, surely?
varies by person quite a lot as to the severity and pro/con.
I have to take it at quite a low dose or it really messes me up, but the low does helps

When I was on it the most I remember were seizure like episodes with my brain, and a lot of drowsiness during the day, it was very easy to wean off and it always concerned the state of my liver health while I was on it.

 

[helios]

I was prescribed gabapentin off label by my CFS doc as he was experimenting with his patients with some of Goldstein's recommendations. When I first used it I loved it and thought I was going to be one of these overnight recoveries that I read about in articles written by Dr. Goldstein. I just felt close to 100% on it, but then it wore off after 5 days. I stayed on it for weeks, and upped the dose hoping for a comeback, but unfortunately it was now like taking a sugar pill. I had a break from it them tried it again, and got the great effect again, but now only for about 2 days. For a few years there I used it by going off and on - 2 weeks off 2 days on.
I tried something similar, I think valpoic acid and also the next generation of gabapentin (forget its name) which was marketed more as pain signal blocker. No great boost to well-being but it was a good sleep aid.