RE: Gabapentin (Full Version)

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MariaB -> RE: Gabapentin (3/20/2015 7:23:58 AM)

I would never complain about the NHS especially after the way I've been treated. I saw my doctor and had an MRI the following day and a brain and spinal surgeon two days later who ordered another MRI on my mid and lumber. Within a week of that I was given the results; 3 herniated discs in my cervical and one in my lumber. (This all came about from a climbing accident) and told about my options for treatment. I saw the pain management clinic within a week and was started immediately on physio, aqua physio and hospital pilates. My neurologist told me, "we are part of a team and all of that team focus on getting you better". Six months later I had surgery and three replacement discs in my cervical spine; my lumber spine appears to have repaired itself. The hospital team have been fantastic and if it wasn't for the fact that I've now become allergic to morphine based drugs, we wouldn't all be struggling now to find the right pain killers for my final stage of recovery.

All of this cost me nothing; they even reimbursed my husbands parking costs. No matter how hard I try, I can't imagine having to go through insurance claims and people following me around like they did with you shifty. You and I have been through the same thing and had the same pain but you had to wade through a whole heap of red tape and bureaucracy to get the treatment you needed. You're stronger than me; I think I would of just given up.



MariaB -> RE: Gabapentin (3/20/2015 7:27:55 AM)

Thanks Red, I've now got some on order :)



shiftyw -> RE: Gabapentin (3/20/2015 7:34:25 AM)

I have to say, my lawyer kept me going. I found a great personal injury attorney. He accepted my Saturday night calls of "I can't do this anymore" he led me through the options and kept making me believe it was worth it. He got the tractor trailer trucks insurance company to pay my medical bills (after the fact though, so that forty bucks a week for PT sucked, and those 500$ a pop steroid injections) and I got a decent settlement. I haven't been back on a horse- and I hope to this summer- but 2 years of that bullshit made me put on forty pounds, and I already wasn't skinny. So I'm hoping to lose some weight first.

But I'm all for NHS- I think it's crazy we don't really have one.




shiftyw -> RE: Gabapentin (3/20/2015 7:35:40 AM)

I see a naturopathic doctor who also does chiropractic- he has me on a B vitamin and something called "ligaplex"- both have helped. Both are by standard process.



GotSteel -> RE: Gabapentin (3/20/2015 7:49:22 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: shiftyw
I see a naturopathic doctor who also does chiropractic- he has me on a B vitamin and something called "ligaplex"- both have helped. Both are by standard process.


It burns, is the other guys insurance picking up the bill for this?



shiftyw -> RE: Gabapentin (3/20/2015 8:34:23 AM)

No.

I settled pretty well out of court. Plus- in my lawyer's eyes, the court's eyes, a typical juries eyes- I'm pretty sure they would see naturopathy as a "quack".

I won't go into a ton of details. In Nj though- they have a "no fault" law (sorta like MA). So had some regular joe in a sedan rear ended me- I'd have had to pay for everything, unless he totally maimed or killed me, or unless I wanted to pay out of pocket for a lawyer and take it to court and just sink money into it. "Fortunately" (I GUESS...thats the word I have to use- I'd really have preferred to have never been hit...) a tractor trailer hit me- and they don't fall under this "no fault" law- however, to find a lawyer in NJ who can represent you against them is actually kinda difficult. Once you do find one, winning a case at court is even harder. I didn't want to go to court. I didn't even want to have to get a lawyer- the trucker's insurance company basically refused to even talk to me about my car- much less my hospital visit or injuries. I had to keep trying to find out where my car had been towed to from them and I had to keep trying to get a rental car for two weeks after the accident because the guy on his end handling the claim was a nightmare, so I ended up needing a lawyer. But they settled out of court without even deposing me, but one of the terms was that I wouldn't sue them for anymore damages- and the sum they gave me was large enough to cover anymore things that would likely be related to the this accident- so in a way- they sorta of are paying for it still since I'm using that settlement money on it. I kinda had given up on life and was in a back brace and 40 lbs heavier and just over it at that point, plus the nerve pain has improved? Nerves take an eternity to heal, and hopefully it will subside completely. Losing the weight put on by steroids, medications, pain, and not really being allowed to exercise for 2 years however, is proving the more annoying challenge, for me at least.



MariaB -> RE: Gabapentin (3/20/2015 11:17:45 AM)

Thank goodness you found a good lawyer. Do you have those "no win no fee" lawyers in America?

Nerve pain in the lower back is excruciating. I always thought it would be my lower back that was operated on because the pain was so much worse their. Nerve pain from my neck caused certain fingers to go into spasm which meant I continually dropped things. Its also given me permanent neuropathy in my upper arms. My lower back however, had all those big muscles going into spasm and it just made me miserable. I had to exercise; my physiotherapist was really strict with me. It was (still is) pathetic little exercises but its made an amazing difference. Aqua therapy is wonderful...have you had aqua therapy shifty? you end up feeling like you weigh 50 stone the next day!

Ligaplex is meant to be really good but I won't take it because its got veal in it and I'm one of those anti veal freaks!



shiftyw -> RE: Gabapentin (3/20/2015 2:49:40 PM)

We do for personal injury.
But most of those cases between regular person and another regular person- no lawyer will take cause the pay out is worth less than their time.



Soyokaze -> RE: Gabapentin (4/7/2015 8:26:36 AM)

Gabapentin is absolutely terrible, and so is lyrica (pregabalin); they're the same class of drug. I've tried both. I actually started on a very low dose and it still destroyed my focus. I made some very terrible decisions while on it just from not being able to weigh things properly. I also went from never missing an appointment in 5 years of being in the military to missing about 11 in three months >.< Don't take it unless you're willing to give up all functionality of your life. It's funny my doctor's have practically told me they'd rather see me die than have opioids, but are absolutely giddy to cram this type of shit down my mouth. I take tramadol; it's a pseudo-opiate, which I'm guessing is too close for you to take allergy wise :( It's barely better than tylenol and still somewhat addictive anyway though.



Soyokaze -> RE: Gabapentin (4/7/2015 8:31:26 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: MariaB
Ligaplex is meant to be really good but I won't take it because its got veal in it and I'm one of those anti veal freaks!


It looks like it's just a particular vitamin. I don't think you're missing out if you're already eating a well rounded diet.



LafayetteLady -> RE: Gabapentin (6/9/2015 3:43:49 PM)

I had none of those experiences on Gabapentin and I was taking 600mg three times a day. It did make me somewhat narcoleptic, I would be watching a movie at night and wake up on the couch in the morning never even realizing I fell asleep. It also gave me hallucinations. But help the pain? It didn't help one bit.

When the hallucinations became a problem I just stopped taking it. Cold turkey, no seizures or even withdrawal. Doctors will tell you stopping most drugs cold turkey will cause seizures, yet I have stopped many without any problems.

I can't take cortisone or get the cortisone shots because it raises blood sugar. I got trigger point shots and the pain management doctor said it wasn't enough cortisone to do much to my blood sugar, but that night it went up to 483, so epidurals are definitely a no no for me.

I have two herniated/bulging discs in each my cervical, thoracic and lumbar sacral area. So I've got the muscle spasms everywhere.

My problem is that I'm allergic to codeine, tramadol and morphine and resistant/immune to almost everything else. During a recent ER visit, I was asked what I HADN'T tried by the physician's assistant. I told him fentanyl. Surprisingly, he was willing to try it. Fifty mcg (significant dose) and not even a micro second of pain relief did I get. It did as much as a saline flush in the IV, nothing.

I explain the resistance/immunity issue to each new doctor I see (half are familiar), but it doesn't change what they will dose even though the neurologist said the doses need to be raised. My primary care doctor explained that after a certain dosage, it flags their license and then they start getting watched for whether they are writing inappropriate prescriptions. Pain management doctors don't have those restrictions because it is their specialty.

I've been thinking of going back to the neurologist to see if he wants to take a go at prescribing something. It is possible that some anti seizure drugs could be helpful even though I don't suffer seizures.



igor2003 -> RE: Gabapentin (6/9/2015 5:15:53 PM)

I haven't read through the whole thread so I'm not sure what everyone's responses have been. I had spinal fusion surgery last fall (L4, L5, S1) and the surgeon put me on Gabapentin afterwords. I developed involuntary nervous twitches. I stopped taking the stuff until I could talk to the surgeon. He said that the drug was used for epileptics, and that it wouldn't cause twitches. But it did. I decided to go on a reduced dose (my decision, not the surgeon's) and still had the twitches, though not as bad. I don't care what the surgeon said, the twitches were caused by the Gabapentin. I had been worried that the twitches would become permanent, but after stopping the Gabapentin the twitches did eventually stop.



LafayetteLady -> RE: Gabapentin (6/10/2015 4:11:13 PM)

Here is what I have found when it comes to medications. Doctors only know the very basics. If you want good information about your medication, talk to the pharmacist. They give you medical advice of course, but they can tell you more about the side effects of most drugs better than your doctor.



esh5 -> RE: Gabapentin (6/27/2015 1:35:29 PM)

I don't think that anyone mentioned lyrica it is supposed to be better than gabapentin I switched from gabapentin to it but I haven't really found an improvement but it is something worth trying because it does help my nerve pain. I take opiates for a severe back problem but they do not help my nerve pain at all. Cymbalta might be an option but when I started to take I started formulating plans to kill myself so I stopped taking it.



SlavePoppy46 -> RE: Gabapentin (6/30/2015 3:56:03 PM)

I have been on gabapentin for nerve problems fibromyalgia and back canal stenosis for past 22years and I on 1200mg a day. And I am a slave to my Master . Does everything and most things when able to. Its only when very tired or joints swell up I have problems as I take in all 31 tablets aday and hold a full time job and just turned 50 yeears old. Take care all.



velvetears -> RE: Gabapentin (10/4/2015 5:26:53 PM)

I am on cymbalta and gabapentin for pain and they both help. Cymbalta really helped my fibro, gabapentin was added recently and it calms me as well as lessens the pain. I have fibro, disc pain, nerve pain and no cartiledge in knee. I am happy to get any relief.



velvetears -> RE: Gabapentin (10/4/2015 5:29:53 PM)

I hear you slavepoppy, you do what you go to do.



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