Hi there everyone, I'm new here so please
forgive me if I'm posting this in the
wrong area, and feel free to move it to
the correct one if so!
My question is as follows:
My mother was put on Neurontin for
neuropathic (nerve) pain after suffering
for several months with a shattered lumbar
disc. Eventually she was admitted to
hospital and had surgery to remove the
disc, after being on 900-1200mg/day of
Neurontin for three weeks. After a further
week they started to reduce the neurontin,
first to 600mg/day, then a fortnight later
to 300mg/day then the final week was to be
200mg/day.
She was discharged from hospital a week
after the operation and took the
medication, under my care, as instructed.
However, after three weeks her progress
seemed to stop, if anything it reversed,
as she was getting weaker and starting to
feel suddenly very hot or very cold, with
the thermometer showing no change in
temperature either way. When she started
suffering fainting spells I took her back
to hospital, where they kept an eye on her
for a few days, and said she was suffering
withdrawal symptoms from the Neurontin.
After a few days they discharged her
again, and I'm looking after her again.
She is still very weak most of the time,
making it to the bathroom is almost all
she can do before she collapses onto the
bed again. She is nearly 50, and prior to
the back operation and injury was in very
good health, very fit and active. The
symptoms are very stressful for her and
for me, and I would like to ask if anyone
has experienced this before, or knows
anything about it, and could therefore be
able to give me some kind of timeframe for
when she should be getting back to normal.
At the moment she barely has the energy to
lift a spoon of food to her mouth, though
when she does get a little back she can
walk for five or ten minutes, but then she
goes down again. I think it would help her
and me if we knew how much longer this
will go on for.
Thanks very much!
|
ariesgal
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 15 Dec 2007 Posts: 1
Wondering How It's Going? Posted: 12-15-07 16:01pm
Hi April,
I'm wondering how your mother is doing?
I (I'm 55) went off Nuerontin, after
almost two years on it for leg/back pain.
They took me off, as I was having horrible
side effects; double vision, slurred
speech, stumbling, terrible memory
problems and MANY other problems.
As they lowered my dose (a month to wean
off, which I've read in other sites, not
long enough) I'd have migraines for three
days.
My last dose was Oct 30th of this year.
Thanksgiving Day I started migraines
(formerly I've had, but not more than one
day at a time) and I've had them everyday
since. I have to wear dark glasses all the
time, as too light sensitive. My head
feels strange, not much better way to
describe it and I have a metalic taste in
my mouth.
I'm curious as to whether your mother has
recovered by now and if she had any of
these problems.
Best of luck and Happy Holidays.
|
April_Rose01
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 03 Oct 2007 Posts: 2
Posted: 12-17-07 11:41am
Hi,
Mm is doing a lot better now, she's been
off it a few months and though she still
experiences what she refers to as
flashbcks - suddenly feeling shivery or
sweaty and the same senses of fear etc, in
general she is a lot better. She isn't
photosensitive, and though she has
occasional migraines she always did, so
I'm not sure if it's connected.
Thanks for the reply,
Best wishes& happy christmas!
|
Portland Guy
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 31 Dec 2007 Posts: 1
Neurontin Withdrawal Posted: 12-31-07 02:45am
Hi. I thought I'd try this forum to learn
from other's experiences. I was prescribed
300MG of Neurontin along with Fentanyl
patch 75 and Oxycontin to get me though a
large hertinated disc L3-4 along with an
extruded disc fragment. Recently I started
feeling better and decided to cut out the
Neurontin cold turkey, over the holiday
season no less. Bad decision, I think.
I've had feelings of hopelessness,
sadeness and depression resulting in
crying. I've felt like I've had the flu
with cold sweats. I'm miserable and
friends/family are worried about me. At
this point its been almost a week so I am
hopeful I'm through the worst.
I wonder if anyone else has had similar
feelings quitting Neurontin? I am a
patient at a pain management center so I
will be talking with them this week. I
hope everyone that reads this gets better
and God Bless.
|
silverbullet71
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 7
Neurontin Posted: 02-08-08 19:34pm
I am 27 years old. I was on Neurontin for
a year at 300-600 mg at night. I stopped
cold turkey. And have not had a problem
since. I am now on lyrica, a much better
nerve disorder medicine. Good Luck
|
algosdoc
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 186
Posted: 02-09-08 09:50am
Most people do not experience any symptoms
of withdrawal from neurontin. The
symptoms of withdrawal after stopping
200mg a day are almost unheard of, and
continuing strange symptoms months later
have absolutely nothing to do with
neurontin that is out of the body
completely in 2 days.
|
PainPatient
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 3
What else was she on? Posted: 03-16-08 16:33pm
I have had same problems from them
removing my morphine pump that I have had
since 1996. Please find my posts about
this and read it.
Turns out that my Nreve Receptors are
messed up, and I have actually been put
on
neurontin to help that problem. As a
matter of fact, they took pump out Jan
3rd, and I still have the exact problems
you Mom has!
Was she also on heavy pain medications
that have messed up her receptors?
Good Luck to your Mom!
|
Barniegirl
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 May 2008 Posts: 1
neurontin Posted: 05-19-08 17:59pm
Wow... I'm on neurontin due to a nerve
pain disorder.. no cure for it, but the
doctor at the Pain Management felt that
using the neurontin and vicodins would be
helpful in keeping my pain to tolerable
levels, which it has.. I actually had a
lumbar injection today to see if it would
work due to my pain dystrophy being mild
to moderate (happened after surgery,
nerves keep firing for no apparent
reason).. anyways, what I am reading has
be worried!!! I didn't realize that
neurontin was such an addicting
medication.. now I have two to worry
about. Hope everyone is doing well.
Thanks and good luck
The site is not a replacement for professional medical opinion, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to existing treatment. Do not delay seeking or disregard medical advice based on information written by any author on this site. No health questions and information on eHealth Forum is regulated or evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore the information should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a medical doctor. Posts made to these forums express the views and opinions of the author, and not the administrators, moderators, or editorial staff and hence eHealth Forum and its principals will accept no liabilities or responsibilities for the statements made.
Schizophreniahealth
This page was last updated on June 11, 2008
