denverpilot
Tied Down
Yeah I’m on a “whopping” 300 mg three times a day. So can either call it that or 900 mg, however one likes to arrange the numbers. It’s likely I’ll talk to the doc about raising that in the evening only. It’s a “works best if it’s always in your system and has been there for a while” drug. Not one you just take as needed. But I could probably not bother with it at all in the morning and only take it from afternoon on if it were the other sort.
Reports from people in my online TM group vary WILDLY with that drug. Some report horrid side effects and others report zero. Some say it helps others say it does absolutely nothing for them.
For me, it’s “different” than the synthetic opioid but “takes the edge off” the burning sensation while not doing anything at all for the pain I associate with the muscle atrophy in the one big muscle on the opposite side of your palm than your thumb. But I don’t get that second pain too often unless I’m really overdoing it with my hands all day. So in total it works pretty well. It’s just “not quite there yet” on late day dosage level.
Most of the time it doesn’t matter so I debate whether to even ask about upping it in the evening, but I see it commonly done that way in the group.
I think she’s right about the morning sleepiness. A number of people report that they’re more prone to sleep when on it.
The most common side effect is feeling off balance and therefore being clumsy. I’m naturally clumsy so my mom joked, “Nice knowing you!” Hahaha. Love you too, mom! Haha.
Definitely have felt it. It’s... interesting. They say they ramp you up on the stuff because it messes with some nerves for balance and such so if they popped you right to what your wife is on, you’d probably just fall over. Haha. Your brain figures it out after a bit then they can change the dose. But the first time I walked down my stairs. How to describe this...
Never once did I feel like I was going to fall down. But I could tell it was like a feedback loop where the sensors were either weak or lagging, if that makes sense to the engineers here? All four limbs were simultaneously over-correcting like an early flight student pumping the yoke on landing. But each was contributing correctly, just too much. Ha.
So your arms and legs are flailing a bit as you walk down the stairs but you’re still in good balance and not feeling or fearing falling at all. It was sooooo weird. And I started laughing my ass off halfway down them at the landing. It had to look hilarious. Now quite a while later that sensation of readjustment has faded significantly. But at first... it was wild.
And yeah right now I would probably be a total crab-ass if I wasn’t taking it. How to describe it? The hands always hurt but in different ways. The Gabapentin for me at the moment anyway, just knocks the nastiest part of the touch sensation problem off (can’t stand to touch certain textures... others are fine and just kinda “buzz” a little. The rougher the worse for the most part...) so it doesn’t make me want to cringe or retract my hand. Especially the right one. I can almost ignore the left hand issues altogether.
Anyway, totally wild these pharmaceuticals. And of course absolutely FAA disapproved as far as I know. Anything that messes with brain sensors, they’re not particularly keen on. Can’t blame them.
No other side effects from mine so far other than maybe a tad sleepy if I take it on an empty stomach in the morning. The opioid had typical opioid side effects and I didn’t like or want those long term.
Those who have problems or no help from Gabapentin often find Cymbalta or Lyrica work for them, but man the side effects on those are really nasty if you get them.
I swear, at first the neuro just picks the one with the lowest reported side effects or long term problems and if those don’t work they go to the nastier ones. It’s a dice roll at first for nerve pain and then secondly a dice roll for side-effects. Nobody’s experiences or stories are alike.
Good to hear it works for her. My early tests that didn’t make sense to the neuro were for peripheral neuropathy and that all came back negative. The nerves out in the extremities are quite healthy.
They’re also hyper-reflexive which meant I kicked the crap out of the neuro’s stool when he did the knee reflex test you all know. Funny at the time but it really is a big sign the problem is in the spinal cord apparently. Interesting medical trivia you learn along the way during a diagnostic workup.
