I'm new here and recently diagnosed. I started gabapentin this Monday and today took 200 mg every 4 hours and had pretty constant paid relief. Thanks to this forum for confirming that it needs to be taken every ~4 hours!
My doctor prescribed 300 mg and wants me to take it every 8 hours, with the 100 mg and lidocaine solution for breakthrough pain. I'm scared that I am going to be in a lot of pain again. Today was SO NICE for a change and I'm scared to lose that.
Has anyone had success on a dosing schedule like above?
I have a 2% lidocaine solution that comes with me EVERYWHERE now! I forgot it one day and was miserable. It’s a little weird putting lidocaine on my gums, but hey, whatever works!
I’m not sure how knowledgeable my doctor is about TN, but am willing to try it for a day or two and see. I know what works for me and can always go back to my dosing schedule if I need to.
Just wanted to come back and update. The 200 mg every 8 hours isn’t that bad. The 300 mg makes me a lot more tired and loopy than the 200 mg so I will probably use the 200 mg during the week at school and the 300 in the evenings and weekend. And the lidocane solution still follows me everywhere also, just in case.
I take my gabapentin every 8 hours (although I take 900mg every 8 hours). I still have breakthrough pain, so I wonder if it would be better if I took less each time, but more frequently. Lidocaine doesn't work for me unfortunately. Thank goodness it does for so many others.
Sorry lidocaine doesn't work. I've tried running the solution on my cheek and that does nothing. I have to actually put it on my gums/tongue for it to do anything.
I hope the 200 mg works tomorrow. No way can I function at school on 300 mg. I was all for taking less more often but my doctor didn't want me to have to take something every 4 hours. We'll see how it goes and decide on a day to day basis.
I have recently changed from tegretol to gabapentin under advice from professor Zakrzweska I am building the dose gradually but every time I think I’ve cracked it the pain breaks through. This weekend I have had a firework party in my face almost constantly and feel like screaming. I am up to 600mg three times a day and panicking that at this rate I will be at the max and pain still coming. I also take cymbalta twice daily for atypical pain. Just wish there was a permanent answer as she feels surgery is not an option. I know I am very lucky to be under her and trust her implicitly. At 52 I feel more like 92 what with teeth lost at the beginning if this journey and weight gain not helped by meds!! Sorry if this is boring I have nowhere else to explode!! Hoping you all have better experiences and peace of mind.
Do you have anything for breakthrough pain? I have some pain in between doses, but use lidocaine for it. I think the lidocaine helps, or the pain just might go away on its own, no way to tell really. I’m sorry it’s not working well for you and hope you get some relief soon.
I would assume it is stronger and it is prescription only here in the States to my knowledge. Do you have Orajel over there? It’s not lidocaine, it’s benzocaine, but it’s in the same family of medication so it might offer some relief.
Am guessing bonjela is similar, but did not touch pain before. Thanks for advice… Are you student as name implies or teacher? I teach, but am writing to you at 1.30 am as cannot sleep for muscle spasms, better than the pain though that is not so bad still mo! Point is I need to be up in four hours to teach a lively bunch of 5 year olds and wondering if you do too??
I’m a student in nursing school. It’s going on 9 pm here. Almost time to take another 200 mg and be knocked out until morning. I wish I would have gotten more accomplished for school instead of sleeping all day. Oh well. Tomorrow I hope.
I looked up Bonjela and it doesn’t look like it has anything like lidocaine or benzocaine in it.
I have been on the gabapentin a couple of months now. I have played with the dosing as well. I am pretty much on 300mg three times a day. But I take it at 6am, 12-1pm, and 7 pm. It seems to wear off and I really need it during the day to keep the pain away while working. I use the lidocaine oinment at night around 7or8. I also do not know if it is working or just waiting on the next dose of meds to work. I know it doesn’t hurt it to use it, and psychologically it helps me think it works. I can usually go to sleep ok so I don’t worry abut waking up to take another dose. Some mornings are tough until the meds kick in. I feel like it takes an hour to get the meds working, and definitely wears off in 4-6 hours (max).
I hear you momof3. The 300 mg knocks me out but does seem to last almost the full 8 hours. The last hour or so can get touchy but that’s what the lidocaine is for. During the week I am using 200 mg every 4 hours as it controls the pain pretty well and doesn’t make me nearly as sleepy. I will still take the 300 mg at night so I can sleep through the night without waking up.
It’s a chore trying to figure out the right dose that doesn’t interfere with living but that also controls the pain.
The first two weeks, I only took 300 mg once a day, and it it about knocked me out, couldn’t think or concentrate. Pain level not bad, but then pain crept in again, and I upped to twice a day. The increase wasn’t incrementally bad on cognitive ability, but still there. Less than a nth later, up to three times a day, but most brain function was back. I still struggle with breakthrough pain, but trying to tough it out. I don’t want to increase again and max out after a few months.
I have felt much more focused and less sleepy on gabapentin (used to take tegretol) however 600 mg three times a day is worrying me. I have though been given a schedule by prof. Zac that tells me I can go a lot higher and the1800 mg I am on is average. So mom I should not worry at all as you are on half of that. My concern is that it is not holding it. I get through the day by sheer determination that I will not be beat!! But suffer evenings and weekend. As I write I have a red hot banging through my teeth and that sickening undercurrent that I just can’t describe. You have scope left to find you level and I wish you luck
I have definitely noticed a decrease in some functioning, like being able to find words. This is not good as a student though it makes for some interesting conversations!
I take tramadol between my morning dose and early afternoon dose of gabapentin. It gives me a huge boost to get through the day. But I don’t think that’s much help for a student nurse. So sorry you are going through this while studying.
Keep Heart
Bellalarke