I have worked my way up to 900 mg sublingual Gabapentin (150 mg six times/day) and it helps with the eye pain, but it is really making me feel unsteady on my feet and like I'm in a fun house. This is my third day on 900 mg. I'm really tired of having a pill dissolving in my mouth for five or six hours a day, but I haven't had any problems with my mouth ( maybe a pill burns a little once in a while). Two questions for all you good people -
1. Does your body ever get so used to the medication that the side effects stop?
2. My eyes get better throughout the day as I have more medicine. I feel I really need to go to 200 mg four times a day, or 300 mg three times a day, but I am terrified of the side effects. I need to attack this virus! (PHTN)
For those of you taking Gabapentin, does it work better for you larger amounts less often, or smaller amounts more often?
I'm currently on 900 mgs three times a day for a total of 2700 mgs daily. My doctor graduated me up slowly and increased a bit every two weeks. My body eventually adjusted to the increases and I haven't had any long term side effects.
All of the questions you ask you should discuss with your doctor. An adjustment may need to be made that will help, but the doctor is the one who can address those issues.
I quite agree with the points Gloria E made concerning consultation with your doctor. That said, I would offer a measure of expected hope: Yes, it is frequently the case that patients adjust to drugs over time and experience fewer or less severe side effects. Although Gabapentin doesn't directly attack the virus in post herpetic neuralgia, it has been shown to be effective in treating the pain associated with PHN. There is no one-size-fits all dosing schedule. So one of the things you'll want and need to do with your doctor is to experiment for adequate periods with the schedule of doses, using his trained background as a reality check on your outcomes.