So I take gabapentin 300 mg every 8 hours. This is all well and good as it controls my pain almost 100% of the time. Problem is, what if I don't go to bed as soon as I take a dose?
For example, I am a night person and currently am taking an online class so I do not have to get up at any specific time. My dosing schedule is set as if I was still going to school, which I will be starting at the end of this month. So I take the gabapentin at 5 am, 1 pm, and 9 pm. Lately, I have either been staying up until 5 am (or close to it anyway), or getting up at 5 am (no matter what time I went to bed), to take it.
It's really messing me up. Some days I am not tired at 9 pm and stay up later. Then the alarm goes off at 5 am, I take my medication and have a terrible time getting back to sleep. If I stay up until 5 am then the day is basically shot and it hard to get anything accomplished, not to mention the need to once again stay up until nearly 5 am as getting up ~1 pm and going to bed at 9 pm just isn't going to happen.
I don't even know if I'm making sense. I'm so tired of this sleep schedule being dictated by medication. It will be better when classes start and I HAVE to get up, and stay up, all day and don't have the option of being a night person, except when I work nights every other weekend.
Gah. Thanks for listening.
I took Gabapentin four times a day, about every four hours or so. The effectiveness of the medicine seems to last only five hours. I didn’t adhere to a strict time schedule, just took it as soon as I got up, then every four to five hours after that.
i take my gabepentin every 8hr too...(8, 4, 12) and i too, have some problems when i don't live on that schedule. Like on my days off, i want to sleep in a bit...
I have found that i can fiddle with the schedule a bit...as long as i take a dose as soon as i wake up. Then try to adjust the other two doses. If i get up at 10, then mid day dose closer to 6, and the last dose closer to 2am or right when i'm going to bed. (as i usually don't have pain while i'm actually asleep) This works for me, for the most part.
I do agree with christine too...the actual effective time for me seems to be less than the actual 8 hrs; mine seems to be about 6hrs. So if i need to take it sooner to better fit in with my life, i can (and do)
I hope you find a schedule that works for you..
Being so dependent on these chemicals is a real pain sometimes...
~Wishing you peace and pain free day
Mistee
I'm not in "attack mode" at the moment so it basically lasts all 8 hours but I can't go much longer than that before twinges start. I did get in an afternoon nap today so my attitude is a little better at least. Now if this barometer would get down where it belongs . . .
Have you tried lidocaine face patches prescription?
I haven't been back to my doctor since being diagnosed. I'll mention them when I go back.