Question re: neurontin/nerve pain

Eastex · #1 (**permalink**) 07-21-2011, 11:11 PM

I tried Lyrica a few years ago and I was told that it was a major cause of my divorce. I was a "monster" on it. I think it was the stress of my constant pain on both of us and I do admit I had some severe mood changes.. I tried other nerve meds and I am back to Lyrica now. I have been on it for a year ( at a much higher dosage) and it seems to work better than before. Zipsor is one that I wish I could of took longer. United Healthcare didn't cover it after my sample ran out. I have also been on Fentanyl patch for about the same amount of time as the Lyrica. I think that this combination has helped me the most.

cherylstewart67 · #2 (**permalink**) 07-22-2011, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eastex

I tried Lyrica a few years ago and I was told that it was a major cause of my divorce. I was a "monster" on it. I think it was the stress of my constant pain on both of us and I do admit I had some severe mood changes.. I tried other nerve meds and I am back to Lyrica now. I have been on it for a year ( at a much higher dosage) and it seems to work better than before. Zipsor is one that I wish I could of took longer. United Healthcare didn't cover it after my sample ran out. I have also been on Fentanyl patch for about the same amount of time as the Lyrica. I think that this combination has helped me the most.

i knew when the docotr gave me the sampple that translated to newer drug higher cost. i have health choice, so it's most likely not covered by them either.

jbcool35 · #3 (**permalink**) 07-31-2011, 09:36 PM

Neither one of them touched my nerve pain and they both made me bedridden all day. Not for me. Others I know swear by them and function like they aren't taking anything. Funny, isn't it?

cherylstewart67 · #4 (**permalink**) 08-17-2011, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcool35

Neither one of them touched my nerve pain and they both made me bedridden all day. Not for me. Others I know swear by them and function like they aren't taking anything. Funny, isn't it?

It was only supposed to help the inflamation; like Robaxin helps the muscle tension. But the drug they gave me for the nerve pain have so many side effects. I don't think anythig really helps the type of pain we have or at least not for long...

Maria · #5 (**permalink**) 08-17-2011, 12:47 PM

I went to a wonderful acupuncturist 3 months after my failed 2nd spine surgery to work w/the nerve related pain and I think this person was one of the people that helped save my mental health actually at this time. The therapy worked far better for some other problems altho the degree of attention was superior and it was relaxing overall. I had this over an extended period of time.

grantwb1 · #6 (**permalink**) 08-26-2011, 01:00 PM

I was on lyrica and avinza before my fusion. I also tried nuerontin which pretty much enable me useless as I am an IT person. The nuerontin just killed my cognitive abilities. The lyrica did the same just no where near the same level.

I can sympathize with you drdobits, I am a year and a half out of my fusion and all was healing well still albeit slow it was steady. Now for the last couple days I have been having deep tightness in the buttock on the inside where leg meets cheek. I am also having minor sensation in my foot but it is not really centralized, one minute its the heel the next all of the outside of my foot. Why oh why!?!?!?!? This has sent me into extreme panic, I have not felt this level of nerve pain in months. I keep remembering my pt saying once the nerve pain is gone it will not come back. Sometimes I just feel you cannot win with my spine. I hope to god it is just some muscle/nerve that is really pissed and not my spine crunching on my nerves again. I don't need the meds again but if it gets worse I will be thinking about them with great reluctance.

I am for sure going back to my acupuncture as Dale led me to initially and I got the same results as her, I think that it was best tool I used post op!! Really don't know why but it worked.

Mad Love to all my Spineys!!

Maria · #7 (**permalink**) 08-26-2011, 01:41 PM

Grant,
So sorry to hear the nerve pain is returning. Hope it's very short lived.
I think "never say never" is a good saying when it comes to spine stuff tho I stopped Neurontin last summer after 12 years on it. I can't imagine being an IT person and trying to function on Neurontin (my husband is an IT person) and I've not tried Lyrica but have a few friends that take it and said they felt much better mentally taking that than Neurontin.

I wonder if an injection of 60mg Toradol IM to stop muscle spasming (if that's going on) would help you? It helps me with severe muscle spasms (cervically and lumbar). Perhaps if you see your PCP or go to your OSS or Urgent Care you might try it if you have no contraindications otherwise to this drug.