Gabapentin For Lumbar Discs, Nerve Pain?
May 10, 2016
for nerve pain in lower back/hip and leg. MRI in a few days. Known herniated lumbar discs, nerve pain new for past 6 weeks.
I cannot take morphine or derivatives due to it making me feel like I can't breathe so the anti epilepsy drugs are next try.
Dr gave me 300mg capsules but having taken one today I have asked to be given 100mg capsules and I will increase very very slowly. The side effects with one 300mg capsule was spectacular and I could not cope with this again let alone increasing the dose but can only hope that starting very low and only increasing very slowly I can tolerate
My question is, is it possible that just one 300mg tablet taken for the first time give pain relief as I am sure it did with me. Now its wearing off the pain is worse. My Dr said that it takes up to 2 weeks for pain relief.
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I have been taking Fluoxetine (Prozac) for nearly 7 years and will shortly be taking Gabapentin capsules (opened cos i cannot swallow capsules) for 2 weeks at 300 mg (once a day), then 2 weeks at 600mg (twice a day) and then 900 mg (3 times a day). My nervous system is shot meaning that my body produces too many chemicals making the slightest nerve pain excruciating. Also have a trapped nerve in my foot which means exercise is limited. Is it best to start taking these in the morning? By week 5 i will be taking them 3 times a day. Is it advisable to take them at roughly the same time of day?
I don't work fortunately so if i get any bad reactions i can deal with them at home.
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I noticed in some other threads that some people have nerve pain and are taking gabapentin. I have nerve pain around my vulva and vaginal opening. I have been given gabapentin. I presume it is some sort of post herpetic neuropathy....
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Does taking this drug actually help cure your nerve disease, or is it strictly for pain relief?
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I too have been taking Gabapentin for Femoral nerve damage for about 2 weeks...300mg/3times a day. I went out of town recently and skipped a couple doses by accident. When I realized it I took my next dose. For two days I experienced nausea, terrible anxiety attacks, and now my pain is worse.
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I am a 41 year old girl with Chiari Malformation and Back Pain and I have Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (not really related to my question issue here). For quite awhile I have had back pain (upper/cervical) and lower. I tried to tell the doctors but they always told me it was nothing. Then it got severe one day. I don't know how to explain it but it felt like something happened in my lower back area. The pain was in my back and leg (left side) and it was not in my butt at all. Some days the pain in my leg felt like a stake was being driven in it. Otherwise most of the time it was just plain pain (don't know how to explain it - it was 2 types of pain). Well I finally called my doctor and I had an appt and he got me a couple of MRI's and said that I had a herniated disc and that a chunk broke off of it (he gave me copies of my reports as well)and the chunk was lying elsewhere. Well to make a long story short, he sent me to an Ortho Neuro who ended up doing a surgery...he was like you can do PT (which would mean I still had to live with it), Live with it or surgery. I didn't want to live with it. Well, it took awhile but after so many months/weeks I ended up having PT after the surgery.
Well during PT my pain went from being bad to worse! I cried during PT and after my sessions. I had a couple of weeks here and there I had it put off because of my neuro appts out of state, but it was not long periods of time. Anyway, my PT told me I needed to stop my PT sessions and contact my doctor because they could tell that I was having a ton of pain and I was not getting better - only worse. I did let my ortho know and waiting on my appt I let them know that on some days the pain would spread (it was kind of like radiating) to my right side. Apparently they assumed I meant it was on the right side. During my appt after my MRI, he kept saying the right side - that my results showed nothing about the right side and he left it go at that. I kept trying to say it was on the left but spread to the right (radiated on some days). He did not listen to me. I let him know that my leg was weak and I kept falling. Still didn't listen. My appt was directly after my MRI so he read it and didn't have the radiologist results. I was so devastated as I had no idea what was going on. I decided to obtain my results and after I did I had an appt coincidently with my regular doctor and I told him about my appt and showed him my results. He seemed concerned and told me that I needed to contact the ortho and ask them to explain my results and go over them with me. He said I had a right to have them explained to me. He didn't because he was not the one who ordered them and it is not his area anyway.
I did again and they said that the results got misfiled/lost in a folder somewhere. They called me back a week later and set an appt up. I explained to them again that it was my left and it had just radiated to my right. It has always been my left said. I explained I was falling and my leg is now like a noodle and it is scaring me. I am so afraid I will not be able to walk one day. I am afraid to go anywhere by myself due to the risk of falling, as I have fallen stepping out of the car and just walking about a few feet or so. My leg just gives out on me. The pain is excruciating as well. Well I went to my appt and they cancelled it on me and I am scheduled this week. As usual I am sure they will say there is nothing on there (as they have before - every doctor is different it seems telling me what could be). Well, one thing my regular doctor was concerned about was other than my disc is herniated again, is that it has something on there he does not know what it is supposed to be is that it says: enhancement noted in the left erector spinae musculature. That is the concern. Anyone ever see this before or know what it could be?
The last thing is that again my disc is herniated and compressing the sciatic nerve. The rest is not concerning as it is normal they said: Enhancement in the surgical bed as well as along the left side of the thecal sac and encasing left S1 and S2 Nerve Roots. Although it has been 9 or 10 months since my surgery on my lumbar area, they said that is normal to have.
I am really worried about the pain and the falling - the fact that my leg is like a noodle and only getting worse. I am so off balance and more. I have a ton of symptoms but they say the other stuff is neurological and related to my P.O.T.S. I have been more nauseated and throwing up more than ever (although it is not causing me to lose weight, because I don't walk as much because of the problem with walking and the pain from exercise (as found out in PT). I assume the nausea and vomiting is from the extreme pain. I am so tired of being ignored by the doctors. I don't think my regular doctor would tell me I need to go back to the ortho if he didn't think something was wrong too. I feel like crap and I just want to feel better. I may never get better from the P.O.T.S. or the Chiari/Cervical pain, but there is hope that someone can fix my back problems. My walking is important to me because I love to take walks with my family and I love walking in the snow, etc. I want to be able to do more things. I can't go see the specialist (for my neuro stuff) until I get this taken care of, as they are out of state.
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Nine months ago I hurt my back with an improper lift. Unlike several other back sprains, this one won't go away. Low back pain, and bilateral sciatica. Mostly dull pain, but shooting pain down legs when I bend backwards, or step into a hole that jars my back. Doctors have to play by the insurance company rules, so they treat with meds, then Phys Therapy, then guessing, and before you know it you have been hurting for 9 months. So I had an MRI that revealed a herniated disc with central canal stenosis and 2 other bulging discs.
How does one choose the method of treatment, or the type of medical pro. If you go to a surgeon, he wants to cut, to a chiro, he wants to crack and twist, you get the point. I'm being stoic about the pain, because I am concerned about side effects and drug dependency, but it's time to get this fixed and get on with my life. I would like to think that the body is equipped to heal itself. But, maybe not.
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My son had an LP done in Sept. He walked into the hospital fine and ever since then has been in extreme pain and has limited mobility. They can't find anything medically wrong with him.
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I have sever back pain and haven't been able to work since August. I am unable to stand, sit or walk for long periods of time. It hurts to sneeze, cough, bend or pick anything up. The pain is constant, stabbing at times and it feels like I have a rock in my spine. They have done facet and epidural injections. I take an anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxer and Norco (3 times a day). They tried to put me on Neurontin but it made me too sick. I have had every test done imaginable and basically what I have is degenerative disk disease with mild broad-base bulge. Bilateral facet arthropathy and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy. Indentation of the thecal sac in L4-L5. L5-S1 bilateral arthropathy. L3-L4 bilateral ligamentum flavum hypertrophy and a left nerve sleeve cyst (synovial cyst).
My surgeon wants to do a foraminotomy because I have radiculopathy on L4-L5 and then do a spinal cord stimulator for the pain. He isn't worried about the cyst...said it isn't the reason for my sever back pain. From what I have been reading, all of my symptoms sound like its the cyst causing at least some of the pain. Am I wrong to second guess his opinion? I just don't want to have these surgeries done and then later down the road turn around and have to have the cyst removed.
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Can someone tell me from their experience what the usual differences are between pain feeling when you have lumbar disc issues & pain feeling when you have lumbar facet pain?
Are there any significant markers at all? I have looked on web in detail and i just keep finding contrasting information.
Have lumbar problems but no one seems to be able to work out if pain is from disc issues or facets.
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I've been suffering with pains in my hips, causing problems with walking and standing. On a bad day the stairs are difficult to climb. This has been going on for about a year now. In the last 6 months or so I have developed a sciatic like pain, only happening when standing up and walking to far. The last few days it's been getting worse and I now have pins and needles in my legs and feet. Sometimes both legs but mostly my left. The sciatic pain is only ever in the left side of my buttock. When I try to stand, I am simply unable to put any weight onto my left leg for a while. I'm 31 years old and a mother to 4 plus work. The doctors keep brushing me off because of my age but I'm sure what I am experiencing isn't right.
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Does anyone that has back problems have sharp nerve pain in their groin private area? I have had back problems for years and sometimes would get a sharp pain up my vagina. After a bad muscle strain in my back and using the elliptical machine I've had twitching and burning all over but also in my private area. Like around my **** it will twitch or vibrate, and then I will get the sharp shooting pain up my vagina and around my butt. I notice it more if I bend over that's why I thought it might be my back. I remember when the stabbing pain started I thought it was a female problem and my OBGYN said everything looked normal with my cervix and my paps have always been normal so she didn't know. She seems clueless.
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My 50 year old husband has been a Type 1 diabetic since he was 21. It was a late presenting of juvenile diabetes or so they said then. He has always done well managing his diabetes, wearing a pump for the past 15 or so years. In the past week or so, he has begun to have severe pain/tingling in his feet/ankles - mainly at night when he is trying to go to sleep. He usually has to get up and walk several times before he can finally sleep - he is only getting about four hours of sleep per night. He has an appointment with his dr - but not until the week after New Years.
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i can't cope anymore with the pain! All my nerves hurt neck scapula biceps pain all the way down arm forearm aching hand aching does anyone else have the forearm hand aching pain.
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I have had diabetes for several years now. I have nerve pain in my feet that is usually not too bad and comes and goes. Lately, my left ankle feels like there is a hair being dragged across causing a tickling feeling. Tonight, my right ankle has this sharp stabbing pain in it that has almost caused me to fall while walking. I have medicine for the nerve pain but don't like the side effects so I quit taking it. Could the stuff going on with my ankles be due to diabetes?
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I had DeNovo surgery on my ankle 4 months ago - lesion was 11 x 13. Surgery went well. I was NWB for 6 weeks, then in boot for 4-6 more weeks with PWB. Started PT at 10 weeks and was out of boot at 12 weeks. No problem with recovery or PT until that point. After I was fully weight bearing I had much more pain. On sides and bottom of foot as well as at surgery site. Still have lots of pain and sensitivity if I walk barefoot. PT was successful as far as ROM and strengthening but he doesn't want to push me any further because of pain.
OS says too early to say it did or didn't work, but I think it didn't and he won't do MRI until 6 months. He'll give me pain meds, but I don't like them and don't react well to them. The foot pain is bad! Could it be nerve pain?
I knew this was a long recovery, but I wasn't prepared for this! I ran for 30 years, which could have contributed to this problem, but now I'm wondering if I will ever walk pain-free again?!
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Please help me understand this report:
There is a multilevel loss of t2 hyperintensity within the discs, compatible with disc degeneration.
C3-C-4, there is a small disc osteophyte complex. There is no central or foraminal stenosis.
C4-C5 and C5-C6 there is mild disc bulge
C6-C7, there is a small posterior disc osteophyte complex. There is no cental or foraminal stenosis.
The remainder of the visualized intervertebral disc levels are normal.
The cervical cord is normal in signal intensity and contour on all pulse sequences.
The cerebellar tonsils are low lying extending 5 mm below the plane of the formen magnum. Borderline for chiari 1 malformation. No evidence of cervical syrinx. No evidence of hydrocephalus in the visualized portion of the brain. He used brain MRI to compare for chiari diagnosis.
Impression: cerebellar tonsils extending 5 mm below the plane of the Forman magnum borderline for a chiari 1 malformation. C3-C4 and C6-C7 small posterior disc osteophyte complexes. At C-4-C-5 and C5-C6 mild disc bulges.
What does that loss of t2 hyper intensity mean?
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The Dr told me I need 3 cervical fusions due to 3 bulging disks that are cutting off spinal fluid in my neck, I already had C4 and C5 fused. I deal with the pain constantly and it is getting old. He told me I would have very limited movement with my neck. My questions are, did anyone else on this forum have the same operation and would you do it again. My other concern, what happens if I refuse to go through with it, possible damage to the spinal cord or other complications ?
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Degenerative discs and spondylolisthesis,had injections worked well for 5 days now all back ...
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I have suffered with a 'bad back' since i was 21, i'm now 40 in August, and since october 2014 i have been getting worse and worse and went from taking tramadol, naproxen, co-codamol and nortriptyline as and when i needed to. Now i take in a day.... 1800mg of Gabapentin, 20 mg of Zomorph, 180 mg of dihydrocodeine 35 mg of Amitriptyline at bedtime 1000mg of naproxen. I also have an underactive thyroid so take 200mcg thyroxine and for my depression and anxiety i take 150mg of venlafaxine.
With all this i still feel pain, but also a little dopey, i'm currently on the sick from work and am worried about how I'm going to pay my bills - i have been to my psychiatrist and she gave diazepam to take when i feel anxious...... love sweets, me!!!! I needed help and advice.... with all that medication i should be floored, never mind the fact I'm still in pain. I had an X-Ray in Nocv 14 this showed osteoarthritis and then an MRI scan this showed a bulging disc on L5/S1 i think it was. I have been referred to the orthopaedic specialists but its all just a waiting game but all this time i still have all my bills to pay and this leads to horrendous bouts of depression.
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I have recently been diagnosed with EBV. I didn't present with the "normal" symptoms. I first experienced joint pain, then muscle pain, followed by extreme fatigue and muscle weakness. That lasted for about a month, then I developed sharp electric pains in my nerves and associated muscle weakness and numbness that comes and goes in my arms and legs. The nerve sensations have lasted for about 2 months. I seem to be healing
As I haven't experienced as many sharp electric pains, just numbness and tingling. I have been to a neurologist and have had an MRI of the head and neck which came back normal. Has anyone ever experienced anything of this sort of nature? I've been experiencing symptoms from EBV for 3 months now.
It's also important to note I was tested for Lyme and other blood work was done. Everything was normal except the ebv (which showed I had either contracted ebv in the last 6 months or it was.
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