Hello To All-
I am wondering if anyone has experience with increasing Neurontin dosage by ... a lot in a single day? I've been taking the drug since late June at 600 mg a day. I incresed that to 900 mg about a week ago. Now I am supposed to go to 2700 mg a day - just like that! My doc assures me it is safe since I am taking the drug and over the intiial acclimation phase. I'm feeling a little daunted. Anyone out there who can reassure me? I plan to wait until Saturday when I can be home and stay put if I am whalloped like I expect I might be. My firends and family are terrified and keep telling me all the tricks they plan to play on me thinking I won't know my own name. Sillyness? Right on the mark? Take good care - Suzy-Q
Although I do not take that high of a dose I did double my dose from 600mg to 1200mg. Actually I think it was more trying on my brain when I went from 300mg. to 600mg. I wonder if after 900mg. your body is just used to it. But who knows... My short term memory is so fried right now I might of forgot or wouldn't even know the difference. Good Luck and keep us posted on the side effects and if it gives more relief! I was also told to go up in mg. but I have been avoiding it....so thanks for the great question and I am anxious to see what other people think!
I am on neurontin for pain management (sciatica) and went from 400 mg to 600 mg in one day and didn't notice any difference. I realize this isn't anywhere near what you people are doing but just thought I'd add my 2 cents...
Good luck Suzy and hope you feel better. Maybe we'll get some more posters on this subject.
Thanks for the responses. It sounds hopeful and in line with what the docs tell me - going from 0 300 is a whallop and by now I shouldn't have any trouble. But I'm WAY too experienced to take that without the proverbial dash of salt! I like to talk to my true PEERS about these things. Suzy-Q
Hi Suzy-Q. When I went back to my PM he wrote me a second script for Neurontin. He went to write it for 300mg 2x/day, and I asked why? You already have me on 800mg 2/day (on my first script). He was shocked that I was on that much, and I got the impression that he made a mistake on the original script. I took 1 pill for 5 days, then 2 a day since then. No problems.
So at least going from 0 to 800mg in one day didn't hurt me.
I took 800mgs for 3 months before my surgery. I went up tp 1600 for the continued nerve pain and irritation then a week later my doctor went up to 2400mg. I take mine at night. When I am having a really crappy day I will take half a pill (400mg) with the doctors ok. I am looking at 6-12 months of healing and don't want to take that high a dose for that long but right now there is no sleep without it. He asked if 800mg made me sleepy and I just laughed and said hardly-I was having to take it with an Ambien to get to sleep! I still take one now and then! When he upped me to 2400 I slept 7 hours straight that night-1st time since the surgery on July 19th!!!!Hope this helped!
Blessings,
Michelle
Hi Suzy-Q,
I'm so sorry that you need to up the dose, I started on 1500 mg when I came home from hospital, that s a high starting dose and I didnt really feel too bad. Then went to 1800 then 2400. I really dont' think it will be that bad although it does depend on the person. Have you tolerated the drug pretty good do far? If so then you should be ok. I'm not gonna be home to see your response, we are going to PA to visit family, I'm dreading the drive, 3 hrs. but after that I will with my cousin & best friend in the world till monday evening. I haven't seen her in over a year, so this will be well worth the trip.
I hope you all have a safe, pain free weekend.
God Bless
Carol
__________________
"Thru every dark corner is a door to a new light"
(Dana Reeve)
Now you are worrying ME. I don't remember the details, but I was put on gabapentin because of "shaky leg syndrome". Only they didn't have a fancy name then. This was late 90s I think. The neurologist put me on 900mg a day, and I stayed there for over a year. Then I quit one day, and never went back to the neurologist.
Later..in 2005 another neurologist put me on gabapentin again...900mg a day.
I took it for a long time, until I thought I didn't need it, so I quit it again.
I am not sure what the side effects are and they would deny it anyway because they always told me I could take up to 2700 mg a day. But it makes me wonder. How about you?
Hello To All -
I have spoken to my GP's ofc (Rxing surgeon is away-of course). They called me back to say it is routinely done and safe to increase the dose but that I might want to wait until I could be home and safe for a few days in case I do feel drowsy. I am to go from 900 mg a day to 900 mg 3 times a day - tomorrow. I think I have done well on this drug so far so I am hopeful it will make a big difference. Actually, despite a reaction to the steriod in an epi injection this week, I am already in much less pain just from the oxy increase and the neurontin increase from 600 mg to 900 mg. Boy, it changes everything to be free of pain for even part of the day.
Hey Carol, here's hoping you had a fantastic holiday with your family and friends. I'm sure a 3 hr ride is still an ordeal. I drove into town alone today for the first time (I was up and doing for 10 hours- a total first) and couldn't have imagined such a thing just a week ago. I took rests but I wasn't able to lie down and my PT beat me up so I might pay for it tomorrow. Then again, on 2700 mg of Neurontin for the first time - I might not care or remember it, either!
Dllfo - Hi, I am no pharmacist but my Neurontin Rx bottles are covered with warnings that say this drug must be titered down and never to just stop taking it suddenly or skip doses. I'm sure my doc warned me that a sudden stop could cause seizures. That is mostly why I have been so worried about increasing this med. But going up and going down are, apparently, not the same thing. That's what I know.
Thanks to all for the helpful input. I'm still out on FMLA and have no plans for the weekend except to try to adjust to this med. Maybe it will all go smoothly. That doesn't happen to me very often these days but we'll see. Take good care - Suzy-Q
Suzy-Q,
Interesting about the seizures, I am looking at my last prescription and it does
NOT mention that, only dizziness.
As I have said before, I quit, I forget how many...6 or 7 SSRIs cold. I don't remember anyone warning me of any problems, maybe I missed it...and the neurontin too. The only drug I have not just "quit" is morphine. I know better than to do it. No label necessary. I did not quit all those drugs in one day to "prove a point" or to be macho or anything. I was fed up with how they made me feel, so I quit. I made have had side effects, but I don't remember any.
I did not realize some drugs fall under multiple ...uh....disciplines? Amitripaline and Neurontin are that way...I think.
The real bottom line for all of us is forums like this. I am learning. No one in their right mind quits these drugs if they were warned about the consequences. That is part of why I am reading as much as I can about them. Thanks for the info..I may have dodged a bullet when I took them for over a year and quit. But the dosage was only 900mg a day. THAT might be why I didn't have a seizure.
When I was first put on Neurontin, it was 100mg 3 times/day for 4 days, then 200mg 3x/day for 4 days and then 300mg 3x/day. Now I'm staying at 300mg 3 times/day=900mg/day. This is for RSD. I'm still not thinking it's enough.
Hello -
Well, I made the leap and started taking 2700 mg a day yesterday. I sure do feel it - both in a good way because my pain is almost gone - and in the bad way with some nausea and heavy eyelids. But I think I will survive. I've been nearly pain free for 4 days and I'd almost forgotten what it is like - Wonderful. Now, if it will only last, eh? Thanks for the support and the replies. Best of luck - Suzy-Q
Hi Suzy-Q,
I am back home from the trip, did ok, pain was no worse/no better, just there. I guess thats a good thing. I do hope your increase is working still. I do remember when my dose was upped. It was a blessing to feel the improvement.
I just wanted to check and see if it's going well.
Good Luck
God Bless
Carol
__________________
"Thru every dark corner is a door to a new light"
(Dana Reeve)
Hey Carol - Welcome Home!
I sure hope the trip was a hoot and a holler. I'll bet it was grand to get away and do something that 'normal' people think nothing about doing, eh?
Well, I do wish I could report good news but I am not doing so well. I'll get bumped if I say too much but I am in the throws of some awful med reaction - we think. I 've had a lot of things going on in the last few weeks - a new med started, Neurontin and Oxy increased and an epidural injection. To be brief, I had what I now know is a very rare but know and believed to be unimportant reaction to the steroid. From there I went into the Neurontin increase with the expected icky wooziness (but it didn't alarm me at all) and was doing OK with that until my heart started going kerflub...dah...dee...dub,dub,dub starting yesterday. So far, I have had an EKG and tomorrow I will have a Holter Monitor put on for 24 hours. The arrythmea isn't a bad type but it is excessive and it won't quit. I'm having a real struggle to get the docs to agree on which med()s is the likely culprit. And, of course, my surgeon has been away as anyone could have predicted. No one thinks I should panic and I'm not. But no one seems to be able to give me any answers, either.
So, Carol, I am perplexed and a bit downcast. I had 4 wonderful days and I want more. I feel I am so close to turning the corner. I move better. My gait and my tolerance are so greatly improved. And now this - flattened by a kerblubbety heart! And I'm sort of just taking my GP's word for it that though they haven't a clue how to make this stop they are sure I don't need to go to the ER! This may sound ridiculous but I am actually loosing interest. My friend called today and was outraged at what she thinks is a clear case of BAD medicine. She tried to galvanize me to defy my HMO and just go to the ER and I really just felt I'd rather kerflubetty-dub along on the couch watching the DIY Network. And that is a measure of how tiring it is when your heart doesn't beat right - you don't get the oxygen you need, right.
But that is just how I'm doing tonight. Perhaps, I'll feel better in the morning. I'm glad you're home safe and sound and I'll bet you're sorry for asking! So good to chat with you - as always - Suzy-Q
Good Luck and keep us posted on the side effects and if it gives more relief! I was also told to go up in mg. but I have been avoiding it....so thanks for the great question and I am anxious to see what other people think!
