Lidocaine and Gabapentin

pooby

I can only tell you about gabapentin. It gives relief for nerve pain not back pain. Another words it helps with leg pain. Side effects diminish over the first few weeks of use. The main side effects are dizziness, tiredness and weight gain.

The drug is only effective when you reach the proper dosage but then it can truly be fantastic in relieving nerve pain. Narcotics are known to be ineffective in controlling nerve pain so the anticonvulsive drugs do a much better job.

__________________
Pooby Gal

ms_west

Hi there and welcome.

I have noticed with the lidocaine patches is to cut one patch in 3 long strips kinda of like a piece/stick of gum. If you are trying to relieve the nerve pain, lay the patch out, skip a space, lay the next patch, skip a space, and lay the final strip. Try to following the shooting path of the nerve pain if you have it. It works better for me cutting the patch into strips versus using the large square/patch in one area.

Another thing I have found to help is ice. By yourself a good ice pack and lay it on the leg or buttock area.

Lastly, you can buy biofreeze = it is a gel like soothing gel like an icy hot. Chiropractors tend to use it or it can be purchased online. What I like about it is that it does not smell to bad like ben gay and it is not greasy or messy.

Unfortunately, I am deathly allergic to neurotin and many of the nerve medications and many people receive alot of relief from them. In the end, I would not worry about weight so much but just finding relief. Hide the cookies and buy a ton of popcorn or celery to munch on all day long.

Nerve pain is the pits and I pray that you find some relief soon.

brendaks1

magpie1970,

I have been taking gabapentin 900 mg per day (300 mg x 3 times per day) for several months, and I have actually lost about 10 pounds during this time. I make an effort to make sure I walk and do other mild exercises every day, and make sure I eat lots of fruits and vegetables.

I also was concerned about the side effect of weight gain and almost didn't take it because of that. I am really glad I decided to take it, though, because it truly gives good relief of nerve pain. It's funny because it seems like it changes the sensation of the pain, taking off the sharp edge of the pain and turning it into more of a dull sensation which is more tolerable. I can still feel all of the pins and needles down my leg, but the pain is not as bothersome.

Also, the dose you mentioned is very low and it's unlikely you will experience major side effects from it. If you do have any bothersome side effects, it would be easy to discontinue the drug (under your doctor's supervision).

pinenuts

I would suggest, too, that if you mainly have back pain, as opposed to a "sciatic" type pain, there usually isn't much point in taking gabapentin. Also, it does seem to cause weight gain in most people.

pooby

My doctor a renowned pain specialist put the weight gain issue to me in this way.

1. Some people do not gain weight.

2. Some people eat larger quantities of food and gain weight.

3. A large group that does not take in any more calories but despite that gain weight.


He told me you fall into the third category and we really don't understand how it occurs but it does. I take 2100 mg per day and have been on gabapentin for 3 years. Lower dosages did not give me relief but the upper dosage worked wonderfully.

I did take Lyrica for a time and gained weight but I sure knew why. I was ravenous nearly all the time and I craved sweets as well.

I gained 20 lb on Gabapentin which after a year I just started to lose for no reason. I actually got scared thinking that perhaps something serious was going on. Then they decided to put me on Lyrica and Topamax and of course and the 20 went right back on. Topamax helped me to lose some weight but it didn't help my pain level.

I now take gabapentin alone and am hoping that sometime down the road the weight just starts to come off again of it's own accord. It gives me the best pain control and another benefit is it helps control hot flashes.

I am unable to walk very far and have a lot of arthritis that curtails my exercising so it is difficult to lose the weight. I would take Topamax again as it certainly does help with weight loss but it makes me jittery with heart palpitations so I think I will just pass on that one.....lol

__________________
Pooby Gal

janiee08

Funny, I just came back from my PM appt. and was put on the Gaba. I had been on it a while back with my old PM, but it didn't work. My new PM doc said that it has to be increased slowly, and one usually doesn't find relief until you reach the higher doses as others have reported here. In fact she said the highest dose is somewhere near 3-4000? I think. Anyways, I also asked her about weight gain, and she said it can cause weight gain because it increases appetite, and "that's something you can control". (Easier said than done, LOL. Also, she said that it doesn't cause as much weight gain as Lyrica( been on that and gained alot of weight). So, I will get started with it as well, as my feet are just killing me--Hope you and I both find relief with this med.--janiee

pooby

My doc is an expert in the field and if he says you can gain weight without diet change believe me you can. I know because it happened to me and to many others as well.

You can gain weight rapidly on gabapentin with no increase in caloric intake. Your physician is just assuming that isn't the case but it is. Obviously something changes the metabolic rate in some patients but not all.

Medicine has a long way to go to have all the answers.

__________________
Pooby Gal