The regime I have given you Tina is from my BNF, which stands for British National Formulary, used by doctors, nurses etc.
Mine is out of date but the basics are the same.
Yes, I find it really frustrating too when communication is poor and I’m left confused.
I hope when you do get the dosage sorted, it does work, if only so you can wear some pretty shoes
Hi Tina
I started on 100mg 3 times a day and upped them by 100mg per day till I got to 1200 per day which works well for me and I haven’t put on any weight either. Now I take 400mg 3 times per day. They make Gabapentin in many doses so I am prescribed the 400mg ones now as I only take 1 three times per day.
Hope this helps Tina and good luck with them.
Shazzie x
I think I will do the same, Shazzie - 100mg is a pretty tiny dose, so I can’t see how raising it by that much each day is going to cause any sudden drastic shocks to the system. It seems much better to me than waiting a week, then suddenly doubling it!
I took two last night, with no ill effect, and two again this morning. I will take only one at lunchtime/early evening, and then two again last thing - so I’ll be up to 500 today. Does mean I’ll need to talk to the doctor soonest, though, because I’ll run out very quickly at such a rate! I’m concerned that the pharmacy has not proved very efficient and reliable at getting my meds when I need them AND that Christmas is looming, which means doctor’s AND pharmacy will be closed - so obviously can’t have a situation that could see me running out then.
Tina
x
Honestly Tina. Increasing by 100mg per day has been absolutely fine with me. No side effects at all.
The only thing that made life easier was taking the 1 x 400mg three times per day rather than 4 x 100mg 3 times per day that I was taking. Mind you, I do keep a supply of the 100mg just in case I need to top up but as yet the 1200 has been perfect. Helps with the pain of the hug and really helps with sleep.
It was my son’s birthday yesterday and I had a couple of glasses of wine with our meal and that was absolutely fine too.
Hope this helps Tina x
Yes, the whole idea was that if it’s working out, the GP was going to prescribe me the higher dose (I assume 300mg) tablets, once I got up to the higher doses, so I would not be permanently stuck on nine a day - which is a bit much, when you consider I also take six Baclofen, two Vitamin D, one diazepam, one quinine, and a miscellany of painkillers “as needed”. Crikey, they’ll start replacing meals soon, I’ll be so full up with tablets!
I’ve absolutely no intention of quitting drink over any of it. I read last night that there are no known interactions between Gabapentin and alcohol, so I think the only reason they advise caution at all is that both might make you drowsy, and the cumulative effect could be more than you were expecting from alcohol alone, leaving you more vulnerable to accidents.
But there’s nothing to suggest they combine to form a fatal cocktail, or anything like that. It sounds awful to say, but I think if I was offered a med that was absolutely incompatible with alcohol, I’d refuse. I don’t consider myself alcohol-dependant, but I wouldn’t find it easy to forego, either. Maybe that’s a bit sad, but life’s small pleasures are important to me. I don’t drink to excess, and want to live - as far as possible - like a normal person. Not thinking I can’t have a glass of wine at dinner!
Tina
x
Sorry Tina but this last post of your is appealing to my wicked sense of humour is there a problem here you wish to share?
We all know how to keep a secret…my lips are sealed
I think the traditional response to that one was: “I drink, I get drunk, I fall over. What problem?”
(I haven’t done the falling over yet - due to drink OR MS)
T.
x
LOL Tina. I thought I would mention the wine with Christmas coming soon. When I had a couple of glasses of wine I didn’t notice any increase in dizziness etc. Hehehe.
I also found that the 1200mg made me feel less anxious about things. I know that is it sometimes prescribed for anxiety.
Double whammy eh?
x
Yeah, the doc mentioned that as I am an anxious person, it might quite suit me! Here’s hoping, eh?
Just wish I hadn’t had this stupid faff with the doses, and taking amounts that were too small to work. My dad was always very cautious about medicines - trying to take the minimum possible, even when he was terminally ill, and in great pain. But I used to get so cross with him, because if you are going to medicate at all, you might as well take enough for it to work!
And I feel the same about my own case. Yes, I have a conservative approach to most meds. But that does NOT mean that if I consent to take it, I want to be put on a third of the generally accepted dose! That is bound to lead to disappointment that it didn’t work.
Of course, there’s no guarantee it will work, even at more normal doses, as I’m sceptical it’s nerve pain at all. But I’d so love to get rid of this foot pain. It’s been going on for years - but steadily getting worse. There must be something that helps!
T.
x
P.S. I’m not doing anything for Christmas - I’ll probably be online as usual - just a little tipsier.
That’s what Christmas is all about. It’s ok to be tipsy at Christmas.
I am sure the Gabapentin will help Tina. I was in agony at times with the hug and it is now a numb feeling rather than a painful feeling. 1200 is still a small dose up to the 3600 that some take.
Like I said I sleep better, am less anxious and not in so much pain. All down to Gabapentin so what is the harm in that eh?
Anyway, changing the subject, you don’t have an avatar. Don’t you like them?
Shazzie x
Gotta be honest, no, I’m not really into the avatar thing. Dunno why. Just laziness/indecisiveness, I 'spose. Gotta find one that really takes my fancy (and isn’t copyrighted), trim it to a small enough size (usually), and otherwise fiddle about. I’m sure I have the IT competence to do it, but I’ve never really been so keen on them I’ve felt the urge to bother. Perhaps I’m just not a very visually-oriented person? My primary mode is words, as I’m sure you can tell.
Then again, I’m studying Art History, so I’m not completely oblivious to the visual. I’m finding it does encourage me to be very much more aware of images, patterns, and designs - not just in a historical context, but in day-to-day life. Everything we see has been designed by someone! (Well, OK - a tree hasn’t - although some would say it was designed by The Creator).
Tina
x
Well said Tina.
All the ones that I have chosen have all been the right size. I didn’t have to adjust any of them to fit. Gives me something to do to be honest. Looking through the pics.
I retired through ill health 2 years ago and have started to get bored now. Sad that I have turned to avatar finding to fill my time.
x
My avatars are always the right size too. I have no time for snipping, crimping or whatever it is you do
Forget the avatar Tina, just go on the Christmas link and write a chrissy message…resorting to begging now
Remembering what this thread started about, I offer this:
18 months ago a trainee neuro told me that the maximum dose of Gabapentin was the 2700mg that I was on.
I knew she was wrong, 'cos I had previously looked it up in the BNF and read 3600mg (just like Blossom said).
Today I went back through a few old BNFs, and as far back as 2010 the max was 3600mg.
However, in 2005, it was only half that (1800mg).
Either way, it does make Tina’s 100mg look a little on the wimpy side.
For another view on the matter, look at
http://www.eperc.mcw.edu/EPERC/FastFactsIndex/ff_049.htm
Geoff
Hi Geoff. I am going by what my neuro told me 2 weeks ago and also info gained from having worked with Consultant Psychiatrists who prescribe it.
Shazzie