What other pain relief can i get? I’m on gabapentin, plus i take prescribed cocodamol but the pain in my legs and hands are agony and I’m getting no relief with these drugs. Any ideas people??
Hi Vinnygirl,
It depends what’s causing the pain. If it’s definitely nerve pain, there are other drugs than gabapentin, but also, unless already on the max, you might not have found the right dose yet.
I’m not suggesting you experiment yourself - unless you’ve been given permission to do so (with some of my meds, I’ve had the all clear to “play around”, as needed) - you need to go back to the doc and explain they’re not working.
Many people with MS are also on a low dose of amitriptyline - a drug more commonly used as an anti-depressant, BUT it can also treat nerve pain.
There is also an older drug called pregabalin, which is similar to gabapentin. In theory, if one didn’t help you much, the other probably wouldn’t either, yet some people find a switch to a different but related drug does make a difference.
If your pain is caused by spasticity (muscle tightness) then addressing that may be more effective than painkillers alone. I have found Baclofen has reduced pain, even though it’s not a painkiller - it works to relax the muscles. But whether it would do anything for you depends on whether that is the cause of the problem.
You really need to press for a review with doctor, MS nurse, or whoever, to explain the present regime isn’t working, and see what they suggest.
Tina
Interesting you should have this thread going, I have been trying to look up whether I can take amytryptilline and gabapentin together. I take amytryptilline at night to help me sleep, but I am in a lot of nerve pain at the moment, and could do with taking gabapentin to get me through the day. Am I able to take both? Sorry for impinging on your thread vinnygirl. J x
Yes. I take both.
Thanks for that, didn’t want to end up comatose lol J x
I take Pregabalin during the day and Amitrptalyne at night, plus a sleeping pill if I really need to, My pregabalin is quite a low dose so have upped it to 3 times daily myself. Although i can’t say it completely releives pain, i do nitice when it wears off or if i forget to take it so I geuss it must be doing something.
I cant take anti depressants because Im bipolar, so Im limited but I do find a dose of Tramadol every day really helps, and it stops my night time twitching too.
Thanks, think a trip to the GP is needed. My fingers and thumbs are so flippin painful, i don’t know where to put them for comfort at night! My legs are much the same but the gabapentin has helped with the burning and ‘ant bite’s’ that I suffered from in my feet. Aaah well, keep going, keep smiling!! X
Tramadol is really good. I’m also on pregabalin but don’t find it hugely beneficial. Amitriptyline was really effective for short burst but I found my body became too used to it too quickly and it lost it’s effect which meant I had to up it regularly. They put me on gabapentin to replace amitriptyline but I may ask to try them both together and see how I get on as my wally of a neuro had taken me off Tramadol as he wrongly believes they are causing my migraines. All he had to do was open his ears and shut his mouth for a moment and he would have discovered what causes my migraines, but that was clearly too much to expect from the arrogant swine! Lol Hope you find something that works for you soon. Autumn x
Autumn, you made me chuckle about your neurologist. I had a crap one 1st, then i had enough of him not listening, with me feeling like I’d get more information from a brick wall so i went to a different one in a different NHS trust. I’m so glad i did, he was mortified by how I’d been treated. Now, finally, I’m getting somewhere but that feeling of complete helplessness because of that 1st idiot really made me lose trust in the medical profession for a long time. Wasn’t happy with how he played Russian roulette with my health! X
Vinnygirl, all of this can be really depressing and make life so difficult but the one thing I try to hold onto is a vague sense of humour. Without turning our experiences into a bit of a joke, it would be even harder to face. My neuro is a prat! I may not be qualified in the same areas as him but I’m not a moron and to be treated like one is highly insulting! I normally believe in giving people second chances but he cooked his goose with me at our first meeting and when I eventually manage to see my GP at the end of May (yes, ridiculous isn’t it?! Lol) I fully intend to ask for an appointment with someone slightly less obnoxious and ignorant! To be fair, it won’t be difficult to find one who fulfills those criteria as he had to be the most ignorant man I’ve ever met aside from my delightful soon to be ex husband who is a corker in the ignorant stakes! Lol My dress was pretty though and it was a fab day out so no regrets!