since my body started doing it’s own thing I’ve put on 2 stone. Think the gabapentin may have had something to do with this as well as the lack of energy to do anything.either hurts too much to move or I’m too tired.
The gabapentin has taken away some of the pain, but since increasing the dose my weight has increased, I’m muddled, very tired, feel my heart racing from time to time and feel agitated.Soonest appointment i can get to see my doctor is in 2 weeks time.
another drug was mentioned. Can anyone tell me their experiences with these drugs?
hi lynn i started on 3600mg of gabapentin daily about 14 months ago and i reckon i’ve put on a stone.They did help but still had pain so i’ve been on pregabalin for a few months now but not sure if i’ve gained anymore weight on them as it’s down to 600mg a day.I certainly didn’t notice any side affects on them but they affect everyone differently so maybe you will get more replies re they side affect part of it…take care barry
I can totally sympathise with you. I’ve put on 2 stone also since starting on my drugs, as well as the lack of exercise, like yourself.
I take Pregabalin, which is very similar to Gabapentin. I did try Gabapentin, but it made my walking more difficult, so I was switched to the Pregabalin.
The Pregabalin does make me tired & a bit ‘dopey’, but without it I wouldn’t cope with the pain. Because of the weight gain I have tried a couple of times to come off it, but I never get as far as even one day without it because of the neuropathic pain. At least it shows that it is doing its job!
Weight gain is so demoralising 'though isn’t it? If anyone has suggestions to help with this, I would be interested too Lynn.
Take care & keep your chin up. So many of us understand exactly how you feel.
Weight gain is a horribly unwelcome side effect of some of our meds and the fact that we just aren’t very active any more
I’ve never been on gabapentin, but I’ve seen a lot of posts on here linking it with weight gain. I haven’t seen so many posts about pregabalin, and I haven’t put any weight on while I’ve been on it, but it may well have the same effect as it has a similar action to gabapentin.
I had side effects for the first 3-4 weeks with pregabalin, but it was worth persevering - it’s been really effective for me.
I know it must sound crazy, but one of the best things for MS fatigue is exercise. Obviously not when you are really bad, but when you aren’t, it could really help with your fatigue and with your weight. If you are having mobility problems - the MSS and the MS Trust both do exercise DVDs that account for that. I’ve started using a local gym with some friends from the local MSS branch and it’s making a big difference to me already.
hi there, i have recently lost 2 stone, just by eating smaller portions more often. i still have another 2 stone to loose. it might help you, it might not, but it’s got to be worth a try. hope this helps, love Bex xx
Hi, Thanks for the replies. All in all I’ve had a tough week. My friend who on occasions when I’ve asked if I look drunk (when I’ve been wobbly and having difficulty in finding words when talking)finally told me I did even though all along they’ve said I didn’t and it probably felt more exagerated to me. Been to the pub last night and another helpful person said to me to diet. Did they not think that I already knew I was overweight. Feeling fat, stupid and not looking forward to work today. Work in a shop and I have found that I’ve really noticed a difference in the way people treat me at this size compared to when I was a size 10
I had to cut back my portions and keep exercising (I did a sitting down pilates class and swam as often as I could to replace my old exercise of walking everywhere), I couldn’t bear putting on weight as well. I’ve been eating really healthily and am now less than I was in the first place, something good has come from the MS after all!