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Author Topic: Off Amitriptyline and on gabapentin - advice please  (Read 3985 times)

Annie0710

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Off Amitriptyline and on gabapentin - advice please
« on: November 03, 2018, 11:16:45 PM »

Hi I really need advice on my nerve blocking meds

I have nerve pain in my lower back caused by either a disc or facet joint dysfunction.

I refused injections in the spine because I've not been x rayed for the diagnosis so opted for Amitriptyline which I have tolerated really well and got my life back.  But due to severe dry eye problems gp phoned me and has replaced Amitriptyline with Gabapentin.

But I'm too scared to take them!! Back pain has now reappeared and I need to make a decision,  my reasons for not starting them are:

Dry mouth side effects - I already suffer from this and can't cope with it getting worse

Dose is 3 times daily - I'm rubbish at regular meds like this, I ideally want a once a day med

They'll cause drowsiness- I drive , I work and I have a life, if I take 3 times daily how on earth will I function? At least with Amitriptyline it was once daily and I used them at night as sedative for a good sleep

There's more reasons I know but I can't think right now, I've never been so nervous about starting something like I am right now

I'm wondering whether to try once daily but then I'd only be taking 1/3 of the lowest starter dose

Does anyone have good feedback of Gabapentin ? My search on here didn't look as though many got on with it X
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Annie0710

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Re: Off Amitriptyline and on gabapentin - advice please
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2018, 06:48:35 PM »

Thanks Hasty for replying

Have you had any side effects ? I don't normally read the list but searched on here which then prompted me to google !

He said he'd start me on a low dose so I have 100mg 3x day.  I might use my amitriptyline until I don't have work the next day (next Sunday) and try 1x100mg daily then x
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Annie0710

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Re: Off Amitriptyline and on gabapentin - advice please
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2018, 06:05:15 PM »

Lol I can imagine hubby's would love the increased size

Have you gained weight on them ? X
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Annie0710

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Re: Off Amitriptyline and on gabapentin - advice please
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2018, 06:03:30 PM »

I'm really hoping 300daily will be enough.   I have really liked amitriptyline and gutted I can't have it any more :-( x
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Annie0710

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Re: Off Amitriptyline and on gabapentin - advice please
« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2018, 06:33:01 PM »

Hasty I only took 2 and bailed out, I felt so tired after the lunchtime dose, I can't be like that when I'm working and driving x
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Poppi

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Re: Off Amitriptyline and on gabapentin - advice please
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2018, 10:50:03 PM »

Annie+Hasty,
I have degenerative disc disease and the discs at the  bottom of my spine have all fused together so I can no longer have the injections (which sadly didn't help much)
I'm on 75mg amitrip. which isn't working so well any more and I've tried (GP wanted me to) another older AD which was useless, so back to amitrip (can't remember its name but wasn't gapapentin). Is gabapentin stronger? My back is only going to deteriorate.
Thanks
   Poppi x
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Annie0710

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Re: Off Amitriptyline and on gabapentin - advice please
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2018, 11:17:49 PM »

Poppi is 75mg too high ? I am sure I read the nerve blocking part comes about on 10 and 20mg doses?

I don't think Gabapentin is stronger, just different side effects I think

I play golf and also have an ankle problem, well a defect really and after golf I can hardly walk, the ankle well and truly seized up and without exaggerating, it feels broken.  I ordered a cheap TENS machine from Lloyd's Pharmacy and used it tonight with fantastic results for my ankle, so I will try it on my back when I next play x
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Poppi

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Re: Off Amitriptyline and on gabapentin - advice please
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2018, 11:36:48 PM »

Thanks Annie, I'll stick with amitrip as some days are better than others and just going through a bad patch just now.
 Oh I couldn't play golf 🏌️‍♀️! My core building sitting exercise class is my weekly keep fit 😅
I just remembered I have a kind of TENS band thingy from Boots which I will dig out tomorrow. Thanks for jogging my memory!
  Poppi x
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Poppi

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Re: Off Amitriptyline and on gabapentin - advice please
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2018, 06:03:38 PM »

Annie
Why are you not keen to have the injections? I know of 3 people who have them every 6 months and find them very effective. They did nothing for me as they inject between the joints and I had no joints left (a wonderful new spinal consultant X-ray ‘d my back and didn't know where the previous consultant had put the injections 😢)
Hasty, that link is very interesting thanks
   Poppi x
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Annie0710

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Re: Off Amitriptyline and on gabapentin - advice please
« Reply #9 on: November 16, 2018, 11:42:19 PM »

Hi Poppi

I'm not happy to have injections when they've diagnosed me just on symptoms.  I've not had an X-ray or mri done on my back.  I've had at least 4 episodes of herniated discs diagnosed yet the guy I saw reckons it's a facet joint dysfunction that's inoperable.

Well I started back on Amitryptiline every other night for 2 nights and dry eye is awful again so I guess I'll try Gabapentin once nightly :-(
X
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Poppi

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Re: Off Amitriptyline and on gabapentin - advice please
« Reply #10 on: November 17, 2018, 03:58:23 PM »

Annie, I didn't realise you hadn't had an X-ray at all, can you ask for a referral?
       Poppi x
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Annie0710

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Re: Off Amitriptyline and on gabapentin - advice please
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2018, 07:33:53 AM »

Thanks Hasty and Poppi

I was born with an ankle defect, my pelvis is on a tilt so I can't be sure my spine is perfect, so it makes sense to me that that should be imaged before making decisions on a treatment plan x
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Annie0710

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Re: Off Amitriptyline and on gabapentin - advice please
« Reply #12 on: November 18, 2018, 06:06:07 PM »

Gp referred me to a bit in the physio dept (can't remember the name of it) and the specialist there diagnosed facet joint dysfunction and said it's inoperable and can only give pain relief or steroid injections x
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