6 replies to this topic

[crtclms]

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, but since I am asking about the effect of an AC, it seemed this would be the right place.

My neurologist actually had a good idea, and noticed that I hadn't been on gabapentin for a decade. Gabapentin definitely worked for a while, but began to poop out. Still, I think it worked for about two years.

Anyway, I am supposed to titrate up to 1800mg with a rise of 300mg every 3 days, if I could tolerate that. I actually am stalling a raise because I think I need another day or two to "master" the side effects from the higher dose, I am *really* sedated. I remember that will pass.

But the interesting thing is, as soon as I started on it, my head started getting better. At 300 mg! It has improved with every rise. Right now, my last rise was 3 days ago to 1200mg, and I hadn't had a migraine for 5 days until today. But even then, I took an imitrex (and a nap), and am totally fine, as if nothing had happened.

Could 1200mg of gabapentin be therapeutic for migraine? My neuro said if I noticed a big improvement at a lower dose, I should stop there for a while, so I am going to do that. But I realized I have *no* idea what is considered a typical dose for treating migraine (or seizures for that matter).

Anyone?

Edited by crtclms, 16 October 2011 - 01:06 AM.

[SashaSue]

It's been a while since I was checking this out, and I'm too overdone right now to look anything up, so this might be totally, completely, out of date. That said, I don't think neurontin is used for migraine enough for a therapeutic dosage to be very well established. So, I'd definitely stop at the lowest effective dosage. Even if you end up needing to increase, that will give you a significantly slower titration, and should make side effects easier to manage.

I'm SO glad you've found something that's working well, at least for now. For whatever reason I've been having more migraines the last few months than I have in years. They are so the devil's work.

FWIW, I've done neurontin three times, and each time, the side effects got so, so, so, much better with time. So the sedation should be temporary.

[crtclms]

Thanks, Sasha. This is the second time I have used it, and I remember it worked well. I don't know why we didn't think of it before.

[Anna]

Yeah, I think therapeutic dose varies, so stop when the migranes stop. I take 1800 mg of neurontin for anxiety and depression and to boost my depakote, and I get no side effects from it really. I like that med. I hope it continues to work for some time..... maybe if it poops out you could switch to that neurontin like newer med, which I am forgetting the name of right now (sorry)? Oh, lyrica, that's it. Maybe that might work as well? You might end up being able to switch between the two of them, some people can do that type of junk. Not sure if lyrica is ever even used for migranes, so maybe I am talking out my ass, but it is very neurontin LIKE. Eh. Just a thought...


Anna

[crtclms]

Thanks, Anna, I don't know if Lyrica is used either. I have been doing well, but I am super sedated still. I can get up and do whatever I need to, but I can sleep 12 hours a day if it is possible. I am staying at this dose for a while.

[InsaneDo]

I absolutely hate having to ramp up my dosage regimine with gabapentin. It takes me literally 2-3 months to be able to tolerate a high enough dosage that will even give me the positive benefits for my neuropathy that I desperately need. Gabapentin dosing is very tricky for everyone, so do not stress.

[crtclms]

Thanks InsaneDo, I had to stop neurontin because of rapid weight gain. Which was a bummer, because the previous time it didn't affect my weight at all, and it was a period of my life when I was actually a reasonable weight, so I would have noticed. I hate how meds can change on you like that.

I am not using this, but my neurologist (actually, I think she is an anesthesiologist, officially) said Lyrica was something some people used. I had not heard that before, so I thought I would add it to this post.