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Gabapentin question

M

MountainMama

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 1, 2018
Messages
2,593
I have had some flare ups with my atypical facial pain more and more recently. They are almost always in the same tooth, my upper first molar on the right. That tooth has an old filling and when the flare up hits, I am convinced the tooth is cracked or the filling is bad.
Then the pain goes away a few days later. I have seen a neurologist in the city I now live in and they prescribed gabapentin, but said I could take it as needed instead of daily since it works quickly.
Has anyone else taken gabapentin on an as-needed basis? I don’t like the idea of taking medication but it does seem to help when the flare up occurs. It just makes me spacey feeling, which I don’t like. Is that normal?
 
Bit out of my pay grade, hang on and I'll ask my tame anaesthetist...
 
@MountainMama Sorry to but in, I take gabapentin on a daily basis but it's never made me feel spacey, is it possible you could be on a too high dosage?
 
From my tame anaesthetist:
Chronic pain patients take gabapentin regularly as their pain never goes away.
For something like this that comes as a bit of a flair-up, it makes perfect sense to take just as needed. It absolutely makes people feel a bit weird — to the extent that they just can’t tolerate it. Other options are available, though, if they feel the side-effects are too severe. But they can be just as poorly tolerated."

HTH
 
@MountainMama. Hey mountainmama sorry to hear you are having these issues 😣 I am in a very similar situation and have been prescribed noritrptaline for my teeth and neuralgia pain but I am so scared to take them, but my pain is getting to a point where I feel I have no mother option. I have also been offered gabapentin, and duoloxetine but I am terrified of meds 😣 I have been diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia caused through a molar extraction and subsequent dry socket which has caused the nerve to become inflamed and angry which is sending all these electric shock pains in to my chin, jaw and teeth 😣
 
From my tame anaesthetist:
Chronic pain patients take gabapentin regularly as their pain never goes away.
For something like this that comes as a bit of a flair-up, it makes perfect sense to take just as needed. It absolutely makes people feel a bit weird — to the extent that they just can’t tolerate it. Other options are available, though, if they feel the side-effects are too severe. But they can be just as poorly tolerated."

HTH
Yes that helps a lot, thank you! I don’t think I can take them while working, but I can take it after so I can sleep without pain, and it does help take the edge off when it gets bad.
Right now I really only need them about once a month, for a few days at a time.
 
@MountainMama. Hey mountainmama sorry to hear you are having these issues 😣 I am in a very similar situation and have been prescribed noritrptaline for my teeth and neuralgia pain but I am so scared to take them, but my pain is getting to a point where I feel I have no mother option. I have also been offered gabapentin, and duoloxetine but I am terrified of meds 😣 I have been diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia caused through a molar extraction and subsequent dry socket which has caused the nerve to become inflamed and angry which is sending all these electric shock pains in to my chin, jaw and teeth 😣
So sorry you are going through this also! Mine started after dental surgery/extraction as well. I also absolutely hate taking meds, but it got to where my anxiety about my teeth was affecting my ability to live my life, due to the pain. I tried the gabapentin the first time on a weekend when I didn’t have to go anywhere, and my husband was home, just in case.
 
@MountainMama I started my nortryptaline last night, had no choice, the zaps in my chin were getting so bad I know it takes time to work 😣 how do you find the gabapentin for the pain? Does it help ?
 
@MountainMama I started my nortryptaline last night, had no choice, the zaps in my chin were getting so bad I know it takes time to work 😣 how do you find the gabapentin for the pain? Does it help ?
I take them only when needed and they take about an hour or two before they start working.

My neurologist said taken daily they help prevent the pain but can take several weeks before it really has an impact, but taken as needed, it will just take the edge off.
 
@MountainMamai had no idea you could take them like that , that’s interesting to know. I think this is definitely something I would also consider doing. I’m going to take the nortryptaline for a few weeks and see if they make any difference to my pain, and if not I will have to start either gabapentin or carbemazepine. My neurologist has told me to try the nortryptaline first. I hope they continue to help your pain 🙏🏻 it’s awful living with facial pain 😣 I never imagined this would be my life at 45 😢
 
@MountainMamai had no idea you could take them like that , that’s interesting to know. I think this is definitely something I would also consider doing. I’m going to take the nortryptaline for a few weeks and see if they make any difference to my pain, and if not I will have to start either gabapentin or carbemazepine. My neurologist has told me to try the nortryptaline first. I hope they continue to help your pain 🙏🏻 it’s awful living with facial pain 😣 I never imagined this would be my life at 45 😢
Good luck! I know what you mean. It impacts all areas of your life. I am 43 so many more years of this. I hope it doesn’t get worse
 
I take Amytriptilyne as and when ,it dose dampen nerve pain. They do reccomend taking gabapentin nortryptyline on regular basis to keep pain under control,as you can get side effects.
ie anxiety ect. But I find using as and when with Amytriptilyne helps me. Maybe might have to take regular if it gets more frequent. 🤔
 
@Anixity Pauline. I’ve just been prescribed amytriptaline, I tried nortryptaline but it made my shocks worse 😣 how do you find the effects of it ? I have 3 children and have to be functional, but this pain is becoming an absolute beast.
 
I take it at 6.30 pm so by 7.00 ok it dulls nerve pain and helps me sleep. But everyone is diffrent. I worked as a dispencer before I retired. But I do know that meds are good for some others are not it's a bit trile error. But gabapentin is good nerve pain med,but ask your Dr or pharmacist what best with least drowsiness. Pharmacist usually know more about drugs than dr in my experience. Hope you get relief. I also use menthol crystals that you buy from pharmacies. It can help clear my sinuses which also effect my gums as my sinus line is low where had top back tooth out. Unfortunately eating on gum with no tooth can wear bone thin .which can cause pain. Only my experience if course I am not a Dr .
 
7.00 in morning I feel less groggy .
 
@KellyR I have amitryptaline for nerve pain/trapped nerve in my shoulder, and I find it works really well, I just take on an as and when basis so if I have a flare up I'll take it for maybe a week. If I take it too late at night then I am absolutely galling asleep the next day until around lunchtime. If I take about 8pm, I'm absolutely fine by 7am the next day. Hopefully it'll work well for your pain.
 
Yep that's just what I find ☺️
 
@MumOfBoys1985 hi there, thank you for your reply, I think that this is a good idea to use it as and when the pain is bad, rather than taking it every single day non stop. I am definitely going to try the amytriptaline and see if it helps the nerve to calm, hopefully this will be the case ! Fingers crossed 🤞🏼 otherwise the next medication will be anticonvulsants which really scare me 😳 I hope you continue to have success with your medication 🙏🏻
 
@Anixity Pauline thank you for your reply 😊 yes this sounds like something I need to try. I had never really thought about using the medication for occasional use, I think it’s a good idea and is something I am going to try. I was hoping that I wouldn’t need to take medication at all, but unfortunately my trigeminal nerve has other ideas 😣 i hope you getting some relief from your pain. 😊
 
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