Just by chance I was watching TV last night and they mentioned on the news that there were several lawsuits/class action suits pending against the makers of neurontin - some related to the company's refusal to allow other drug companies to manufacture generic ones (much cheaper prices), others about misrepresenting the drug. I have attached a link. I know neurontin works for a lot of people on this site, but for those that notice problems with it, I thought I would post this, after all, it's only information, we can all decide for ourselves what works and what doesn't - everyone is different.

http://www.legalnewswatch.com/Neurontin_t.html

Joanne

My dose was slowly increased to 600 mg 4X/day, but dropped down to 3X/day to see if my side effect would get better and they did. I was also started on Trileptal slowly increasing my dose to 300mg am and 450mg pm. I think the Trileptal or maybe the combination of the two drugs have helped me the most. If Neurontin doesn't work for you there are other medications that you might tolerate better. I've found that all my medications have taken at least a month to give me noticeable relief and with the second month I noticed the greatest improvement. If you decide to take something else or go back to the Neurontin give it time to work and for the side effect to diminish.

Thanks for the link.

-back pain
-tingly arms/hands ((also, i take it for nerve damage in my hadn so it might be the nerve damage))
-dizziness on occassion
-extreme nervousness, sometimes paranoia
-for a while i ate way too much but i havent gained weight
-im completely unmotivated and sometimes i dont even feel like going out when i used to be out the door at the first opportunity

i cant think of anything more for now

I looked for back pain as a side effect but didn't find any reference to it, but it doesn't mean it isn't related. I made a list of frequent side effects for everyone to read if interested.

Don't hesitate to talk to your doctor about your concerns. Your medication is suppose to help you feel better. You need to decide if the side effects are worth the benefits. You are the only one that knows how you feel so make sure your doctor understands. If your doctor is any good he/she will listen and help you decide what you should do next. Maybe all you need to do is decrease your dose or change to a different medication to feel better. Good luck.

FREQUENT SIDE EFFECTS OF NEURONTIN:

1. Anorexia - Loss of appetite.
2. Anxiety - A state of uneasiness and apprehension.
3. Arthralgia - Is pain in one or more joints.
4. Asthenia - Weakness; lack of energy and strength.
5. Ataxia - Loss of the ability to coordinate muscular movement.
6. Face edema - An excessive accumulation of serous fluid (Swelling).
7. Flatulence - The presence of excessive gas in the digestive tract.
8. Gingivitis - Inflammation of the gums, characterized by redness and swelling.
9. Hostility - To make angry; enrage or provoke.
10. Hyperkinesia - An abnormal increase in muscular activity (Hyperactivity).
11. Hypertension - High blood pressure.
12. Malaise - A sensation of exhaustion or inadequate energy to accomplish usual activities.
13. Nystagmus - A rapid, involuntary, oscillatory motion of the eyeball.
14. Paresthesia - A skin sensation, prickling, itching or tingling.
15. Pneumonia - Inflammation of the lungs.
16. Purpura - Described as bruises resulting from physical trauma.
17. Reflexes increased, decreased or absent - Involuntary action or response.
18. Somnolence - A state of drowsiness, sleepiness.
19. Vertigo - A sensation of dizziness, spinning.

Karen K

ive got at least 10 or 11 and i still have pain :-/ i guess im gonna have to get off it and i thought id be fine easing off it if the doctor controlled it but now im worried

I didn't mean to worry you about coming off it. You are very strong to be dealing with this at 17. When you go to the doctor with your mom, ask if there is something else that you can take to ease the pain while coming off neurontin. The intention is not to get you hooked on more medications, but there might be something else that can help out too.

For example, Elavil is an tricyclic anti-depressant that is also used to manage chronic pain and help sleep with chronic pain. It works well for some people, including myself. I started at 10mg and now am at 100mg. I stopped the neurontin, and my pain levels are the same with or without it.
See what else the doctor can suggest, with minimal side effects. Clearly the neurontin is not a good choice for you. Tegretol is a similar drug, works great for some people (like neurontin does for others), but is hard on your liver.

You have options and rights as a patient to find the best treatment. Come back here and ask questions anytime, get your mom to read around the site with you, so both of you are informed about this stuff.

Hang in there,
Joanne

Karen K

I am so angry.
rc

I have several meds I take to help with my nerve injury. I do the medication cocktail thing. Currently I take Neurontin, Trileptal, (anti-seizure type meds), Effexor (antidepressant) and Ultracet (pain reliever).

Finding the right mix of medications for you may take some trail and error. I have changed my meds several times in the last five months. I expect changes again at my next visit with my doctor. I visited my doctors every few weeks in the beginning and now I'm out to about every six to eight weeks. I think it is important, especially in the beginning, to visit your doctor regularly to follow-up with how you are doing.

I have noticed a decrease in pain level since beginning the Trileptal. My depression and pain have benefited by adding Effexor. When I was switched from Remeron to Effexor my doctor put me on both and slowly decreased the Remeron while increasing the Effexor. Just do things slowly if you can when you change your medications.

Something else to think about is that chronic pain is notorious for causing depression. A few of the side effects listed for Neurontin also can be signs of depression so make sure that is not what you are struggling with too. It isn't anything to be ashamed of or embarrassed about, but it is something that can be treated. Many of the medications for depression are good for nerve injury pain. Dealing with chronic pain is not easy and finding the right mix of medications to help ease your pain can be very stressful.

Your descriptions reminded me of some of the feeling I felt in the beginning of my pain adventure. Your symptoms may be caused by medication, depression or both? It is important to talk with your doctor and figure this out. I had both and I needed to change my meds around a bit to feel my best.

Good luck.

how did you all come about your nerve damage? maybe mines different or something, i dont know, but 600mg/day of neurontin doesnt seem to owrk great