Neurontin: Always = "Morontin" over time?

[ans]

Hi. I'm taking Avinza - a great rx that provides long-term pain relief along with 1800 mg. of Neurontin that according to the pain mgt. PA (he's smart!) could help w/the pain and diminish my tolerance.

I am amazingly relatively pain free (what a blessing after 8 years) but feel like a mental basket case on Neurontin. It's made me stupid (well, that hasn't changed), I bump into things (I usually am nimble/coordinated), and have weird mood changes (could be Avinza or Neurontin - dunno).

Question: Neurontin is also called "Morontin". *Does this stupidness/clumsiness and odd mood changes (very hard to describe/subtle disappear after long-term use?*

Thanks for paying attention. Chow ~ ans

[LaminectoMan]

I am not experienced in the first medication, as far as the Neurontin goes, my findings are the same. I am sleepy, almost fine up to 1200mg anything higher, and I have been up to 2400mg, and I get duhMB. signed:
Not the expert

[ans]

Thanks L. Can you repeat what you said?

Huh, a MVA at 110 mph? Dude, glad you're alive.

Question: Did Neurontin help your intense LBP at all?

Chow - ans

[LaminectoMan]

Ans,

Sorry, I have a bad habit of not be thorough enough and finishing thoughts (Not a side effect of Neurontin!) Just plain absent mindedness....

Actually YES, the Neurontin - at one time, saved my hiney, big time. I was not able to bend (AT ALL). Not even to wipe the dipey and they placed me in some form of PT / work hardening that L&I wanted to force me through.

I yelled enough about pain and got them to hear me, they finally placed me on a cocktail of the Neurontin (I think 1200-1800mg p day) zoloft 50mg and 25mg oxycont.
It was that neurontin that allowed me to walk upright again and brought my freedom to move once again, I am sure of it. The pain subsided, but of course there was the 'cocktail' they gave me. I later came to regret the oxycontin because it was so hard to come off of but it also was needed at that time of the injury I had no choices.

I am almost at that point again now. Here I am 10 yrs later, and in the same situation / pain. I am drug free though and trying to remain that way until I get good care.

Yes, 110 MPH, I was the one going 40, I was hit by a drunk driver in excess of the 110 actually, he hit me left rear and flipped me end over end into a median right side of FWY I-5 Seattle on the bridge, I guess I should be lucky to be alive AND AM! But have endured a lot of frustrations trying to get the CORRECT Care, just like you and the rest of us here,

Take good care Ans...I hope to see and talk again

Jeff

[Toebin]

Hi LaminectoMan,

I too struggle with the dumbing down that happens with Neurontin. It DOES help with my pain so we keep trying to increase my dosage slowly to see if we can actually get me up to a diagnostic level without totally making me "stupid".

I"m still on baby doses.. 200 mg at bedtime and 100 mg in the morning but there is every indication that this drug does affect my pain levels in a positive way and we just keep pushing the amount I can take.

If I try taking a full recommended dose I can't put two cognitive thoughts together..lol But my pain doc is optimistic that I will eventually be able to get my levels up over time and then perhaps decrease the amount of narcotic pain meds I have had to rely on.

[VPDcurt]

Neurontin is a GABA agonist, meaning it mimics the action of GABA (the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system). By acting on the same receptors that GABA normally binds to, it slows/diminishes/inhibits the conduction of a signal from one neuron to the next within the brain and spinal cord. That explains its ability to block pain via inhibition of the pain signals from the spinal cord to the brain; unfortunately, it also has the same effect on other neurons within the brain (which likely results in the stupidity/clumsiness that so many people complain about). I'm not entirely sure if anyone knows whether or not the side effect diminishes over time, but I think it's safe to say, given receptor down-regulation and other mechanisms at work, that the side effects will probably improve over time.

[Tatonka_usn]

I went on Neurontin at the suggestion of my cousin, as prominent Physiatrist/physical medicine Doc. She advised that I should give it 6 months to see how it affected my symptoms, and trusting her implicitly, I needled my neurologist until he was willing to prescribe it for me. I gradually worked myself up to 900mg (300mg, 3X a day), which is a relatively light dosage compared to some of what I've read. Unfortunately, any potential improvement was counterbalanced by chronic fatigue and diminished cognition.

Had a not been in grad school at the time I might have been able to write it off, but unfortunately I simply couldn't function adequately in an academic setting. Tapering off the meds (even done correctly) proved a challenge, as I was on the receiving end of some VICIOUS headaches for the next 2-3 weeks (which the local pain management doc advised were completely normal/expected).

So, the moral of the story....yes, it works for some (and in some cases), but know the potential side effects in advance....

[hey_look_its_dave]

I am on Lyrica 150 mg b.i.d.
Lyrica is the next generation neurontin and has a couple of advantages.
The doses are considerably smaller for the same effect, and more importantly, its effects do not diminish over time. The official story is that you have to periodically increase the dosage of neurontin to maintain the same benefit. Not true for Lyrica.

I've been using it for 3 years with great help. The first week I felt drunk, but that wore off. No doubt it's different for different people.

Dave

[ans]

I appreciate your helpful comments forum members!

I have to lower my dose as I find myself strangling to get words out.

My S-I joint epidural is wearing off as its weird pains (e.g. hip bursitis-like) are resuming.

I've heard so many contrasting stories re: Lyrica and weight loss. I notice that I find myself eating when I'm not even hungry - real bad as I can't work out/intense aerobics, etc.

Be well..