LOSING WEIGHT OFF THE GABAPENTIN AND OTHER MISHAPS:
So I know I’ve already mentioned this about my weight, but I thought it would be helpful (and a little thrilled) to mention it again:
Since off of the Gabapentin, without having to compromise my usual (somewhat piggy) diet, I have continued to lose more weight. I am only 4 pounds away now from my standard 103/104 pounds. Yahoo (the absolute thought of dieting plagued me ).
However, my BGs are absolutely out of control and insane. I think my body is still adjusting to the physiological changes. (Gabapentin does a lot more than just relieve nerve pain so my brain is a little bit confused.)
Several evenings last week, my BG dropped down into the low 20s (Holy Cow). Thank God for a quick acting husband who perhaps saved my life! It was so miserably frightening. Before then, the lowest I think I have ever gone was 32, possibly 35 (beyond remembrance and the total confusion of it all). And then, the other night, I woke up at about 2am to find that my BG was 240!! Explain that one . And I continued to spend the overnight giving myself IM injections in a hopeless effort to bring my BGs back into TR. Utterly useless and ended up hitting a a blood vessel (doing this in absolute darkness so as not to wake my dreaming husband), and the blood spirting out like a fire hose all over me and my newly purchased, fresh white linen bedsheets (my Chanukkah gift for our home) (thankfully, after much pre-soaking, the blood came out of everything ).
I have searched on the Internet for Gabapentin and Blood Sugars and have not been able to find any connections at all. I am simply sharing my experiences.
Certainly, if ANYONE has had this kind of insane experience with Gabapentin and/or any other drugs, please share them here. I believe deeply in my heart, after reading soooo many of your generous posts on FUD, that I have learned so much about this disease and my body. I doubt very much that I could have had an education like I have had from any other source. So, in advance, Thank You All.
When I shared with several people, who are NOT D, that I had a miserable night with my BGs climbing over 200, I was told to immediately go to the ER. Now please, what are they gonna do for me in an over-crowded ER that I could not easily (albeit frustrating ) do for myself in the comfort of my own home???
B Wary of those who are uneducated in regard to this disease. And just say’in, too many doctors dont even know what they’re talking about when they spew out advice!
You’re hysterical! I couldn’t count the times I’ve been walking outside and gone down into my 40s, taken some Glucose Tablets and continued moving right along without skipping a beat
(we are an interesting and defiant bunch here at FUD )
Has anyone either tried this or heard of it or know of anyone who has experience with it?
My pain management doctor suggested that I try this and stated that it would not get into my blood stream, so that I should not have the side effects I experienced with the pill medications. He thought that it was worth a try. its a lightweight topical cream which will (hopefully) soothe the neuropathic thigh pain I’ve been having since my surgery.
PLEASE PLEASE CHIME IN ABOUT THIS! I TRULY NEED YOUR INSIGHTS AND YOUR EXPERIENCES. Thank you all who do in advance
(and I just wanted to add that since my pain level has increased so dramatically since I detoxed from the Gabapentin pills, my doctor increased my Tizanidine (muscle relaxer) as well as adding an extra oxycodone each day to take in the afternoons when my pain gets very high (probably due to the fact that that is usually the time of day that I return from exercising and/or PT workouts).
Looking and praying to hearing back from you guys!
Thank you for that info, however, I have neither issues that I am trying to address. I need something to calm neuropathic pain. It has nothing to do with my muscles, just my nerves. It feels as if my thigh is on fire, that I am concurrently being stabbed with a serrated knife, and all the while feeling completely numb. Makes no sense, I know. it just is what it is. And its awful.
I’m sorry you’re still having so much pain. I have never heard of topical gabapentin, but so long as it stays local, it seems like it’s worth a shot? (Haha, not a shot… a rub?!) My tennis team had a little European buying cartel – when any of us would travel we would buy topical voltaren, which hadn’t been sold in the U.S. and some swore by it for topical pain relief. I don’t think it did anything for me. I did try voltaren in pill form as well and it didn’t seem effective. Topically, prescription lidocaine patches were definitely helpful, although I’m not sure how much they would help on the nerve front. I had never heard of it before, but tizanidine was the most effective pain reliever for me, but it made me super dizzy so I had to be careful when taking it. Glad it is working for you, too.
I should note: all of this experimentation is from when I was crushed by frozen shoulder pain – I’m not that much of a druggie! I will continue sending my best thoughts your way, DM - xoxo - Jessica
Glad to hear that the Lidocaine patches helped you. Myself, well, I had an almost immediate reaction to them. I had terrible heart palpitations within 1/2 hour of putting them on my back ( I felt like I couldn’t breath), then shakes and sweats. And, no relief. I pulled them right off. What a waste of a lot of hard earned $$$ (they cost a fortune as my insurance was very stingy with their end of the deal .)
Gaahhh - that is so scary on the lidocaine patches! And they definitely are crazy expensive, even with insurance (and I have heard that the OTC version are useless). I forgot to mention in my voltaren exposition above that it appears that voltaren cream/gel is available again in the U.S., if that is worth mentioning to your drs? But it might be more muscle-oriented (although I think it’s marketed to pain, in general). Have you tried the gabapentin cream yet? I’m so curious to hear how it works. xoxo
The pharmacist texted me this afternoon requesting I phone them tomorrow regarding “mixing up” of the cream ( I am under the impression that they make it to order.) I think it should b affordable bc it is made up of only generic medications, so I will definitely give it a whirl. they ship it directly. (of course, if it is outlandishly pricey, then there is no way I want to delve into that potential failure and empty my wallet on something useless )
I may be wrong or perhaps the strength of Lidocaine patches you’re using is different, but I understood the patches had become an OTC item. I used to use them on my neck once in a while under prescription initially, but last time I thought they were OTC listed as “prescription strength”…something like 4% as I recall? I have no doubt you can still get them by prescription, though. It’s worth checking to perhaps save on them.
Although I mentioned their high cost, I think I also mentioned that I had a horrid reaction to them. Whether prescription strength or OTC, I cannot ever take this medication again.
But its good info for all the other members on FUD to know! So thank you
So I was told by my pain management specialist that there is a cream with several different ingredients that can be mixed together to produce the most effective treatment of nerve pain. It can be customized specifically for each person and is non-systemic, meaning, basically, that it does not get into the blood stream. I will have to get back to you on all the ingredients they will be mixing up for my special formula but I havent the list at the moment. I can tell you that they will not be including the Lidocain (as per my horrid reaction to the prescription patches I tried for my back last year). I was a bit weary of the Gabapentin being one of the possible (and most effective) ingredients but since this will not be being absorbed into my blood I figured it was worth a try. Other ingredients include a NSAI with an unfamiliar name. I had to get the go-ahead for this from my surgeon bc I am not supposed to go anywhere near NSAIs until at least 6 months post-op bc they prohibit bone growth and regeneration (obviously much needed after all the slicing and dicing and putting back together of my spine ).
I am eager for any help to relieve me of the pain and I have tried my best to be very open-minded about medications and procedures. I was told by my surgeon to use this cream sparingly (which is good bc, for one thing, as it is very pricey).
It is being whipped up as I write this, and it is expected to arrive at my door by Tuesday of next week. For this personal concoction I will be paying $110 buck-a-roos. For that price, I certainly hope it helps. And obviously, I will get back to you with a full report.
anyone try one of these creams before? Any success rates? Very curious.
I have been using the topical cream for almost a week now. I am supposed to use it 3 times a day, but it is so revolting that I am only using it in the evenings. It is so sticky it feels like I am spreading Elmer’s Glue on my skin. It is difficult to rub in, and even when it appears to be rubbed in, it remains so sticky that my sweat pants attach themselves to my thigh and stay put throughout the evening. I cant really tell for certain if it is helping that much. I think it has helped calm down the stabbing pain that I was experiencing but the neuropathy is still very much presenting itself. But I have to wonder how much more relief I would experience if I were using it as prescribed. (silly question, I know, but someones got to ask it .)
Ugh this sounds pretty awful. I am one of those sensory people who has a tough time with things like this and might just lose my mind the first time I had things sticking to it (plus the sensation of putting it on) (just thinking about it is creeping me out right now!). But you’re asking the right question… if you were able to tolerate 2x more per day, could the effect build up in your system to block out even more of the pain or help the neuropathy? (Could sprinkling baby powder over the lotion at the end maybe top off the stickiness? Blech.) Glad it’s helping a little bit. Oh- one other thought - given that they’re compounding it directly for you, you can tell them that you hate the texture of it and ask them to formulate it in a different way. Tell them exactly how you want it to be able to be delivered and see if the compounding pharmacy can work its magic. That’s why they get the big bucks. xo- Jessica
).
. And I continued to spend the overnight giving myself IM injections in a hopeless effort to bring my BGs back into TR. Utterly useless and ended up hitting a a blood vessel (doing this in absolute darkness so as not to wake my dreaming husband), and the blood spirting out like a fire hose all over me and my newly purchased, fresh white linen bedsheets (my Chanukkah gift for our home) (thankfully, after much pre-soaking, the blood came out of everything 
).
)
I will continue sending my best thoughts your way, DM - xoxo - Jessica
).