attempting to figure out what way to go for pain

HI all

I am researching all options for pain as I am going to make an appt with my dr.  She has me on 2 400 mg of  gabentinin and 2 darvicots a day, its not cutting it,  its either ask for an increase in the gab or try celexa i think thats the right name, get it mixed up with cymbalta,, but from the reviews cylexa doesn't sound so great, nor does lyrica,  I read that gabentinin is also an antiviral, I would have to double check the accuracy of that but if that is true thats a big plus for the gab.

Any advice experiences appreciated!!  The most pain is the legs, they do muscle jumping then go into big ache very heavy mode.   I am leaning toward the  neuronotin although I am gaining weight.  i think I was doing that before I went on it though.  Has anybody noticed a weight gain with neurontin?  I have to laugh its not funny but i'll tell ya why I am gainin, no movement and the appetite of a lion but on the chance its the neurontin please tell tell!  lisa

HI Roses!
My hubby was just put on Cymbalta for neuropathy pain & it is helping him quite a bit!

I have been on several different narcotics for my pain, but most either don't really make a difference, or the help they give slowly ebbs away. I am back on Neurontin again now - but only taking 600mgs/day, and 300 mgs of Darvocet/day and they don't hardly help, but I'll take what I can get when in that much pain.

My pain feels like my bones can't hold up under my weight - I promise I'm not but 10 - 15 lbs heavier than I should be!!!! But that is really what it feels like, like the bones are about to start crumbling. That's what I am talking about when I say I'm "in my pain cycle". "Appetite like a lion!!! LOL!! I know what you mean!!!!

For me, the weight I gain when on Neurontin has a lot more to do with the fact that I can not stand longer than 40 minutes (on my good days) than the medication itself. That's one of those crazy things about TBI's I think - it even affects the way those meds do & don't work on each of us!!

Let us know what you & your doc decide to do, please.

I've tried all sorts of things for pain and have only found the following to be successful:

Homeopathic Causticum - for the wandering leg pains, hand pains, and other joint pains.

Homeopathic Arnica - helps reduce the intensity of the wandering leg pains, but does not make them go away completely. Does help with muscle pain.

Nettles - takes away all the joint related pain, including the wandering leg pains. Had to take a lot though to get this relief...I was using I think something like 1200mg/day or so...

Neurontin helped my feet only...then I got better shoes with special orthotic arch supports and ever since, I have not had severe pain when walking. If I try to walk without the shoes and special orthotics, however, then I have pain in my feet - I suspect this is partly from bone loss in my feet (from RSD), partly from fat pad loss (from malabsorption/malnutrition), and partly from Bartonella and/or Lyme.

Benadryl sometimes helps with minor leg pains, but not the joint issues.

Plaquenil only helped with the hand pains, it never did anything for pain anywhere else in my body. And then it started bothering my eyes, so I stopped taking it - wasn't worth the eye issues to get the relief in my hands that came much safer and better from nettles or Causticum homeopathy.

Magnesium supplements help with muscle pain.

Nothing else I tried for pain helped any of it...this includes Ultram and low dose antidepressants (bad side-effects even at tiny doses). I'm allergic to NSAIDS (such as Advil, etc.), Aspirin, and Tylenol.

Take care,