I was prescribed gabapentin for chronic pain. It's very subtle but, at least for me, very helpful (more helpful than tramadol)...so it points to my pain being an issue of nerve over-excitability. Which is also the story of my life. I don't sleep well, I tend towards hyper and distracted. Anyway, I do notice a subtle relaxing and also organizing effect with this. It also helps me sleep better (still need a sleep med, but I notice whatever I take works better with this...but actually can't take ambien anymore because the combination relaxes my judgment too much...gabapentin alone is totally fine, does nothing weird to your head). The relaxed effect is common. Gabapentin has been prescribed off-label for anxiety and mood regulation.
I only take about 400-600 mg because I get some nasal/mucus side effects that are sort of irritating. No weight side effects and I don't think that's common. Some people start right off with higher doses. You'd have to sort that out with your doctor.
I'd ask your doctor. It's a pretty harmless med, from what I've read. You can go up to pretty high doses and take longer term (much better med for chronic pain than something like an opiate). You wouldn't want to be taking a lot for a long time and just stop...would not be like opiate withdrawal, but likely some anxiety and lack of sleep. But you'd just stay on or trim back gradually if needed. I think it's actually becoming pretty common for things like fibromyalgia. It also works okay with many meds, like it's not loaded with dangerous contraindications, so I can take it with tramadol, or flexeril, or amitriptyline (other pain meds)...likely because it's actually an anti-convulsant.
I have a hard time understanding neurotransmitter language, but this is a pretty useful little article. It explains sort of what GABA does, what a lack of it looks like, and also connections to trauma and also early brain wiring/circuitry related to trauma:
Link Removed
I can't do SNRIs...somehow make me more spacey and dissociative. But interesting that could help with your fibro pain too. There is definitely a nerve/neurotransmitter connection to all of it.
I only take about 400-600 mg because I get some nasal/mucus side effects that are sort of irritating. No weight side effects and I don't think that's common. Some people start right off with higher doses. You'd have to sort that out with your doctor.
I'd ask your doctor. It's a pretty harmless med, from what I've read. You can go up to pretty high doses and take longer term (much better med for chronic pain than something like an opiate). You wouldn't want to be taking a lot for a long time and just stop...would not be like opiate withdrawal, but likely some anxiety and lack of sleep. But you'd just stay on or trim back gradually if needed. I think it's actually becoming pretty common for things like fibromyalgia. It also works okay with many meds, like it's not loaded with dangerous contraindications, so I can take it with tramadol, or flexeril, or amitriptyline (other pain meds)...likely because it's actually an anti-convulsant.
I have a hard time understanding neurotransmitter language, but this is a pretty useful little article. It explains sort of what GABA does, what a lack of it looks like, and also connections to trauma and also early brain wiring/circuitry related to trauma:
Link Removed
I can't do SNRIs...somehow make me more spacey and dissociative. But interesting that could help with your fibro pain too. There is definitely a nerve/neurotransmitter connection to all of it.
