New here

Hello all.  I figure that I've gotten so much information for my RNY on the other forum that now that I have just been diagnosed with fibro that this forum may be of help to me also.  My name is Jennifer, I am 39 years old with 4 boys and a wonderful husband.  I had RNY on 10/17/2008 and so far have lost 112 lbs.  It has taken a while but I was finally diagnosed with this and was prescribed gabapentin (neurontin) for this.  My doc has me on 300mg for 3 days, then 600mgs for 3 days and then 900 mgs until I go and see her next month.

I am just concerned that she has me taking the dosing ALL before bedtime.  Nothing during the day.  I was wondering if anyone else has this scheduling for their doses and if it lasts all day doing it this way. 

Also if anyone has any side effects or takes anything else with their gabapentin.  I am new to this but I am trying to research as much as possible.  I have read a lot about Lyrica also.  One thing that I am nervous about are all the posts that I have read about weight gain, fogginess, memory loss and suicidal thoughts. 

Can anyone share their experiences with me.  The last thing is the way we absorb meds, I am not sure that this is the best way to take this medicine...all at once.

Thanks.

I was also on that before my doc said that it was to be taken at night to help me sleep as it can cause sleepiness

I no longer take it, I was on it for just over 2 yrs

Hope that this helps

M

Hi,

I am also new to this web site and I am schedule for RNY on April 1st 2010.   I have been dealing with fybromialgya for the past 6 years... I have tried every medication there is for fybromialgya and the only ones that have work good for me is lyrica and cymbalta.... I am now not using the cymbalta but I am still on lyrica and it works... I had try gabapentin but it gave me really bad nightmares.  The cymbalta was the best I had used but it does cause weight gain and heat flashes and sweats....    Now I am having my RNY on April and I am not sure if my doctor is going to keep me on it or what is going to happened.. because as far as I know we need to take chewable medication..  Anyway, when did you go through surgery?  and what was the worst part of it?   I hope this help and if you have any other question regarding Fybromialgya let me know...

diana

Well I'm no help as far as how you absorb the meds because I have a lap band. You may need to take the dose more often and divide it up during the day. I took gaba and wasn't told to take it at any particular time, I took mine in the morning. Couldn't use it after the band because the pill was too big. I then tried Lyrica and didn't care for the weight gain it caused. I'm now on Cymbalta and that seems to work well, the warnings scared me to death at first too. I told my husband to keep a close watch on me in case I did have any suicidal thoughts but never did. I think that tends to happen more with very young folks and teens. I didn't have weight gain with it, in fact it acted more like speed on me, which my doc said was unusual because most folks get sleepy. I've found with all these that I've tried that any side effects only lasted a few days. All that said, the meds that work best are narcotics. I take 30 mg of time release morphine 2x a day and 5 mg. oxycodone every 6-8 hours and I think they are what's helping the most. There are also lots of times when nothing helps and you just get thru the day as best you can. If I can help with anything please feel free to PM me.

HI Jennifer, I am also new this forum as well. I had RNY in 1999 and I lost 115 pounds. I have done really well with the weight loss and I have kept it off. I have gained a little this last couple years I have went from 145 to 165. I am working on it. I have Fibro and I have had it for a long time. I think when you have the weight loss surgery it actually will make the fibro worse for a while. Remember your body is going though alot of changes. I have found my fibro to have gotten better as time has went by. The only thing I take is anti-inflamtory and vit. D. I tried all the other drugs and didn;t like the way it made me feel. hope this helps you with your fibro

mona
  

what type of anti-imflammatory do you take?  I'm curious because I thought NSAIDS were the only anti-imflammatories out there and I know for me they are a no-no so I was just curious as to what you were taking and if it's something I can use for break through pain because the meds I'm using now are wonderful at night, but around 4 my pain comes back and there is no way I can take the gabapentin and be functional enough to drive and care for my 4 kids, it just makes me way to tired.
thanks,
Jennifer

I started the gabapentin but it made my heart beat so irregular I had to stop it.
We are all so different some can take a med  another one can't. You just have to really pay attention to your body, you know it best.

Hello, I am new to this forum and this diagnosis as well. I got my "good" news the day after my birtday two weeks ago and I just turned 37. I can tell you this much, I am relieved that this pain has a name and I know what it is. I had been everywhere and had tried everything. I'm going to be 5 years post op from my RNY in October. I was very concerned about going on any type of medication due to the absorption issues. The Rheumatologist reassured me that everything will be fine. The medication that I'm on, I take at bedtime and like clockwork runs out by the time I get home in the afternoon. I try and stager things by taking extra strength tylenol to help take the edge off of the achy pain. I am just so concerned because I feel so darned tired all the time and I really haven't felt like myself in a very long time.

I've also been wrestling with a chronic sinus infection since last march....the ENT specialist that I have been seeing told me this....with Fibromyalgia he said sometimes how you feel depends on what color glasses you decide to wear for the day.

Hello Greeleygirl

I guess an good attitude can never really hurt, but rose colored glasses can only get you so far when you are in pain.

I don't know what my pcp will say at my next visit, but with 4 kids I cannot be tired during the day.  I too take my full dosing of gabapentin/neurontin in the evening before bed and I currently am on 900mgs.  This dose knocks me out, it's great to sleep so soundly, but when my husband goes out of town I don't realy know that it will be wise for me to take the full dose.  I am very new to this disease also, but I have been researching a lot and was able to find some articles from neurologists, my doc said this isn't an issue for a rheumatologist any more so she works with the neurologist, but any way there were articles about patients *****sponded very well to using the same types of meds that are being used to treat ADD/ADHD.  They are administed at the lowest doses during the day to help combat fibro fog and fatigues that goes with this illness.  There is also some thought that patients also find some additional pain relief due to the receptors in the brain that these types of drugs work on.

i plan to show my doc these articles at my next appointment and get her take on that.  I know there have been some posts on here with others that ADD meds but i'm not sure if it's because they also have ADD and Fibro, but I feel at this point that anything is worth a try.  I can't focus for one minute to the next and forget everything.  it makes me look like such a bad mother when I continually forget to put my kids lunch in their backpack...the sad part is that it's made, but it's just sitting on the counter when he goes for the bus.  I try so hard with lists and everything but I always end up forgetting something and feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.

Good luck with your meds and your doc and this is a great place for questions and answers.

I tried Gabapentan and it did not help me at all.  So I am no longer on it.  Nothing takes all the pain away.  If I can get the pain to a 7 on a scale of 1-10 then I can live with it.  I think I have been in pain for so long...I do not know what it is to be without pain.  I quit saying anything to family and friends about it.  They think I am crazy and it is all in my head.  My Fiance is the only one that understands and he is a Nurse Manager at VA in Leavonworth.  At  least I have him.  I don't know what I would do without him.  Hope you find something that helps a little.