... okay I am so unconvinced by gabapentin

[kaberett]

up to 10% of users will experience anxiety or depression.

I've been ramping up, very slowly, for nearly a week now (began on the 10th); today is my first day of attempting to take 400mg.

• I just thought "can I put the world on pause"
  
• I'm not yet getting intrusive thoughts about self-harm, but when I contemplate it my response is less "academic yep that's a useful coping mechanism" and more "hmm, might help", and I'm catching myself digging my nails into myself
  
• I've been out of bed for about five hours today - I've just woken up from a 3-hour nap - and I want to crawl back into it.
  
• I'm getting into "can't move/think/do sensible things" brainloops more noticeably and possibly more frequently.
  
• I'm feeling avoidant about the lovely weather and work I'm actually kind of enjoying when I can settle to it and about people

This is an incredibly low dose of the stuff - we're deliberately ramping me up gradually, because "very common" side effects include drowsiness/reduction in cognitive function, which we don't wanna dump on me in the run-up to finals - but I am... kind of getting concerned? (Also, I am not yet noticing a decrease in pain levels, which is rather to be expected; typical pain-relief doses start at Many Times This.)

Other factors include an upcoming deadline and, of course, that it's exam term. Nonetheless, keeping an eye on this.

Comments

[hairyears]

Eeww. Maybe this is a good time to do a quick listing of costs and benefits of gabapentin?

[kaberett]

given how little I've managed to eat today (There is food RIGHT NEXT TO ME but it would take too much effort) I, er, am stopping. because fuck this shit.

Turning down the valium

[hairyears]

Er, quite. Also: wot she sed, next comment down.

Re: Turning down the valium

[kaberett]

have managed to acquire a small pile of easy food and am working through it. outlook will hopefully improve with blood sugar. and if only anyone would provide me benzos!

Oh Lord, won't you buy me, a Mercedes Benzo

[hairyears]

Nom.

[hilarita]

Umm. This sounds like a medication that might better be experimented with during the summer vacation.

[kaberett]

hah, yes. i expect the nurse at my two-week followup to be kinda pissed that i discontinued after five days but, er, bugger this for a game of soldiers.

[sidheag]

Quite. Hope you feel better soon.

[kaberett]

i.e. i have been getting worse rather than better over the course of the evening and i am goddamn bored of this.

[hilarita]

Flee, flee from this medication! Zombies not noted for their amazing exam abilities :(

[rysmiel]

Sorry to hear this experiment went so poorly, and I shall be thinking sympathetic thoughts. Also *hugs* as apt.

[forthwritten]

Erk. I didn't want to post before you'd made a decision because one person's response is not everyone's and anecdata is not particularly helpful, but my mum's been on gabapentin for about 9 months and is desperate to come off it because it slows her thoughts and language ability down so much. Not something I'd want to be on in the run-up to finals, basically.

[shehasathree]

ugh.
is gabapentin for nerve pain?
<3 if that's not too forward.

[kaberett]

Indeed - continuous abdominal pain these days, with genitofemoral and sciatic nerve involvement AFAICT (though of course the pain doc was very keen on telling me that pain had NOTHING TO DO WITH ENDO and couldn't POSSIBLY be because endometriosis has started eating those nerves... in direct contradiction to everything I have read from people with, you know, experience of endo pain and its progression).

[lilysea]

Sympathies!

I'm currently in the process of weaning of Cymbalta (duloxetine) because while it is fabulous for pain, it turns my brain into mashed turnip.

Cymbalta = almost no pain at all

Cymbalta = problems with reading books or emails, problems finding the right word to say, feeling like a zombie. Also dry skin/psoriasis having a tantrum (it dries out mucous membranes) and constantly sweating like I've been jogging, even when just sitting watching TV.