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gabapentin and nerve pain
Hello everyone,
I’m just curious if anyone has experience using gabapentin for nerve pain? Had a consult today with a local surgeon my doctor recommended me for chronic pain and he gave me a prescription for 300mg gabapentin three times a day. It seems to be working for the nerve sensations so far but I have only taken one dose and I am worried about potential side effects. Unfortunately it seems to do nothing for the chronic foreign body sensation/pulling sensation that is constantly there in my groin and my hip (it feels like I have a large stiff mass inside my groin). The next step my surgeon recommended if the gabapentin doesnt work is injection into the illioinguinal and/or genitofemoral nerve. I am leaning towards mesh removal as I think the problem is more than just nerves but he said he wants to use mesh removal as a last resort. For anyone who hasn’t read my initial story with my inguinal hernia and mesh I had parietex polyester split mesh implanted laparoscopically (TEP) in May of 2018 and started having problems about 3-4 months after the initial surgery. I also have a consultation with Dr Earle in MA in a little over a week so looking forward to that. The surgeon I’ve seen today has only performed a handful of mesh removals so I think Dr Earle would be a better choice for that.
Thanks everyone for your input.
AJ
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4 Replies
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Hi @mitchtom6,
I am sorry that you’re going through pretty much the same thing that I am. The gabapentin does help (for me) to relieve some of the nerve pain. I have been told by my doctor and my surgeon that it takes about 3 weeks to go into full effect. That being said I don’t believe it is a permanent fix, I equate it more to being a band-aid being slapped over a gaping wound. I have my consultation with Dr Earle in MA on Friday so I am looking forward to that. The surgeon in my home town wants to wait at least 3-6 months before considering mesh removal but I honestly don’t believe it can wait that long. If the mesh is going to have to come out (which in my opinion it has to) then I want to get it over with as soon as possible. I wish you luck in your journey to become pain free and I hope you find the right surgeon soon!
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CJ, that is encouraging. Thanks for the positive feedback, we could use more of that.
Ark, you and I continue to live parallel lives. I just got on some nerve meds myself as I consider mesh removal.
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I had almost two years of post hernia pain after a redo surgery that was done because of an initial hernia surgery with mesh and a plug that was done poorly. The redo was complicated, given the plug had come loose and had become ingrown on its side. After the redo I had a lot of pain that wouldn’t go away. Pain medication, prescribed and managed by an excellent hospital pain doc specialist ,saved my life. Gabapentin didn’t work for me, but Lyrica combined with Tramadol did, especially when Cymbalta was added. I took the smallest possible dose of all three drugs and was virtually pain free and without side effects. It took two years to be able to go without the drugs, pain free, plus a few strange months to get off the drugs, but they worked and the pain complications did eventually settle down.
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I had a similar procedure and almost immediately after two months, I have been prescribed Gabapentin, which has definitely improved my neuropathic pain. It doesn’t do much to control the tugging/pulling sensation but it definitely works for the neuropathy. From what I understand, 300mg is a fair dose, and some patients for chronic pain go up to 2400 mg per day. And like you, I am going to make sure I have exhausted all alternatives before a mesh removal. I’ve also had some systemic symptoms: brain fog, chronic cough, fatigue, and worsening of my tension headache (which I have had for 4 years prior to surgery). However, I think I will continue waiting and watching for the near future. It seems prudent to get multiple opinions and an expert removal surgeon, I am planning on speaking to several. Surgical skill for mesh removal I reckon would have the greatest impact on the outcome.
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