living with gabapentin

[kimbul]

Hello...I was wondering just how much a person can function with higher amounts of pain medication. I am just sick thinking about this, as my husband and I have quite a difference in opinion and it has caused us alot of emotional grief. Our son Ryan who is a T6 para complete , 3 years now, has just been hospitalized for chronic pain and although the doctors have been looking into other options, they have been bumping up his medications.( he has rods in his back and has been diagnosed with a syrinx) I know he cannot live with pain (and it is making him crazy), but it also terrifies to start to see him under the effects of the drugs. This is such a terrible, terrible condition and my heart is simply breaking right now. My husband is especially having a hard time as he really has not accepted Ryan's injury. And yes, he has seen a therapist.
Ryan is currently going to university, and is having a hard time concentrating and there is a cognitive difference in him and just so much slower. He is 20 and weighs 122 pounds. He is now on 3200 mg of gabapentin.

Thanks, Kim...his mom

[metronycguy]

i was on 3200 of gabapentin along with 2 or 3 other meds for neuropathic pain. i understand the mental clarity loss and other mental side effects, when i was on those meds i realized it was much better than being in pain, and the combination worked well for me and i was somewhat pain free, however no short term memory , sleepy and had great difficulty doing anything that require concentration. i could not imaging trying to go to college with those meds in me. hopefully the newer med that is to take gabapentin place
Lyrica (pregabalin), , will work better with less side effects or new treatment options will come out.