Intercostal Neuralgia

[Andrea Thomas]

Pain following and under ribs, recently branching into right side. Also follows ribs around to back, left and right side.
Almost everything stirs up this pain, moving, eating, drinking, etc. I've lost 36 lbs since Dec 2006.
The pain comes and goes in areas decribed above like strings of lights, can be intermittent, constant, burning, cramping, etc.

I am currently taking gabapentin, 600mg 2x day and the doctor thinks I might bennefit by taking a higher dose. I dislike taking drugs. It seems I now react to anything that goes in my mouth, I really want to know that it won't hurt me and if it will do damage to my body long term.

I am starting to get some good days strung together, but then I have a bad day and my hope is dashed. This seems to be a mystery illness. I have been prescribed Seratonin by and Naturopath but have'nt started taking it as yet. I'm so afraid.

I saw in your article in response to Amanda that some other drugs might be effective, Elavil as an antidepressant drug, I do have baclofen already but have only used it very sparingly when sciatic like pains in my back cripple me.

Please advise, I'm tired and want to be healthy and unaddicted to meds.
Andrea

[David Berg]

First of all, from what everything I've heard from folks who use Neurontin you are on a very low dose to expect relief from pain. It's common for a higher dose to be required when using it for pain than other conditions. It's not at all uncommon for people to be on over 3600mg/day. It all depends on what you need and can tolerate. Also, many people find the name-brand version much more effective than the generic.

As you've read, it is common to combine it with an anti-depressant such as Elavil. That can may help directly with the pain in addition to the depression that typically comes with chronic pain.

One more note; there's a difference between being addicted to a drug and being dependent on one. Someone who's a diabetic is dependent on insulin, not addicted. Someone who's in severe pain is dependent on medicine to help alleviate the pain, not addicted, provided the medicine is used properly.

I wish you all the best in dealing with this.