feeling no relief from neurontin anymore!

[Kayley2822]

I am struggling bad here.  I am not feeling relief for nerve pain in my back anymore with the meds! I am currently only taking neurontin for pain.  I was tired of taking narcotics due to the side effects.  Plus I have 2 young children that need be to be coherent! Anyways, I have been on neurontin for a month and a half now.  I went and saw the spine specialist and I explained to him that I must be building a tolerance to the neurontin seeing that it wasn't working for me.  He claimed that neurontin is a drug that you cannot build a tolerance to, just the dose I was taking wasn't high enough.  So he increased my dose to 3,000/mg a day.  Ok so that worked for a little while.  Now, it is not!  It is so strange because some days it will kick my butt to take that much but the past few it hasn't helped until 10 hours later.  What is the deal with the drug?  I just don't understand why?  Can someone please help me figure out why some days this medication helps and some days (MOST DAYS) it doesn't?  Any help would be greatly aprreciated.   I am really wanting relief dangit!

[Kayley2822]

Hi Paul,

Thank you for the recommendation.  I have a follow up in mid August and I will be sure to discuss Lyrica with him.  Thanks again for the advice.  

[PaulMD]

Hi there.

From what you have described, I believe that you are indeed already having tolerance to the drug and some form of resistance.  Any type of drug can eventually lead to this, especially if taken for quite a long time.

Other options for you is to have nerve blocks, which are usually performed by an anesthesiologist or pain specialist.  This may not totally eliminate the symptoms but this for sure, will lower your requirement for your medications such as neurontin.

Another option is to switch to a similar but different drug called Pregabalin (Lyrica), and his should be first discussed with your doctors.