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| Neurontin for low back pain? |
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Question:
I've had chronic low back pain for about four years. Nothing has
helped. Pain level is about 4 all the time except when I'm in bed.
I take 100mg of Tramadol twice a day for the pain, sometimes with
Tylenol, and a whole bunch of other crap (Baclofen, Prevacid, Fosamax,
etc. etc.). I had been on Celebrex but it did a job on my stomach -
hence the Prevacid. Now I cannot take any NSAIDs at all.
I was wondering if Neurontin was worth a try? I've read some postings
and some people say it makes their back hurt more. This is something I
couldn't handle.
My back problem has been diagnosed as muscular, aka they don't really
know. It's not a disc or a nerve problem.
I know Neurontin is far from a benign drug.
Has anyone tried it for low back muscle pain?
Answer:
I don't think Neurontin is for pain.. I think it is more for nerve
damage. I have tried it for the nerve damage I had in my legs but I
didn't take it long since I had a sick husband and two children to care
for. I was on 400mg a day and that was way to much for me to fight to
stay awake.
Neurontin aka gabapentin will not help the kind of pain you are
describing since this particular drug is for neuropathic pain. If the
pain isn't radiating into buttocks, legs or hips this drug is not for
you. Based on what you describe, if I were you, I would be working on
getting a stronger pain med such as Vicodin, Percocet or Darvocet.
What really might also help would be getting an RX for a muscle
relaxant, my favorite is Valium (yes, it is a muscle relaxant too) but
either Flexeril or Robaxin will work almost as well.
take Baclofen for the muscle spasms. I was on Flexeril for a couple
of years and eventually it stopped working. The Baclofen seems to work
well. I know it's not really for my kind of back problem but
nevertheless it's working.
My doctor did suggest Valium but I wanted to try the Baclofen first.
He agreed and so far so good. That was over a year ago.
It's the constant pain that's a killer. So far I've shied away from
the heavy duty drugs. For one thing the constipation is a serious
issue for me. Back pain and constipation don't work together well.
Simple cures (stool softners, fiber, fruit, vegs) don't work for me.
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