Gabapentin

[Harriet]

Hi,

Thought I'd weigh in on gabapentin. I've taken it for 13 years, first in combination with clonazepam which made me sleepy. After a minor fender bender I decided I needed to be more alert and discontinued the clonazepam. I take 400-600mg a day. If I try to go higher I feel headachy and unable to concentrate. But the amount I take makes a significant difference for short periods of time each day. For perhaps 2 or 3 hours I feel stronger, steadier and have an overall sense of well being. (Clonazepam can be a mood elevator in addition to other things.) During those hours, I still cannot stand for more than a few seconds, but when I lean on or hold on to something I feel fine. (Whereas without the medication I'm shaky even when leaning.) Maybe if I spaced the pills more evenly during the day the results would last longer, but I tend to take the medication before I go out to face my daily challenges and when I feel I need fortification.

I'm very grateful for the relief I do get from gabapentin and to have short periods of feeling almost normal. I think that clonazepam which is a muscle relaxant might help with the "freezing" which is my most dreaded problem. Maybe I'll try it again on days that I am not driving.

Best wishes to all.

Harriet