I was taking 2 nortriptyline ever night which were to help prevent headaches. I ended up taking extra strength tylenols every day for headaches! Now My neuro has decided to switch to gabapentin. Two nights ago I stopped nortriptyline and started gabapentin. Both nights I have been awakened in the night with worse headaches! Does anyone know if its because I stopped nortrip cold turkey and switched to gaba? I was reading past posts and someone said it takes a while for gaba to work. How much time should I give it? My sah was Dec 2013 and apparently I have reached a pinnacle in my healing…but that is a whole other story.
Cathy...
What did your doc explain to you?
Have you read the "Patient labeling" provided with the prescriptions?
I have for years been a member of: www.worstpills.org
Membership is $15.00 a year...tho they do also have a level of public information.
In/around that, the websites for all drugs can be pulled up online... I am the fanatic, first believing in acupuncture, other therapies...we all have so many choices and centered on our beliefs.
I did a quick online; the nortrip is an anti-depressant... the gaba is anti-convulsant... at least in the quick, easy to read, data...
And, did you ask your doc about taking Tylenol in addition to the other(s)? Any potentiai reactions?
If you did not read your patient info, please see if you have it, and/or pull it up online.
Wishing you the best in contacting, asking, your doc(s)...and, in keeping us updated...
I was recently prescribed nortriptyline for complex regional pain syndrome. It gave me insomnia and severe pins and needles, as well as burning flushing in my extremities. Three days after being off of it I am still experiencing the flushing. I also had a very bad headache for 36 hours after I stopped taking it.
What helped me was time, ice packs on my head and BC powders which have aspirin and caffeine. I do not use caffeine in general since my unruptured Annie was found and I don’t recommend using it, but my headache was so bad, along with the flushing I had to take something.
I also take 1200mgs of neurontin (GABA) for CRPS. It eliminated all the severe electrical pain I was having, but it does make me tired at this dose.
You really need to talk to your doctor, because you need guidance beyond what most of us can give you.
First...you are so right...in asking the docs...I hope I had made that clear in my initial response(s)...
A major ? I have for any/all... is WHY are anti-depressants so widely prescribed for "headaches/other pain"?
Who has a doc who has explained/described the use of anti-depressants for "pain"...?
That has been a ?/thought of mine for some time...
Drug after drug warnings (the black boxes/warnings): headaches, fatigue, nausea, yah-de-yah...
Seems like many could keep us sick so long...drug after drug...by the time we are on the 3rd version, will we remember our initial pain that caused the initial prescription?
A curiosity...because I wonder for the comparison of the pain med typically given at ER...(dilaudid) for whatever the cause of the pain...is often received b4 any exam/diagnosis...the synthetic that resembles our naturally occurring opiates...and, they can be prescribed...
Thus, I wonder IF anyone has had, or is on, a dilaudid med? Or is it one of the ingredients of the anti-depressants...? Just more Qs for the docs...
Is the pain in the "emotion brain" portion...aka: the medial temporal lobe; aka: the limbic system...
So many questions for the docs...
OK...this PILL is signing off...
Campanile said:
I was recently prescribed nortriptyline for complex regional pain syndrome. It gave me insomnia and severe pins and needles, as well as burning flushing in my extremities. Three days after being off of it I am still experiencing the flushing. I also had a very bad headache for 36 hours after I stopped taking it.
What helped me was time, ice packs on my head and BC powders which have aspirin and caffeine. I do not use caffeine in general since my unruptured Annie was found and I don't recommend using it, but my headache was so bad, along with the flushing I had to take something.
I also take 1200mgs of neurontin (GABA) for CRPS. It eliminated all the severe electrical pain I was having, but it does make me tired at this dose.
You really need to talk to your doctor, because you need guidance beyond what most of us can give you.
For my worse headaches I drink 2 glasses of mineral water, put an ice pack on my head and a heating pack on my neck. Also I eat a banana and potato chips-potassium and salt.If that doesn’t help then I try a dark room with quiet music. Finally, if I am really stuck I use the powdered aspirin formula with caffeine and acteametaphin. Some people find coffee helps, too. With my unruputured Annie I am avoiding coffee.
Hi Patioplans. I’ve been up north this week and away from wifi. Anyway things have not gotten any better with me. Its been one week on these gabapentins. I will be calling my neuro and telling him that I need to stop these drugs. I’ve gotten worse with flu-like symptoms and nausea along with headaches too. I have felt sick every day and cannot go on like this any more. I feel depleted and zombie-like. That’s it! I’m done!
Cathy...hope "up north" was a good week for you...and, beautiful weather/scenery...and, relaxation...
I regret for you that things have not gotten better for you... the bad thing is if any of he grandeur of being up north did not help...
As for the GABA...my first neuro put me on that, and, I had to stop...it re-triggered all the GI issues I had almost gotten calmed down after a f/u angio procedure. The GI issues resulted from my initial coil/stent implants; and continued w/the f/u angios....worsening w/this last.. It was finally calming (not stopping) So quickly after GABA from the neuro, I was terribly GI ill again... I would have stopped even if the neuro did not tell me...I was only on the intro level...My neuro then changed it to a Depakote prescription, which I never filled..To this day, I do not know if I left his office forgetting a prescription...or if I made a decision based on my long-term opinion of meds...
I did have the flu-like/GI issues... PLEASE read the data on your patient labeling and/or online...a/w/a calling your doc. I have become so amazed at the push of drugs... those approved as "legal"...
Cathy...please keep us posted... and, prayers for your recovery steps...
Cathy said:
Hi Patioplans. I've been up north this week and away from wifi. Anyway things have not gotten any better with me. Its been one week on these gabapentins. I will be calling my neuro and telling him that I need to stop these drugs. I've gotten worse with flu-like symptoms and nausea along with headaches too. I have felt sick every day and cannot go on like this any more. I feel depleted and zombie-like. That's it! I'm done!
Well just completing one of the worst weeks ever. Called the doc on Fri a.m. And he told me to stop the Gaba immediately! He said I will feel more like “myself” in 3-4 days!
patioplans said:
Cathy...hope "up north" was a good week for you...and, beautiful weather/scenery...and, relaxation...
I regret for you that things have not gotten better for you... the bad thing is if any of he grandeur of being up north did not help...
As for the GABA...my first neuro put me on that, and, I had to stop...it re-triggered all the GI issues I had almost gotten calmed down after a f/u angio procedure. The GI issues resulted from my initial coil/stent implants; and continued w/the f/u angios....worsening w/this last.. It was finally calming (not stopping) So quickly after GABA from the neuro, I was terribly GI ill again... I would have stopped even if the neuro did not tell me...I was only on the intro level...My neuro then changed it to a Depakote prescription, which I never filled..To this day, I do not know if I left his office forgetting a prescription...or if I made a decision based on my long-term opinion of meds...
I did have the flu-like/GI issues... PLEASE read the data on your patient labeling and/or online...a/w/a calling your doc. I have become so amazed at the push of drugs... those approved as "legal"...
Cathy...please keep us posted... and, prayers for your recovery steps...
Cathy said:Hi Patioplans. I've been up north this week and away from wifi. Anyway things have not gotten any better with me. Its been one week on these gabapentins. I will be calling my neuro and telling him that I need to stop these drugs. I've gotten worse with flu-like symptoms and nausea along with headaches too. I have felt sick every day and cannot go on like this any more. I feel depleted and zombie-like. That's it! I'm done!
So glad you reached your doc...keep us posted....
When you are feeling better...will you ask your doc why he/she prescribed it?
I could get wild in my thoughts...and, will set them aside right now...
Thanks for this update... prayers for your recovery steps...
Cathy said:
Well just completing one of the worst weeks ever. Called the doc on Fri a.m. And he told me to stop the Gaba immediately! He said I will feel more like "myself" in 3-4 days!
patioplans said:Cathy...hope "up north" was a good week for you...and, beautiful weather/scenery...and, relaxation...
I regret for you that things have not gotten better for you... the bad thing is if any of he grandeur of being up north did not help...
As for the GABA...my first neuro put me on that, and, I had to stop...it re-triggered all the GI issues I had almost gotten calmed down after a f/u angio procedure. The GI issues resulted from my initial coil/stent implants; and continued w/the f/u angios....worsening w/this last.. It was finally calming (not stopping) So quickly after GABA from the neuro, I was terribly GI ill again... I would have stopped even if the neuro did not tell me...I was only on the intro level...My neuro then changed it to a Depakote prescription, which I never filled..To this day, I do not know if I left his office forgetting a prescription...or if I made a decision based on my long-term opinion of meds...
I did have the flu-like/GI issues... PLEASE read the data on your patient labeling and/or online...a/w/a calling your doc. I have become so amazed at the push of drugs... those approved as "legal"...
Cathy...please keep us posted... and, prayers for your recovery steps...
Cathy said:Hi Patioplans. I've been up north this week and away from wifi. Anyway things have not gotten any better with me. Its been one week on these gabapentins. I will be calling my neuro and telling him that I need to stop these drugs. I've gotten worse with flu-like symptoms and nausea along with headaches too. I have felt sick every day and cannot go on like this any more. I feel depleted and zombie-like. That's it! I'm done!
Thanks for your thoughts. Today is my second day off the gabapentin. It has been a nightmare for me. On Friday and Saturday, It felt like I was slowly being poisoned, thought I was going to die, and I didn’t care. That’s not me!
Today … Sunday … I got out my new nordic walking poles, walked over to the local fitness track, went twice around. I am depleted but I must say I enjoyed using the poles. It is my first time using them and I am excited to go tomorrow!
Super tired and still coping with the withdrawal of the gaba. Headaches are manageable. I am drinking lots of water too! Just trying to get better.
Cathy said:
Well just completing one of the worst weeks ever. Called the doc on Fri a.m. And he told me to stop the Gaba immediately! He said I will feel more like "myself" in 3-4 days!
patioplans said:Cathy...hope "up north" was a good week for you...and, beautiful weather/scenery...and, relaxation...
I regret for you that things have not gotten better for you... the bad thing is if any of he grandeur of being up north did not help...
As for the GABA...my first neuro put me on that, and, I had to stop...it re-triggered all the GI issues I had almost gotten calmed down after a f/u angio procedure. The GI issues resulted from my initial coil/stent implants; and continued w/the f/u angios....worsening w/this last.. It was finally calming (not stopping) So quickly after GABA from the neuro, I was terribly GI ill again... I would have stopped even if the neuro did not tell me...I was only on the intro level...My neuro then changed it to a Depakote prescription, which I never filled..To this day, I do not know if I left his office forgetting a prescription...or if I made a decision based on my long-term opinion of meds...
I did have the flu-like/GI issues... PLEASE read the data on your patient labeling and/or online...a/w/a calling your doc. I have become so amazed at the push of drugs... those approved as "legal"...
Cathy...please keep us posted... and, prayers for your recovery steps...
Cathy said:Hi Patioplans. I've been up north this week and away from wifi. Anyway things have not gotten any better with me. Its been one week on these gabapentins. I will be calling my neuro and telling him that I need to stop these drugs. I've gotten worse with flu-like symptoms and nausea along with headaches too. I have felt sick every day and cannot go on like this any more. I feel depleted and zombie-like. That's it! I'm done!