Neurontin and neuropathy

I am switching from Lyrics to Neurontin. I have always had a weight problem and lost 50 lbs.on Weight Watchers and have gained about 10 of it back. I am switching from Lyrics to Neurontin, hoping to stem the weight gain. Opinions and experiences please . . . am I jumping from the frying pan into the fire? I CANNOT ALLOW THIS WEIGHT TO COME BACK ANY FURTHER !!!! HELP !!!!!!

LC - Ohio

I am my husbands caregiver. He is on many medications the last 26 years due to chemical poisoning thanks to our government not protecting their civilian painters at the Army Depot where he worked.
He has permanent brain damage, CRS damage, memory loss and short term memory, CHF and Bollis Emphysema. Now he also has Type II diabetes a severe case as he was not diagnosed for 7+ years of testing.
To make this short. He has been on many drugs for pain, diabetes, blood pressure, the brain damage, ( he is a recovering, not drinking alcoholic)
Recently the doctor took him off the Codeine # 3 that he had been taking for almost 15 years, 8 per day. and gave him time release Morphine Sulfate.15 MG. They also gave him Gabapentin for the neuropathy which is severe in his feet and starting to go up his legs. He is over weight, above the waist, and has not had a problem with High Blood Pressure, for many years since taking 60 mg daily of Inderal. His Blood Sugars have been between 98-140 without medication. When he was first diagnosed he was put on glyberide and it worked so good he was off it in 6 months and totally diet controlled since then but about every 3 years he would go on it for about 6 months and then he was ok again.
He has not needed it for the last 7 years. Since starting the gabapentin he went from 300 to 600 to 900 and slowly increased the dose to 1600 mg. The 300's are caps, the 600's are tablets.
All the sudden he has pounding headaches, I took his BP which we had not been watching and it was 198/115 with a 98 pulse. The only change was the gabapentin and Morphine. The morphine does not seem to be causing any side effects, once he was used to getting sleepy.. but once the gabapentin was added, all he does is sleep. The blood sugars also went up with the blood pressure. His were 358 higher than they have ever been except when he was first diagnosed. I was able to get the glyberide and that is bring down the sugar levels only taking 1/4 tab 2 x a day, and the blood pressure is also coming down, it was 139/85 with a pluse of 76 which is still too fast. I talked to some pharmancy friends and they said " Its the gabapentin " so I told the doc I wanted to stop it and he said to start leveling off, one 300 mg cap every 4 days. We were down to 2 a day till Friday and saw the doctor. Due to his taking Cymbalta they did not want to give him any of the other anti depressants so they want him to back on the gabapentin up to 1200 a day instead of the 1600 a day.
Taking into consideration his medical issues and meds, I don't believe this is a safe or sound decision, but I know how much pain he was in before the gabapentin.
I wish they would be more forthright about the side effects of this medication. They said it only causes blood sugar issues in 1 % and they did not even address the high blood pressure etc.
His pupils are also different, he has the kidney pain, but his biggest problem is sleepy.. hopefully it's not his kidneys or his heart. They did blood tests on Friday and I am asking for a EKG.. in the mean time we are monitoring both blood pressure and blood sugar 6 or more times a day. Thank you so much for sharing. It really helps to know we are not alone.

I have been on Neurontin for over a year for neuropathy and the other day I was looking at me gums and freaked out. My teeth, in the front, lower looked rotten. I have a little gum problem and therefore brush two or three times a day and use a water peek with peroxide every morning. I guess I was focusing too much on the gums to notice my teeth. I know it does a number on your saliva production but I never realized how much. Wow. Went to Target today and got a dentist scaler and pick set and have scraped off the worst of it. Can"t wait for my next cleaning!!!FYI Marsh

I have been taking Neurontin for 1 week (300 mg 1x per day and then prescribed to increase to 300 mg 2x per day after 1st week). It has been incredible taking the pain away (hemi-vertibrae bone defect in neck with severe arthritis)!!! Like Oh my goodness wonderful!!! however - by the end of the day - i am 20 lbs bloated and feel like the weight gain is right around the corner... I am very aware of body ( I am a dancer) and need to know if this is going to balance out... i know the answer of it depends oneach person - but some insight would help me not panic right now

I take 3600 MG/Day to help with an indiopatic neuropathy on both legs. It does work very well and I am more or less able to live my life except for the side effects which are memory loss (I now write everything down) and sleepless nights. Please check the neuropathy.org site and try to create a support group in your area

Hello, I have had severe fibromyalgia, Crohn's disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which put me in the bed for about four years. My pain was so severe, I was put on morphine. They were ready to put the morphine pump in when I just rebelled and put my foot down. I was tired of everyone ruling my life. I was like a zombie but was still in severe pain. When I pulled off the medication, it left me with neuropathy in my feet. I asked the doctor to put me on Neurontin for that. I had no idea how it was going to effect my fibromyalgia. The very first pill I took, I was scared to take it because I am so hyper sensitive. It eased my entire body down and it felt so good. For the first time in such a long time, I had the best nights rest. i had been sleep deprived for years. Since then, the doctor has eased my dose up and I am presently on 1200 mg a day. I am starting to excercise my muscles for the first time lifting cans of soup. I know that sounds funny but I have come from my death bed. I am concentrating so much better. I am working on a home study course and being able to get up very early and go to bed at a good time. I again stress that I sleep so well. The only thing I can see that has happened differently is that my vision has gotten worse. I don't know if it is from that. My pupils are not equal either as someone else has mentioned. I also have had some ringing in my ears but I am taking other medications too and can't say that it is just neurontin that is causing it. I have hope now where I didn't have before in my life. I can't say enough good about what Neurontin has done for me. You have to start out very low on it and gradually go up. Carole

I have been on neurontin for four years now. I had a grand
mall seizure and have been on 1800 mgs.
Im dizzy all the time. My toes are numb at nite.I am so
tired of it. I have border line diabetis.What will help me?
I am especialy dizzy on a slanted walkway...walking in
sand,my vision also seems blured.
they tell me i have neuropathy.Can anyone tell me how
I can feel better.
Thanks

Bill

I am taking 2700 mg a day for neuropathy caused by cervical fusion. It has helped the tingling and burning in my hands. Now checking to see if dosage can be increased but, doctor order blood work first to see if kideys are functioning properly

I am a 34 yr old woman who has has diabetes for 23 yrs. I have extreme neuropathy in my feet and can be in pain for days. I am on a dose of 7200 mg of Neurontin A DAY. I wen t through all the dizziness, memory loss, tiredness and sleepwalking that I could do, however I could not decrease my dosage because of the severity of the neuropathy (burning and pain the feet due to diabetic complications). I just want people to know that I have been taking this dose for 3 yrs now and all the side effects have gone away except for the tiredness now and then. I still have some burning that is severe, but I know if I got off the Neurontin, I would surly die!