Confusion is my middle name, too bad it’s not Confucius, hmm? You know the one, Confucius says…? But I will try to be a bit more knowledgeable as anyone with my limitations can be…
Here’s the rub, for any who may have Googled ‘Gabapentin’, trying to decipher/ find out what it is and what it is used for in the bigger scheme of things and why would this gal be needing it, hmm?
Well, I am here tonight to resolve all those questions and misconceptions that any or all of you may have had about the whys and wherefores, etc., okey dokey?
Pharmaceutically speaking, Gabapentin is the generic name of Neurontin, and they are both used for many disorders primarily for adult and childhood seizure disorders, an anti-epileptic medication, also called an anticonvulsant, even in veterinary medicine too; for epilepsy!
But that’s not all it is used for, it is also used to help with paresis which is a condition typified by a weakness of voluntary movement, or a partial loss of voluntary movement or by impaired movement, and also to control dysesthesias (pain caused by MS lesions) and as well as the pain caused by spasticity, all to do with multiple sclerosis, got that?
And dosing is according to tolerance and need.
“This medication is one all physicians should be made aware of that you are taking, since you should wear a medical alert tag or carry an ID card stating that you take gabapentin. Any doctor, dentist, or emergency medical care provider who treats you should know that you take seizure medication.” Thanks to this site: http://www.drugs.com/gabapentin.html That is if taken for seizures. And this site too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurontin
“*Since it may be difficult to distinguish between certain common symptoms of MS and some side effects of gabapentin, be sure to consult your health care professional if an abrupt change of this type occurs.” Thanks to this site: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-we-know-about-ms/treatments/medications/gabapentin/index.aspx
In other words, when your legs/feet don’t do what they are supposed to do, even other body parts like arms and hands etc, due to un-coordination and numbness and you have electric type pain like hitting your funny-bone, not so funny anymore when not hit… and numbness pretty much all over, you may need Gabapentin.
And I have been on it for quite some time this was just a doubling of the dosing in graduation type increments to make sure I can tolerate it; it’s powerful stuff apparently!
But many of the MS persons are on higher doses than me, some as much as 2400 MG. or 3600MG. a day and I am going from just 900MG. a day to eventually 1800 MG. a day within a three week period, so it must be strong stuff!
Thus a clarification has been done; at least I hope that was helpful for all your inquiring minds.
On that note with no pictures, sorry, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all those overages with you know who and we will too!
And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?!