Gabapentin

[silvercarper]

I have been prescribed Gabapentin for nerve pain in my foot and its working great .The pain I have had for the last 3 weeks has gone .

BUT

Its making my apnea worse . The APAP is going up to 17 and my mask is blowing off my face. I woke up in the early hours this morning with a apnea which is the first time this has happened for a long time.

As usual I cant get in touch with the hospital or get a appointment for my GP so where can I find out if Gabapentin should be prescribed if I am using CPAP.

[Sparticus]

I have been prescribed Gabapentin for nerve pain in my foot and its working great .The pain I have had for the last 3 weeks has gone .

BUT

Its making my apnea worse . The APAP is going up to 17 and my mask is blowing off my face. I woke up in the early hours this morning with a apnea which is the first time this has happened for a long time.

As usual I cant get in touch with the hospital or get a appointment for my GP so where can I find out if Gabapentin should be prescribed if I am using CPAP.

Gabby's which is more of a common name I used for them is quite a drug. You must be on a light dose if you woke up at all lol My partner was on these for several years to deal with parts of her MS. Many times I caught her trying to walk threw walls or levitate round the room, It got to a point that the doc took her off them. They were quite good for restless leg syndrome as well. This drug has 100's of side effects and if its knocking you out then Im not surprised that your osa is getting worse. If we take drugs that knock us out, how is our body suppose to wake us during an event of apnea? You cant have it both ways. If you take a drug that puts you spark out and then you have an apnea your body then cant just shake the effects of that drug off and wake you and if it cant wake you, then what? Speak to your doctor about it ASAP

[Fredxx]

Anti spasmodic (which shouldn't affect the OSA) and a muscle relaxant...the muscle relaxant bit will act like alcohol and make all your bits more relaxed, including the ones that keep the airways open, so there is a reasonable chance that Gabapentin will make snoring, and of course Apnoeas, worse. I know my partner snored a lot more on it when he was on it for sciatica and back spasms...

[silvercarper]

I have just started the Gaberpentin and I am only taking 300mg twice a day.
I have taken one this morning but I will stop tonights tablet.
Until I can get in contact with the hospital I will probably just take one in the morning and hope that the pain does not return later in the day.
I wish I was under a proper sleep clinic like most posters on this forum.

[silvercarper]

I have been prescribed some lower dose tablets by my GP to see if that helps.
It seems I will have to balance the side effects with the benefits but im very nervous about taking them.
Where can I find out if i should be taking them whilst using CPAP?

[James @ Intus]

A quick scan of these results doesn't make it look like it's necessarily contraindicated:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=(gabapentin+OR+neurontin)+contraindication+(cpap+OR+apnea)

If you have an Auto-CPAP, perhaps keep a careful eye on the stats and indeed find your balance, if the doc agrees.

[silvercarper]

Probably because the drug was not tested to find out what effect it has on sleep apnea.
I wonder how many other drugs are tested for this.
Anyway I stopped taking them and ,crossed fingers, the pain has not returned in my foot.
It will return as my ankle is well screwed up, literally, but at least I know what works.