Saw my physio today and he has suggested either pregabalin or gabapentin to help with high tone and nerve painand stiffness in my affected side.
Anuone have any experience of these and whether there are any pitebtisl side effects to look out for.
Thanks in advance for any responses.
Cheers and a Happy and Healthy 2023 to you all and your loved ones
@TRFCANDY53 hi Andy, I take Garpbentin I started on 300mgs x 3 a day I did feel a bit tierd and it started to work I’m now taking 600mgs x 3 times a day. As my pain got worse I readjusted my meds with my GPS support. I do not get sleepy anymore I’m used to it. It’s taken me about 8 months to get to this stage. Hope this helps. Keep going Loraine
Thanks @Loshy im not sure of dose yet seeing my consultant on 18th so will learn more then. Im also waiting for a heart monitor (loop wire?) To be fitted as they havent ruled out AF as a potential of causing my stroke.
Thanks and hope to see you on one of bobbis zoom meets soon xx
I had. 72 hour heart monitor it give off a couple of missed beats so I had a week one and there was nothing wrong. I blame their equipment. It really stresses you out. Good luck @TRFCANDY53
Hi @TRFCANDY53 
I take pregabalin three times a day. Haven’t had any side effects 2 years in so hope you find a result!
Reassuring words…
Uve had a 5 day monitor and the bubble test which showed nothing - im grateful they are carrying on investigating …
The care and attentionn here is really brilliant. Im lucky in the sense of where i live and the stroke support and expertise.
Another thing im very grateful for
Hi Andy @TRFCANDY53 . It started with the flu but I had to have antibiotics so I’m ok now. That said, I slept Tuesday most of afternoon and in bed about 9 till 9. My head was foggy and I was off balance. It’s been a while since I experienced this foggy weird feeling. But today I’m much better thank you.
How about you, have you and your family been ok? 
You are amazing the way you keep bouncing back Lorraine - a real inspiration which i mean sincerely xx.
You are auch a caring selfless giving person that sonetimes you need to make sure you let others help you as much as you need.
We are all in this journey at different places but all wanting the same result…
Hopefully see you on Mondays zog call
Much love from me; Julie, Matthew and Harry xxx
@TRFCANDY53 aghhh Andy you’re so kind, yes I’m hoping to make Mondays zoom meeting.
I cannot believe it’s nearly the weekend, 2 weeks ago we were just ready for Christmas time flies.
I’m looking at a new calendar and hope this year brings peace to us all and less pain. Gives us hope and energy 
see ya soon loraine x
Look forwardcto seeing you on Monday xx.
Andy
I was prescribed pregabalin years ago and still take one every night. The doctor said they are a general medicine that helps with anxiety and pains but I have been on them for a long time and I think they are a bit addictive. They help to relax me so I will continue to take them. Norma Jean.
Many thanks Norma Jean, thsts really helpful and much appreciated . X
Take good care
I have given pregablin what I think is a decent go but didn’t get a massive benefit from it so switching over to gabapentin. There are formal studies on people who have done the opposite.
Apparently it is very common, although they are similar, for one to produce better results for you than the another. The pharmacist who is helping me went through a list of 5 possibles and so I’m one down out of 5 as I found the higher doses of pregablin difficult.
It does look like it’s a case of trial and error. The idea seems to be to find that sweet spot dose wise of minimum side effects to maximum benefits.
There are some serious lag times between starting to take these and full benefit, 4 to 6 weeks, definitely not a quick fix.
You are very welcome sorry I couldnt be more help. Norma Jean
Thamks Nigel. Very insightful and informative. Will discuss further with my medics when i see them.
Cheers
Andy
Thats a great help thanks
Just to add, I was for pregablin, on 150mg morning, 75mg lunch and 75mg evening. I found that even if I took the evening dose up a little to 100mg, that was too much. Felt a bit like a zombie and remote.
I didn’t feel there was a definite benefit to higher dose but … I am today now back on 75-75-75 with 25mg decreases with the aim to get to 50-50-50 over 3 days before I drop it completely and move to gabapentin.
I feel more achy and stiff today and it’s easy to assume the drop of medicine is the reason but …
I also found that I never settled even on the higher dose. On Xmas Eve I could walk really quite quickly and was even able to do a decent slow jog over 30-40 metres.
For the next 5 days, walking was hard work,even short distances but the sensations were also in the arm, hand and face so not just the legs. then another day when I could walk quickly. Any given day tended to feel better at 5pm than 10am.
Sometimes there is the thought of “done too much” but I don’t think this is often the case for me. The neuropathic pain seems to come and go in waves and it’s easy to associate a bad day with x event. I don’t think any link is reliable.
This makes it hard to draw any definite conclusions,even coming off the medicine, I can’t be sure the achy feeling now is 100% linked. This is frustrating as how to make decent decisions when there is this variation.
The only thing I am sure of is stress makes me feel much worse. The rest defies logic for now
Hope this helps
Thanks Nigel…
Really great to read about your walking and jogging too!!!
Very impressed.
Im thinking the medics need to explain this clearly to me…
