How I'm doing as of 12/18 on Gabapentin

I am on the max dose of Gabapentin - 600 mg, 3x/day.
So far I like Gabapentin, however I'm confused by my pain really hurting me a lot still (can't stretch, can't walk much), and by it working better and worse.  It doesn't give me any side effects, which is good.  I'm also on 20 mg Cymbalta, since November.

Every time I take Gabapentin, I need it.  That is, I am tight and sore and in pain and, I tend to expect that Gabapentin will make it better, which it often dos.  Sometimes, I really feel a period of pain relief, when I am lying down and ahh- all those spasming (cramping, pulling, tight) muscles relax. Its funny because I try to get them to relax all day by doing stretches/purposeful releasing, and yet its not until Gabapentin that I actually feel - oh, THATS how its supposed to feel.
I often wake up with a ton of spasms throughout my back that just get worse the longer I go without Gabapentin.

However, I don't feel that much better for very long.  And seriously, even though better is much better than spasming (much, much much much better than spasming, it makes me feel terrible), its not very good!  I'm starting to go crazy thinking that this is my quality of life- waiting for my meds to work, then going back into pain, and all the while not being able to run or stretch my hamstrings.

However also, of note- my experience is that Gabapentin works better when I combine it with Vicodin (from the ER)- which is 5-325 acetaminophen-hydrocodone, which I take just a half tablet at a time.  I really notice a difference.

Also of note-I had a few times where I took Gabapentin a little too close together.  What happened was really surprising.  I had a period where I was like thinking-thinking-thinking-thinking, my thinking was just off the wall crazy and I felt anxious.  But then when that subsided on its own, I became extremely at peace and "here" and could socialize with less problems than usual.  (as in, at the synagogue, and that one time at the pizza place after my neurologist appt)

So with those things in mind- I am going to try Lyrica.  While I do obviously expect it to help, that is why I am taking it, it likely won't help me in the incredible way that the anti fungal did, where my body started relaxing big time, not just a moderate decrease is spasms, but actually my muscles breaking open and letting go.  So... its probably not going to cure me, you know?




How I'm doing on Lo-Loestrin -- I had the least bleeding period ever, had absolutely no need for a tampon.  However, I felt that my blood really really smelled, stunk, and that was kind of gross.

Another incidence of the ER thing; but it was a short one

I felt the pumping feeling, after having gotten muscle spasms in my neck and jaw.

It wasn't a bad one, it only lasted an hour.  The pumping/rushing feeling actually felt good.. pain relief.

The very last thing I had eaten was a box of raspberries and a sip of wine.

Didn't get my period on 09/22

Didn't get it, it would have been a month from the last time.

So I took Brintellix and we will see what happens, if I get it again.  I took Brintellix 10 mg for 3 days only.  I had bad dreams but I also think I was having bad dreams before it too.

So-- update in a couple weeks..
I hope I get it!  It makes me happy.

Times I went to Moishe House (and thus had alcohol)

The first date, I'm not sure. Possibly: May 8

The following dates:
July 20
Aug 17 (I think I skipped this one when I was feeling really bad with symptoms..)
Sept 15

edited: nah, I tried some more wine but it didn't bring on any symptoms.  hmph.

Another incidence of the muscle spasms /wierd ER head thing

Began 09/16.
To go into a few details:

I was constipated beginning 09/15.  It was odd but I didn't think much of it.
Day of 09/16 - Was doing perfectly fine.  Took codeine along with Neurontin, something I had tried out the last two days.  Around 4 pm, got really nauseus, threw up, and then also had all this pain relief throughout my body, but sick feeling.  Figured that it was due to the Codeine, a side effect of Codeine is nausea, but I had taken Codeine the day before and not had nausea.
Head started really hurting, enough that I was vocally going 'ahh, ahh', and staying out of light from the TV.  I was nauseus.  I forced myself to eat a chocolate bar and I felt better a few hours later and went to sleep.  I woke up at 6AM which is strange for me.

Currently- getting muscle spasms, ow!  Not very nauseus, but a little.  Definitely not getting that rushing feeling which is also pain-relieving.

I'm getting tested for Variegate Porphyria today.. hope to heck that it IS so that I can get a diagnosis!.

If not, then WHY AM I GETTING MUSCLE SPASMS INTERMITTENTLY 


edit: I am not on birth control so its not that.  I didn't change my meds significantly.. I did try codeine, could that have been the culprit?  But, I didn't have codeine the other two times it happened this year.

EDIT: Test for Porphyrins was negative, so its not Porphyria :(

Got my period! 08/25/18

Completely out of the blue.

Here's what I've been doing that might have caused it-- trying to put it together, like always.. :(

Tried a Fluconazole recently; 4 days before period
Took Trintellix with Fluconazole for two days - 10 mg, then 20 mg
Have been taking 'the supplement' -  N-acetyl cysteine
recently started eating more fat in the form of cheese and dairy

my guess is the Trintellix (Brintellix), because that is what caused my period last year that was kind of surprising, although I had also been taking Fluconazole then so that is unclear!

Part III testing- a few inhibitory items and others

Others: 

Date: 09/08/18

Food Item:  Epicatechin; don't know the dose

Time Ingested: [  ]

     Reaction No. 1:  [ good reaction, felt like some of my muscles stopped being held tight, so that was interesting]

Date:  09/08/18

Food Item:  Diatomaceous Earth, silica

     Reaction No. 1:  [ no bad reaction to taste or in body.  Good reaction- Felt some muscle releasing, not sure if it was due to the diatomaceous earth or because I had recently ingested nortriptyline.  Would be good to know the difference and keep in mind.. ]
     What time did it end? [lasted a few min]

    

Date: 09/07/18

Food Item:  Potassium choline

Time Ingested: [  ]

     Reaction No. 1:  [  tasted bad, felt bad in my body until I burped 15 min later.  No other reaction noted.]

     What time did it start: [  ]

     How severe was it? Scale 1-10:  [  ]

     What time did it end? [ ]

Mainly inhibitory items- GABA, L-theanine, Magnesium Glycinate, Potassium Glycinate

Date: 08/17/18

Food Item:  GABA

Time Ingested: [  ]

     Reaction No. 1:  [ very slight reaction.  Had ten seconds of feeling in my body.  and had a bowel movement, which may or may not have been related.  Did not get the feeling when I took more of it though]

     What time did it start: [  ]

     How severe was it? Scale 1-10:  [  1 ]

     What time did it end? [ immediately ]

Date: 08/17/18

Food Item:  Magnesium Glycinate

Time Ingested: [ 1/4 tsp ]

     Reaction No. 1:  [  no reaction ]

     What time did it start: [  ]

     How severe was it? Scale 1-10:  [  ]

     What time did it end? [ ]

Date: 08/17/18

Food Item:  Taurine 500 mg pill

Time Ingested: [ 11:03 pm  ]

     Reaction No. 1:  [ no reaction as of 5 min ]

     What time did it start: [  ]

     How severe was it? Scale 1-10:  [  ]

     What time did it end? [ ]

Date: 

Food Item:  

Time Ingested: [  ]

     Reaction No. 1:  [  ]

     What time did it start: [  ]

     How severe was it? Scale 1-10:  [  ]

     What time did it end? [ ]