I’m gradually working my through nerve pain medication, i started with amitriptyline which definitely took the edge off my pain and was great for my sleep however i only experienced these effects when i was taking 50mg and i then started with urinary retention so had to stop them. This time i am trialling gabapentin. I have been on them now for 1 week and i have had awful gi problems, indigestion, painful cramps, nausea and bloating. Aswell as this i have had joint pain in my back and insomnia, i phoned my gp within a couple of days of starting them and she wanted me to try them for a week as she said the side effects should start to wear off by then. I can’t stand anymore, i’ve got to stop them, i can’t eat or sleep and they do nothing for the pain although i am only on 100mg so i woukd be surprised if they did. I guess the next suggestion would be pre gabalin. Has anyone taken this? Any success? Right now i would quite happily go in for surgery tomorrow rather than trying anymore of these drugs!
Hi Steph, sorry to hear you’re not coping with the medication! I have been taken Lyrica and a muscle relaxant and this is controlling the pain with minimal side effects. Does not take all the pain away but definitely makes it manageable. Have you tried taking Lyrica? Everyone is different but I have found it helpful. Also gentle excercise (I.e. long walks) also helps.
I think lyrica will be the next one to try. Thanks
I’m very sorry you’re suffering so much, Steph. I hope you’re able to find a medication that helps & even more that you’re able to find a local doctor/surgeon with enough experience to do your ES surgery.
I’ve often wondered why one good surgeon who doesn’t have experience in a particular area wouldn’t consult w/ a surgeon who has experience in the situation in question to learn something new which (s)he could then use. Maybe they do but we just don’t hear about it. I.e. in so doing, someone more local to you could learn how to do ES surgery & then apply it in your case.
Praying you get relief soon!
Sorry that you’re dealing with all thses side effects as well as the pain…
Not experts on here with the different nerve pain medications I’m afraid, Amitriptyline luckily helped me with bearable side effects- do you think maybe you could get your GP to refer you to a neurologist for more expert advice?
The Ben’s Friends Facial Pain group has lots of info on this- you don’t have to join if you don’t want to, you can still read discussions, here’s a link:
Sorry I can’t be more elpful, but thinking of you… 
Steph, not sure where you are with finding a doctor for the ES/ surgery, but have you seen this discussion:
Might be helpful to connect with some other members in your area?
Hi Steph
I’ve been taking Amitriptyline for some years now, prescribed by the neurologist I see at the headache clinic in UHW Cardiff (long before being diagnosed with Eagle’s syndrome), which does help to a degree. I was also taking Lyrica along with the Amitriptyline for a while, but gradually came off them and stayed off them as they didn’t seem to make any difference. I’ve only had a few side effects, which are bearable compared to yours. You may find that Lyrica suits you. One of the drawbacks of trying something different is the time it takes having to do things gradually. Hope you get sorted very soon!
Thanks for your advise guys, i think i will need to try lyrica. I’ve had a horrible few days, i managed to eat a little porridge yesterday but i still feel so sick, my ears are really painful too as i’m trying to stay off pain relief to allow my stomach to get better. I’ve got to be honest i’m really concerned about trying anything else after the reactions i’ve had.
Sounds rough, thinking of you Steph, sending you a hug 
Hoping you feel better very soon. I get terrible side effects from meds, too. Sending sympathy & also a hug.
