After my follow-up appointment last week at BC Cancer Agency, I was thinking that I would have chronic nerve pain for the rest of my life. It didn't help that every doctor I saw was perplexed by what was causing my pain.
Then, one day the pain seemed to subside. Out of the blue. I noticed that when I coughed, I didn't feel the excruciating burning pain that I had been dealing with since the surgery. I don't think I've ever felt so relieved and happy in my life! I tested out my pain levels by forcing out a few coughs and allowing myself to sneeze. I tried moving my leg around to see if the pain was there at all. Nothing. It seemed to have magically disappeared overnight.
I excitedly told my sister. I had to share the good news! Then I called my mom, who quickly brought me back down to earth. She said it might just be because the Gabapentin/Tylenol/Ibuprofen concoction was masking the pain. I knew that wasn't the case because I had been taking them for over a week and I had been feeling the pain all along. But, of course, I did wonder if it had just taken a while for the nerve blockers to take effect. Ugh!
I was warned by the oncologist to make sure I didn't stop taking the Gabapentin cold turkey. He said I could stop taking the Ibuprofen, but I needed to wean myself off the Gabapentin slowly. So, that's what I've been doing. I've been slowly reducing the number of pills I'm taking per day. This is likely the reason I've been experiencing new side effects:
NLM lists the following symptoms of gabapentin withdrawal:
I also read a patients' forum that recounted countless stories from people claiming that taking Gabapentin was the worst decision they'd ever made. So now I've kind of freaked myself out a bit. I'm going to go a little more slowly now as I wean myself off the stuff; maybe do a few more days at this lower dosage before dropping down again.
On a more positive note, I drove for the first time yesterday. I met all the criteria - I have full range of motion and have no fear of braking or sudden stops. I was supposed to wait a while longer, but I'm confident that I'm not a risk to myself or others on the road. It will be nice to have a little more freedom again.
The next step is to get clearance to go back to work, but that won't happen for a bit since my next appointment with the surgeon isn't for another 3 weeks. If all my side effects are gone, my pain remains in check, and my energy is back up, then I should be ready to get back to work.
I also (reluctantly) shared my cancer journey on my Facebook page. I struggled with the decision because I didn't think a social media platform was the right place to share news like this, but I also felt that there are many people in my life that would like to know. So, I decided to invite people to read this blog as a means of supporting me. I hope it was the right decision.
Finally...
The entire family (mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and I) all booked an 11-day Mediterranean cruise for November. We felt we all needed it, and since you never know what life may throw at you, it's important to have experiences and create memories while you can. It gives me something to look forward to and a way to turn this year around! (I just need to make sure I can book the time off work ... oops!) 😍
Then, one day the pain seemed to subside. Out of the blue. I noticed that when I coughed, I didn't feel the excruciating burning pain that I had been dealing with since the surgery. I don't think I've ever felt so relieved and happy in my life! I tested out my pain levels by forcing out a few coughs and allowing myself to sneeze. I tried moving my leg around to see if the pain was there at all. Nothing. It seemed to have magically disappeared overnight.
I excitedly told my sister. I had to share the good news! Then I called my mom, who quickly brought me back down to earth. She said it might just be because the Gabapentin/Tylenol/Ibuprofen concoction was masking the pain. I knew that wasn't the case because I had been taking them for over a week and I had been feeling the pain all along. But, of course, I did wonder if it had just taken a while for the nerve blockers to take effect. Ugh!
I was warned by the oncologist to make sure I didn't stop taking the Gabapentin cold turkey. He said I could stop taking the Ibuprofen, but I needed to wean myself off the Gabapentin slowly. So, that's what I've been doing. I've been slowly reducing the number of pills I'm taking per day. This is likely the reason I've been experiencing new side effects:
- Sleeplessness
- Muscle aches and pains
- Constipation (again - although this could also be from the Tylenol)
- Cold flashes
- Intense hot flashes (apparently this could also be the result of my ovaries going to "sleep" from shock after the surgery, but I wasn't having this symptom before)
- Tiredness
Withdrawal
Gabapentin withdrawal occurs when stopping use of the drug after becoming physically dependent on it. It is possible to become physically dependent on gabapentin even when using the medication only as prescribed... Symptoms of withdrawal typically begin within 12 hours of the last drug use and may last up to a week...Gabapentin can cause changes in mood and may trigger depressive episodes, as well as compulsive thoughts. Withdrawal can also trigger mood episodes and other mental health problems, including anxiety and suicidal ideation. These symptoms of gabapentin withdrawal can last longer than acute physical symptoms, sometimes lasting weeks or months.NLM lists the following symptoms of gabapentin withdrawal:
- Anxiety
- Difficulty sleeping
- Nausea
- Pain
- Sweating
I also read a patients' forum that recounted countless stories from people claiming that taking Gabapentin was the worst decision they'd ever made. So now I've kind of freaked myself out a bit. I'm going to go a little more slowly now as I wean myself off the stuff; maybe do a few more days at this lower dosage before dropping down again.
On a more positive note, I drove for the first time yesterday. I met all the criteria - I have full range of motion and have no fear of braking or sudden stops. I was supposed to wait a while longer, but I'm confident that I'm not a risk to myself or others on the road. It will be nice to have a little more freedom again.
The next step is to get clearance to go back to work, but that won't happen for a bit since my next appointment with the surgeon isn't for another 3 weeks. If all my side effects are gone, my pain remains in check, and my energy is back up, then I should be ready to get back to work.
I also (reluctantly) shared my cancer journey on my Facebook page. I struggled with the decision because I didn't think a social media platform was the right place to share news like this, but I also felt that there are many people in my life that would like to know. So, I decided to invite people to read this blog as a means of supporting me. I hope it was the right decision.
Finally...
The entire family (mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and I) all booked an 11-day Mediterranean cruise for November. We felt we all needed it, and since you never know what life may throw at you, it's important to have experiences and create memories while you can. It gives me something to look forward to and a way to turn this year around! (I just need to make sure I can book the time off work ... oops!) 😍
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