I am looking for advice about medication. I was recently diagnosed with a secondary in my spine and start radiotherapy treatment tomorrow, 3 blasts as I am going on holiday on Sunday and they are fitting me in.
After suffering a lot of pain over the last few weeks I have now been prescribed gabapentin 300mg 3 times a day which I am meant to increase to 4 a day also dihydrocodeine 30mg 1 or 2, 4 times a day. I think it is the gabapentin that is making me feel totally wiped out, (just taking dihydrocodeine when I am really sore) I could stay in my bed all day and am struggling to do anything. Doctor says that gabapentin should not be missed. I also have no appetite and struggling to eat a slice of toast at the mo.
Going to see GP before I go on holiday any advise about different meds or will radiotherapy reduce need for the painkillers?
Hi Anne,
sorry to hear how you are feeling, I have had r.t. to my spine and after about a week the pain stopped so fingers crossed it will for you. I did feel really tired for about a week though so hope that won’t spoil your holiday.
Love Debsxxx
Sorry to hear you’re feeling so wiped out, I know how you feel.
Could the secs themselves have something to do with you feeling so tired and without appetite? Just that that’s how I felt pre-diagnosis. (I don’t have experience of gabapentine, codeine yes, and I can’t say that makes me particularly worse.)
Also, I’ve just had 5 blasts of radiotherapy to lower part of spine and that in itself left me feeling totally wiped out during the treatment and for about 10 days afterwards, also extra pain (as if we need that!), diahorrea, stomach pains and cramps as if I’d been punched and kicked, nausea. Sorry to suggest that this might be how you end up feeling during and after rads, but thought you should be prepared esp as you’re going on holiday on Sunday. Hope your side effects aren’t too severe and that you can control the pain.
By the way, my back is now sooo much better after months and months of increasing pain, and I do feel almost back to normal internally. So it was worth it.
I had rads to my spine. I did find that things got slightly worse before they improved.It is now over a year later and things have settled a bit.
I am on di-hydrocodeine. I was additionally prescribed gabapentin by the hospice, quite recently.The side effects that you talk about where exactly the same ones that I had. An extreme drugged feeling, nausea, thirst and weird feelings in my head.
As i understand, gabapentin is for nerve pain. I persevered for 2 weeks. My pain did not improve and I felt life was not worth living.I just presumed it could not have been nerve pain!
I am back on the codeine and managing! I suggest you go back to your doctor and seek further advice… Julie
P.S Make sure that you get prescribed anti-sickness meds for your rads, if prescibed.
It depends where the beams go through and exit your body. Mine was T12 and hit the top of the gut.
Admittedly, I was very tired, but when i had adaequate pain relief and ant-sickness meds I was Ok. julie
Thanks for the advice I have just made an appointment with GP. Good thinking about the anti-sickness tablets Julie think I will also ask for antibiotics as well just to be on the safe side as just 3 weeks post op and still some fluid lurking about.
Alison it is much better to be informed of possible side effects of radiotherapy so will go prepared, thank you. As you say it will be so worth it if it results in pain reduction as you say could be the secs that are causing me to feel like this as well. Radiotherapy is on second from the top vertebrae so daren’t think where beams are coming out!
Julie it helps to know I am not the only one to have the side effects of gabapentin I will discuss with GP if they are absolutely necessary as hopefully after radiotherapy the di-hydroclorine alone will control any pain.
Thanks for posting Debs I know you are going through a rough time yourself at the moment and your kindness and willingness to support and be there for others always touches me.
Plans for holiday are to lie around in the sun by a pool and do absolutely nothing, even downloading audio books for ipod so don’t have to even hold a book. It will just be so good to get away.
Thank you all for your advice I do hope you are all ok and pain free.