Gabapentin/cymbalta/lyrica Alternatives For Neuropathy Pain

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My dad had a brain infection in his temporal and parietal lobes. After trying to treat it with antibiotics, they finally performed surgery and removed the pus manually. About two months after he was released from the hospital, he began having extremely painful neuropathy in his fingers, legs and feet. His fingertips have been splitting, cracking and bleeding, and his legs and feet have had painful rashes and open wounds. He has tried steroid creams for his legs and feet, which help, but for his hands he has been given Gabapentin, Cymbalta and Lyrica, all which cause strange mental behavior...which I would liken to mildly psychotic. They seem to help his pain, but all make him have "the evil inside," which is what he calls it when he has episodic behavior due to these drugs. Can anyone help, either with alternative drugs to Gaba Pentin, Cymbalta and Lyrica, or by suggesting anything else? Anything! Please, please - anything is helpful. Thank you

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1

The problem with these types of medications might be due to the fact that they all act directly on brain chemicals as their very mechanism of action. My guess would be that he's very sensitive to them and his body just can't handle it.

Has he tried any straight analgesics, such as Oxycodone, or Morphine for the pain?

https:/­/­www.medschat.com/­wiki/­Narcotic/­

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I have severe diabetic neuropathy from my knees down to my toes I was on 50 milligrams of fentanyl patch and 75 milligrams of Lyrica and I didn't realize that i would be addicted to the fentany. l I asked my Dr to take me off of it because I was so sleepy all the time I would get sleepy brain syndrome to the point I could not work any longer. Now I am on 100 mgs of Lyrica and 60 milligrams of Cymbalta and I must say that I'm in pain much more than I was and I don't even know what to do about it, I am also depressed.

I'm getting a lot of side effects like more pain in my feet as time goes on so I don't really like the Cymbalta and the fentanyl patch in the Lyrica work perfectly but with both of those drugs I cannot function.

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My Dr. tried me on Gabapentin for pain. I thought it was working very well for about 2 weeks , UNTIL I ended up in the ER with STROKE symptoms. Please take caution with this med as one of the side effects ARE FACIAL DISTORTION! CAUTION, CAUTION, CAUTION!

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4

Gabapintin caused me to have hallucinations.
I spent several days talking to my Mom and my Grandmother. Oh and singing. I don't sing and both of them are gone.
I wish that I could give you an alternative, but there really isn't one. I finally was given Percocet f the pain
I only needed it for a very short time

Good luck. Carolyn

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Gabapentin/Neurontin can have some pretty nasty side effects. A few years ago there was a legal suit that was won because it caused suicidal idealization, suicide attempts and completed suicide. Please go back to the doctor. Your father is having life-threatening side effects. They may choose to hospitalize him as they wean him off, maybe even in a psych ward. That's ok, what he feels is traumatizing him and he will be able to work through that. Good luck to you both with this.

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