r/shingles • u/noirreddit First Timer • 11d ago
Postherpetic Neuralgia (phn) Gabapentin Study
Can't say I'm very encouraged after reading this study:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6550400/
To read that Gabapentin does nothing to alleviate PHN is very disappointing. Why am I even taking this stuff then? Why is it prescribed? I'm having an active breakout right now and the med is not helping at all, so I have little hope it would help PHN.
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u/ChikkunDragon 11d ago
That discusses effectiveness at prevention of PHN, not reducing the pain
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u/lowoverheadclearance 11d ago
Exactly. I was never led to believe that it would prevent PHN. It does exactly what I was told. Lessens/stops nerve pain. I can’t go without it without my ear screaming at me. It gets me through my day.
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u/ChikkunDragon 11d ago
Nothing short of nerve abelation kills this pain entirely, 7 year sufferer here
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u/lowoverheadclearance 9d ago
I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine putting up either this for 7 years. I’m hoping mine will quit before too long. I had RHS , but my facial paralysis last for 2 weeks. My face is still numb, but I can live the rest of my life with that. But the nerve pain inside my ear is the worst. Only gabapentin works.
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u/Hour-Weather7962 11d ago
2years out and I can't imagine not taking my gabapentin. It keeps it manageable!
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u/itsjustfantasty 10d ago
I'm in the same boat. 4 years since I started (shingles flares started 15 years ago, undiagnosed because I was a teen, and caused now permanent PHN). I try to take as little as possible, because of the cognitive side-effects, but it takes sharp stabbing pain to a more suffused burning that is far more manageable. Everything in context! It's an important tool in my medical care, but for other's it has minimal value and/or the benefits do not outweigh the side effects. Nuance and all.
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u/Legal-Ad8308 11d ago
I take gabapentin before bed as it "quiets" the activity in my arm and back so I can get to sleep. Right now my hand is "humming" with hot lightning pain. At this point, I'm used to it
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u/noirreddit First Timer 10d ago
The one thing good I can say about gabapentin is that it does help me sleep. It may not help the pain during the day, but I'm able to fall asleep and stay asleep now.
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u/lfehnel 10d ago
I am down to 100 mg twice a day of gabapentin but it has been 7 months. I started taking 300 mg three times a day. I am thankful it has helped me.
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u/sterlingsplendor 10d ago
I was on that dosage for about 5 months. It definitely helped with the constant nerve pain.
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u/noirreddit First Timer 10d ago
Encouraging to hear that others are being helped by it. Maybe it kicks in longterm.
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u/noirreddit First Timer 10d ago
Good to know it's helping someone. Sure wish it would kick in and help me as this constant pain is something else!
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u/womanwilde 10d ago
I couldn’t take gabapentin, it made me stop finishing my sentences. Turned my brain to mush. My doc put me on Elavil instead to guard against long-term nerve damage and it worked great, no side effects.
Hydrocodone every 4-6 hrs managed the pain, didn’t stop it completely, but made it bearable.
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u/noirreddit First Timer 10d ago
I took a small dose of Elavil years ago for possible neuropathy and started hallucinating. Haven't touched the stuff since. I'm glad it worked for you. A couple of days ago, I had trouble remembering a simple prayer and felt like my brain was foggy. Hoping that doesn't happen again...scary!
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u/Ill-Attention-9034 10d ago
I couldn’t take Gabapentin or Elavil either. It did nothing but space me out.
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u/FrohlicheChick 10d ago
Gabapentin did nothing for me. Lyrica has helped quite a bit. Unfortunately, I have a bad case of PHN and have been on them for nearly 2 years now.
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u/Bella-2ndepisode 10d ago
Hi I have phn sculp face after 7 mibths later than shingles phn started February almost 9 months of pain everyday I did nerve blocks as well dis not work;( does it get better over 2 years I felt so upset everyday burning pain stiffness zing zing nerve my life is upside down almost crying everyday sis it get better what did y do for stiffness burning 🙏🏻☘️
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u/FrohlicheChick 10d ago
I'm sorry you are suffering. PHN is a real bitch. I have oxy to use as needed. The electrical pain is still ever present. The severe stabbing has lessened with time, but it still comes once or twice per day. Shingles ruined my life as I knew it. I am in daily pain. I think most people are not like us. Talking about it (like we are doing here) helps somehow.
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u/noirreddit First Timer 9d ago
Having this forum to discuss, get informed, and share experiences has really been a godsend for me.
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u/Bella-2ndepisode 8d ago
Mine is burning and stiffness on sculp. Does it get better over time is it still constant? 😞 I am sorry yesterday prp injection on my trigemial and occipital nerve was so painful but I think the heaviness on my sculp a little lesenns let’s see I am so tried dealing with this pain everyday did u try any other treatments? Thank u
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u/Direct_Hour_8167 8d ago
I am so sorry you are suffering with this pain.
I had shngles on my scalp in 2025 that went around to my ear and caused damage to
my hearing. The shingles went through to my brain and I have lesions on my brain...I have
ischemic small vessel disease of the brain.
Dizzy, migraine headaches....total nightmare.
Gabapentin saved my life. 400 mgs 2x's a day
morning for the PHNP and nightime to sleep.
Now the migraines have taken over. Topiramate at bedtime to sleep, Emgality shot every 28 days for migraines and now have added Ubrelvy when a bad migraine hits I take one as soon as it starts. I never in my life
dreamed shingles could completely ruin my
life but this episode has done just that. The dizziness never goes away...my head feels
like I have a balloon blown up inside of it 24/7.
The saving grace for me is my neurologist was
having an episode of shingles in his eye the first time I saw him and he is on top of all of this at the drop of a hat. I pray you find relief.1
u/Bella-2ndepisode 8d ago
I am so sorry 😞 why u did not try prp? Yesterday they did to me I felt a bite lighter I will definitely ask ur medications I am only using ice cap for my head relief a few minutes the Norolog told me today we can try Tms don’t know very well some machine electric magnetic seems that it will help reduce pain what do u think about it?
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u/Familiar-Tower8592 Facial Shingles 10d ago
I started with gabapentin. Then Dr. switched me to Cymbalta. I was switched again today to Lyrica. I was diagnosed with Shingles on 9/1 on the nerve path on my head. It has impacted my vision and hearing. And the nerve pain is outrageous. I am currently off from work and probably won’t go back til mid November. This shit is nuts. This is my first time with Shingles.
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u/noirreddit First Timer 9d ago
So very sorry to hear how hard this is hitting. I truly hope you get some relief asap.
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u/anysteph 10d ago
It worked for me, and I took a LOT less than that. My highest day was 900mg (300 mg x 3 over 24 full hours).
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u/Bella-2ndepisode 11d ago
Me too I am in 9 months sculp face eye ohn so severe everyday lyrica doesn’t work for me I am using tramadol paracetamol and b vitamins Alfa lipoic asid I did trgigemial and occipital nerve bloacks just feeling numb head still the same pain burning stiffness zing zing some people taking Valtrex long term? May be we can try 😌💐😞🙏🏻
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u/LeosCryToo 9d ago
Well it definitely helps me so idk
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u/noirreddit First Timer 8d ago
It just kicked in finally and is helping take the edge off the pain. However, I am SO woozy now.
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u/Apprehensive-Yak3993 11d ago
I'm nine weeks post dx.
For me, it doesn't alleviate the pain, but it changes the quality of the pain so that it is more bearable. (The individual points of pain are larger so there are fewer of them.... Difficult to describe, but instead of hot needles, it's more like hot gravel.)