"i took neurontin (gabapentin) for three months as a treatment for chronic pain following a herniated lumbar disc a year and a half ago.  anti-inflammatories and other medicines such as oxycodone, tramadol, etc. had minimal effect.

after increasing my dosage over the course of three weeks, neurontin completely eliminated the pain.  however, i gained weight rapidly (nearly 20 pounds in 2 months), retained a tremendous amount of water, to the point where my jewelry wouldn&#039;t fit and my shoes were very tight, and the constipation was awful and even laxatives didn&#039;t help.  also, i was fatigued all the time.  unfortunately, the side effects were just too much for me.  i still haven&#039;t found a good replacement medicine for the pain.  all the side effects!"