Postherpetic Neuralgia

The dizziness and drowsiness side effects of Gabapentin are dose-dependent, so they are often alleviated by gradually reducing the dosage or adjusting to a single dose taken before bedtime. Since complete discontinuation can cause withdrawal symptoms (anxiety and seizures), you must reduce the dosage over 4 to 8 weeks under the guidance of a doctor. As an alternative, you can switch to lidocaine patches (which have few local or systemic side effects) or high-concentration capsaicin patches (8%). If PHN pain is rated VAS 7 or higher, enduring the pain without medication can place a significant burden on sleep and psychological health. At Dongjedang, we develop a plan with those struggling with medication side effects, aiming for a "gradual reduction" rather than "immediately stopping the medication." Many patients experience a natural decrease in required medication dosage as their pain threshold is raised through acupuncture or pharmacopuncture. From a Korean medicine perspective, as blood stasis and qi stagnation are resolved, abnormal excitation signals in the meridians decrease, bringing the patient closer to a state where they can endure the pain without medication. Sharing and collaborating with your attending internal medicine or neurology specialist is the safest approach.