Anyone having experienced both Neurontin (gabapentin) w/d and Benzo w/d - and having deja vu experiences?

[[Ze...]]

In 2012 I was prescribed Neurontin (gabapentin). I started on 300 mg but was eventually prescribed as much as 3600 mg per day (900 mg 4 times per day). I had chronic pelvic pain and could barely walk for 6 months, hence the prescription. Long story short, over time I would discover that Neurontin - while being really effective in masking pain - also had a number of side effects which made me into someone I am not (agreessive, hyperactive, developed severe anorexia and became a shadow of myself). This made me reduce the dose significantly, alhough I didn´t taper in a conscious way. One day in august 2016 I decided to finally stop altogether. I was then at a dose of 300 to 600 mg per day and didn´t know anything about w/d symptoms or even that it was possible to have this. I was very "medication-naiive". 

Looking back though, I see that the w/d-symptoms I am having now, after going cold turkey off Diazepam, are VERY similar to the symptoms I was having coming off Neurontin in 2016 - and it took me several years to recover fully. I didn´t know it back then, because at the time I was having severe anorexia and everyone and their grandmother was telling me that the horrible gastric pain (bloating, distention, food sensitivities) and dizziness, floatey-boatey-feeling, pins and needles, tight musles, insomnia, light sensitivity etc was caused by the anorexia, and I bought into it. I remember researching Neurontin on my own and seeing that others were having the same symptoms I experienced, but I let myself be gaslighted into believing that everything had to do with my anorexia and if only I ate everything would be fine. I can assure you I ate and I was NOT fine. It took years to improve (I estimate I fully recovered from Neurontin w/d i 2019).

I am just wondering if anyone else have the same experience or a similar experience of the w/d symptoms of these two drugs being similar? From what I understand, Neurontin does not work directly on the GABA-system (?) like benzos do, but I can´t stop thinking that there must be something going on with the metabolizing of Neurontin that the researchers have yet to pick up on. 
 

[[Wa...]]

Hello - I was prescribed pregabalin (another gabapentoid) and had a complete nightmare too.  They are known as mini-benzos and affect the CNS in a similar way.   I was bedridden for over a year with withdrawals after a low dose over 3 months, then prescribed lorazepam to ‘help’ those symptoms.  I am now 1 year off everything (2 years in all) and starting to recover.  

[[Ze...]]

12 minutes ago, [[W...] said:

Hello - I was prescribed pregabalin (another gabapentoid) and had a complete nightmare too.  They are known as mini-benzos and affect the CNS in a similar way.   I was bedridden for over a year with withdrawals after a low dose over 3 months, then prescribed lorazepam to ‘help’ those symptoms.  I am now 1 year off everything (2 years in all) and starting to recover.  

So good to read that you are starting to recover, and I´m sorry you too had to experience this. The name mini-benzos really hits the nail on the head when it comes to my own experience. 

[[Wa...]]

7 minutes ago, [[Z...] said:

So good to read that you are starting to recover, and I´m sorry you too had to experience this. The name mini-benzos really hits the nail on the head when it comes to my own experience. 

Yes - absolutely.   Hang in there - the CNS always recovers it just needs time.