Gabapentin (Neurontin) Withdrawl Support Group

[[wi...]]

I'm on 160mg of gabapentin which was prescribed for chronic nerve pain in my neck and my system is definitely dependent on it. I tried to come off it before I knew I had to come off the benzo first and the w/d symptoms I experienced when I tried to cut out one 400 mg capsule a day were horrific. I then tried lowering the 1600mg to 1500 mg per day and that was tolerable.  Symptoms of w/d were serious irritability , bad depression, and terrible anxiety.  It's important to say I've been it it for about 6 years.  I wish more folks would remember to say how long they've been on this drug when they post, instead of just stating how much they're on. Gabapentin is becoming a controlled substance in more and more states and is addictive.  They sell it on the streets and use the code name "Johnny's".

I went back up to my 1600mg/day dose.  It never ever decreased anxiety for me or depression, in fact it made anxiety worse, but the trade off was it did help with my nerve pain.  Like benzos, I noticed that to get the initial relief from the nerve pain in my neck, I would have to raise the dose.  I choose to live with the pain for now.  Gabapentin is prescribed for so many uses off label, doctors are prescribing this drug like crazy for all kinds of things.  The drug company is making billions off this drug. I hate having to take it.

[[ga...]]

I'm on 160mg of gabapentin which was prescribed for chronic nerve pain in my neck and my system is definitely dependent on it. I tried to come off it before I knew I had to come off the benzo first and the w/d symptoms I experienced when I tried to cut out one 400 mg capsule a day were horrific. I then tried lowering the 1600mg to 1500 mg per day and that was tolerable.  Symptoms of w/d were serious irritability , bad depression, and terrible anxiety.  It's important to say I've been it it for about 6 years.  I wish more folks would remember to say how long they've been on this drug when they post, instead of just stating how much they're on. Gabapentin is becoming a controlled substance in more and more states and is addictive.  They sell it on the streets and use the code name "Johnny's".

I went back up to my 1600mg/day dose.  It never ever decreased anxiety for me or depression, in fact it made anxiety worse, but the trade off was it did help with my nerve pain.  Like benzos, I noticed that to get the initial relief from the nerve pain in my neck, I would have to raise the dose.  I choose to live with the pain for now.  Gabapentin is prescribed for so many uses off label, doctors are prescribing this drug like crazy for all kinds of things.  The drug company is making billions off this drug. I hate having to take it.

 

I'm sorry the gabapentin is no longer helping you. I agree that cutting more than 100mg at a time is a bad idea.

 

A suggestion to people posting would be to put their info about their drug (amounts and dates) into their signature so it automatically shows up every time.

[[Ca...]]

When I was at a low dosage, it was used as a mood stabilizer. Then I sort of noticed it helped with Opiates Wads. Later applied to Benzo WDs, not sure how effective it really was for that. But I could take it or leave it. When I stepped up the AD dosage, I also stepped it up to 4000mg/day. That's when I found how in tolerance I was on it. Since then, I can't go more than a day without catastrophic depression/anxiety. It was enough to deal with this Benzo ordeal that I would first get through that then deal the other meds. Of course, that's been a hideous nightmare straight through 5 yrs to date and have yet to see any windows, so who knows when or if that ever comes to pass. I figure by now I'm pretty much SOL. Someone speculated the Gabapentin was holding things up with the Benzo recovery. Guess I'll never know.

[[Se...]]

So I am in a major wave like I’ve never been in before in my life which landed me in the hospital in the ward. So, I have tapered Gabapentin down to 541mg and am doing a micro taper in water, so 100ml of water per 100mg and remove 59ml of water. Well the Psychiatrist won’t support a micro taper saying that there is no evidence supporting that this is effective and makes no sense. I am kindled and beyond unwell at the moment that I don’t want to increase back up to 600mg and I don’t want to lower to 500mg. I feel I am so damaged as it is to even go on and am not functional. I’m screwed either way as my body can’t handle an increase nor a decrease. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I know being in here isn’t ideal, but I was not feeling safe in my own skin and of course all they want to do is medicate me. I know this isn’t the place for me, but I didn’t know what else to do.

[[ga...]]

So I am in a major wave like I’ve never been in before in my life which landed me in the hospital in the ward. So, I have tapered Gabapentin down to 541mg and am doing a micro taper in water, so 100ml of water per 100mg and remove 59ml of water. Well the Psychiatrist won’t support a micro taper saying that there is no evidence supporting that this is effective and makes no sense. I am kindled and beyond unwell at the moment that I don’t want to increase back up to 600mg and I don’t want to lower to 500mg. I feel I am so damaged as it is to even go on and am not functional. I’m screwed either way as my body can’t handle an increase nor a decrease. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I know being in here isn’t ideal, but I was not feeling safe in my own skin and of course all they want to do is medicate me. I know this isn’t the place for me, but I didn’t know what else to do.

 

I'm so sorry to hear this, seeking. I don't see the gabapentin in your signature, so it's hard to know how to advise. Did you start at 600mg? How long were you on it at that level? Perhaps you could update your signature?

 

It's unfortunate that gabapentin's smallest capsule is 100mg. Are they giving you 100mg capsules? Why do you say you can't handle an updose to 600mg? It seems that would be the lesser of two evils. I would be more worried that they would be trying to jerk you off of it.

 

I think if I were in your shoes, I would not be trying to taper inpatient. I would also try to sound as cooperative and respectful as possible to my psychiatrist to get what I needed from him. My gut feeling is what you need is just to go back to 600mg and not take any new drugs as the least bad option. I know the psych ward is not an ideal place to heal. Perhaps set your mind to being kind and compassionate to others there who are hurting. We all need social connections and something outside of ourselves to make our days meaningful or even just bearable.

 

This is just a pause in your journey, not the end point. I had many pauses. I am pausing again right now until after I deal with some other health issues. You and I will both get there. One day at a time.

[[Se...]]

Hi gardener,

 

Thanks so much for responding. I am in such rough shape and I don’t see an end in sight. I started Gabapentin at 1000mg and have made my way down to 541mg. I am laying in the hospital and can hardly even walk to the bathroom. It’s beyond upsetting and I have no hope. It’s going to be yet another sleepless night. I had some hope talking to the nurse down in the ER, but after seeing the Psychiatrist, of course am left with no hope. I just can’t believe I’m in this shape and I don’t know how I’m going to go on for much longer as I’m just very tired and exhausted of this all.  :'(

 

So I am in a major wave like I’ve never been in before in my life which landed me in the hospital in the ward. So, I have tapered Gabapentin down to 541mg and am doing a micro taper in water, so 100ml of water per 100mg and remove 59ml of water. Well the Psychiatrist won’t support a micro taper saying that there is no evidence supporting that this is effective and makes no sense. I am kindled and beyond unwell at the moment that I don’t want to increase back up to 600mg and I don’t want to lower to 500mg. I feel I am so damaged as it is to even go on and am not functional. I’m screwed either way as my body can’t handle an increase nor a decrease. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I know being in here isn’t ideal, but I was not feeling safe in my own skin and of course all they want to do is medicate me. I know this isn’t the place for me, but I didn’t know what else to do.

 

I'm so sorry to hear this, seeking. I don't see the gabapentin in your signature, so it's hard to know how to advise. Did you start at 600mg? How long were you on it at that level? Perhaps you could update your signature?

 

It's unfortunate that gabapentin's smallest capsule is 100mg. Are they giving you 100mg capsules? Why do you say you can't handle an updose to 600mg? It seems that would be the lesser of two evils. I would be more worried that they would be trying to jerk you off of it.

 

I think if I were in your shoes, I would not be trying to taper inpatient. I would also try to sound as cooperative and respectful as possible to my psychiatrist to get what I needed from him. My gut feeling is what you need is just to go back to 600mg and not take any new drugs as the least bad option. I know the psych ward is not an ideal place to heal. Perhaps set your mind to being kind and compassionate to others there who are hurting. We all need social connections and something outside of ourselves to make our days meaningful or even just bearable.

 

This is just a pause in your journey, not the end point. I had many pauses. I am pausing again right now until after I deal with some other health issues. You and I will both get there. One day at a time.

[[ga...]]

Hi gardener,

 

Thanks so much for responding. I am in such rough shape and I don’t see an end in sight. I started Gabapentin at 1000mg and have made my way down to 541mg. I am laying in the hospital and can hardly even walk to the bathroom. It’s beyond upsetting and I have no hope. It’s going to be yet another sleepless night. I had some hope talking to the nurse down in the ER, but after seeing the Psychiatrist, of course am left with no hope. I just can’t believe I’m in this shape and I don’t know how I’m going to go on for much longer as I’m just very tired and exhausted of this all.  :'(

 

 

Hugs, seeking. I'm going to start with a phrase on one of my meditation apps, "Remember, thoughts are not facts, even those that say they are." I found that so helpful that I wrote notes and stuck them around the house to help me remember it.

 

You have tapered away quite a bit of your gabapentin. I don't know how fast you did that, but it seems like too fast for your body.

 

I am not surprised the psychiatrist discouraged you. That's what they do best. Don't put your trust in him. Just use him for your purposes. If I were in your shoes, my purpose would be to get stable enough to function and get the scripts I needed to do that and to taper on my own after I got discharged. You will get off the gabapentin, but that is not your main goal right now. Your goal is to get back on your feet.

 

Lack of sleep can be devastating. I started taking a sleep medication during my benzo taper. And now I am tapering it. I'm very low on it. I'm taking my time. During my benzo taper I sometimes had to updose it to get through a rough patch. Don't beat yourself up if you need to take a sleep med to get through this. Getting sleep may be what puts you back on your feet.

 

Going back to 600 mg (whole capsules) of gabapentin and holding there may also help get you back on your feet.

 

For when you are back on your feet again, here is a great resource: Coming Off Meds. I found it balanced and concise enough not to be overwhelming. For now, maybe just send the link to your mom and don't think about it yourself until you are well and back home. I'm sure your mom loves you and wants to be helpful but doesn't necessarily know how to.

 

For where you are right now, here is a great thread on BenzoBuddies. I read it often. Words to Lighten Our Day. Begood hosts it. Her blog is also a great place.

 

Rest and recover. Better days are ahead.

[[wi...]]

Dear Seeking Hope:

I know how hard it is to come off Gabapentin, I've tried before and couldn't do it, I would feel very depressed and irritable, and symptoms similar to what I now know as benzo w/d symptoms would appear.  I'm on 1600mg daily and when I tried to come off I only reduced it by 100mg and still it was horrible.  Psychiatrists mainly are ignorant about tapering people properly off meds that highly affect gaba receptors.  My state, NJ, just made gabapentin a controlled substance because of dependence and illicit use as a street drug.  I wanted off gabapentin so bad that I attempted to reduce it again by 100mg DURING my benzo taper (stupid), and I again went doubly crazy with depression, numbness and irritatibility.  I just wanted you to know you're not alone.  Sorry I couldn't address more, but I'm having a very bad benzo wave today. I'll be praying for you.

[[Se...]]

Thank you so much gardener. I saw a different doctor today and he has no issue with my titration method unlike the other doctor I saw. So tomorrow morning, I’ll get back on track with my regular dosing like I’ve been doing.  He said he’s will to work with me and whatever works. He didn’t push anything else; just asked if I tried Benadryl and I’m terrified to do so especially in the shape I’m in. It’s so unbelievably challenging to even go to the bathroom and I haven’t showered in a week now. I am just disgusted in myself. Thank you for all of the info and for your response. 

 

Hi gardener,

 

Thanks so much for responding. I am in such rough shape and I don’t see an end in sight. I started Gabapentin at 1000mg and have made my way down to 541mg. I am laying in the hospital and can hardly even walk to the bathroom. It’s beyond upsetting and I have no hope. It’s going to be yet another sleepless night. I had some hope talking to the nurse down in the ER, but after seeing the Psychiatrist, of course am left with no hope. I just can’t believe I’m in this shape and I don’t know how I’m going to go on for much longer as I’m just very tired and exhausted of this all.  :'(

 

 

Hugs, seeking. I'm going to start with a phrase on one of my meditation apps, "Remember, thoughts are not facts, even those that say they are." I found that so helpful that I wrote notes and stuck them around the house to help me remember it.

 

You have tapered away quite a bit of your gabapentin. I don't know how fast you did that, but it seems like too fast for your body.

 

I am not surprised the psychiatrist discouraged you. That's what they do best. Don't put your trust in him. Just use him for your purposes. If I were in your shoes, my purpose would be to get stable enough to function and get the scripts I needed to do that and to taper on my own after I got discharged. You will get off the gabapentin, but that is not your main goal right now. Your goal is to get back on your feet.

 

Lack of sleep can be devastating. I started taking a sleep medication during my benzo taper. And now I am tapering it. I'm very low on it. I'm taking my time. During my benzo taper I sometimes had to updose it to get through a rough patch. Don't beat yourself up if you need to take a sleep med to get through this. Getting sleep may be what puts you back on your feet.

 

Going back to 600 mg (whole capsules) of gabapentin and holding there may also help get you back on your feet.

 

For when you are back on your feet again, here is a great resource: Coming Off Meds. I found it balanced and concise enough not to be overwhelming. For now, maybe just send the link to your mom and don't think about it yourself until you are well and back home. I'm sure your mom loves you and wants to be helpful but doesn't necessarily know how to.

 

For where you are right now, here is a great thread on BenzoBuddies. I read it often. Words to Lighten Our Day. Begood hosts it. Her blog is also a great place.

 

Rest and recover. Better days are ahead.

[[ga...]]

Thank you so much gardener. I saw a different doctor today and he has no issue with my titration method unlike the other doctor I saw. So tomorrow morning, I’ll get back on track with my regular dosing like I’ve been doing.  He said he’s will to work with me and whatever works. He didn’t push anything else; just asked if I tried Benadryl and I’m terrified to do so especially in the shape I’m in. It’s so unbelievably challenging to even go to the bathroom and I haven’t showered in a week now. I am just disgusted in myself. Thank you for all of the info and for your response. 

 

 

 

That's great, seeking! I'm so glad you found a flexible doctor. That is very rare! I have a lot of hope for you!

[[ga...]]

Dear Seeking Hope:

I know how hard it is to come off Gabapentin, I've tried before and couldn't do it, I would feel very depressed and irritable, and symptoms similar to what I now know as benzo w/d symptoms would appear.  I'm on 1600mg daily and when I tried to come off I only reduced it by 100mg and still it was horrible.  Psychiatrists mainly are ignorant about tapering people properly off meds that highly affect gaba receptors.  My state, NJ, just made gabapentin a controlled substance because of dependence and illicit use as a street drug.  I wanted off gabapentin so bad that I attempted to reduce it again by 100mg DURING my benzo taper (stupid), and I again went doubly crazy with depression, numbness and irritatibility.  I just wanted you to know you're not alone.  Sorry I couldn't address more, but I'm having a very bad benzo wave today. I'll be praying for you.

 

I'm sorry to hear this, widesky. I think you will be able to get off or greatly reduce your gabapentin after you have recovered from your other tapers. I have greatly reduced my gabapentin and am holding for now. Will start up again when I am in a better place (moving soon and dealing with other health problems that are more urgent right now). One day at a time. Sometimes one hour, sometimes one minute at a time. But we will get there.

[[Kn...]]

Been busy grumbling over Xanax and just RL nonsense but I'm finally totally off gabapentin now. Feels nice to not be dependent in it.

 

Started at 300mg and I just whittled away at it little by little, with a gem20 scale and everything. It was a bit of a hassle but I like to think the prep helped. Jumped around 20mg with minimal issues. Anyway, there's hope.

 

... now back to the xanax. Oh well, small victories.

[[ga...]]

Been busy grumbling over Xanax and just RL nonsense but I'm finally totally off gabapentin now. Feels nice to not be dependent in it.

 

Started at 300mg and I just whittled away at it little by little, with a gem20 scale and everything. It was a bit of a hassle but I like to think the prep helped. Jumped around 20mg with minimal issues. Anyway, there's hope.

 

... now back to the xanax. Oh well, small victories.

 

Good to hear! Congrats!

[[Se...]]

Does anyone know how long gabapentin prince stable and

water for? I have been titrating gabapentin in water and

don't want to be making up a dose at 1:00am.

I have unfortunately been taking my doses at weird hours

as I am in a nasty wave.

[[ga...]]

Does anyone know how long gabapentin prince stable and

water for? I have been titrating gabapentin in water and

don't want to be making up a dose at 1:00am.

I have unfortunately been taking my doses at weird hours

as I am in a nasty wave.

 

I mixed up several days worth at a time.

[[mr...]]

I was started on gabapentin three weeks ago at 300mg 3x a day. I have not lowered my benzo yet.

 

I’m lowering it myself and am on 150mg 3x a day. 

 

Any advice?

[[mr...]]

 

 

Advice on if I can quit or taper Gabapentin after 3 weeks?  I want to be back at my baseline before all this happened (see below) which was 100mg Zoloft and 5mg Valium at night.

 

Long story I was on 10mg of Valium a day but mainly at night for sleep anxiety since 2012 due to military PTSD.

 

I stupidly switched to Ambien 5mg back in early 2021 which then increased to 30 mg a night for a few months.  On 7 Sept 2021 I had a major panic attack from a buildup of stress.

 

When this happened I developed bad anxiety and agoraphobia and was bedbound for 2 months and took Ambien 30mg a night to sleep and stop the anxiety.

 

When this occurred, I stopped my Zoloft 50mg cold turkey when my panic attack happened because too much time passed and I was scared to restart. When I was bed-bound from Sept-Nov 15, I was taking 30mg Ambien night and each day was having horrible inter-dose withdrawals which I never knew about.

 

I went to a behavioral hospital for 10 days because I was going crazy and got out the day before Thanksgiving. 

 

The hospital put me back on 50mg Zoloft, 1mg Klonopin (I assume to replace the Ambien) and 300mg Gabapentin 3x a day.  I’m trying to get back to baseline and move back over to Valium so I can go down to where I was on a low-dose and stable.

 

Currently, I have personally and on my own changed my dosing to as follows because I want to get off the Gabapentin. Have been on it 3 weeks so far. 

 

My current schedule:

 

Morning:

.25mg Klonopin

50mg Zoloft ( working up to 100mg)

150mg Gabapentin (self reduced from 300mg)

 

Afternoon:

150mg Gabapentin (self reduced from 300mg)

 

Night:

150mg Gabapentin (self reduced from 300mg)

.5mg Klonopin

50mg Trazadone

 

 

I’m gonna stay at. 75 mg Klonopin a day and reduse or stop the Gabapentin first.

 

 

What is my next best step or what would you do? Should I just stop taking gabapentin or should I slowly taper it even though I’ve been on it for three weeks?

[[ga...]]

Hey, MrCyber. Welcome.

 

If you're feeling generally stable right now and don't make any other changes, I would suggest a rapid taper off the gabapentin. I would be surprised if you were dependent on it already so may as well get rid of it. Unless your doctor contradicts for some reason, you could cut every few days and be off in a week or maybe two. I know some people with seizure disorders need to be more careful tapering, but I don't think that's you.

 

You have to go by your symptoms, though. Gabapentin is a fairly fast-acting drug. That makes it easier to know if a cut affected you or not because you'll feel it quickly. If I accidentally miss a dose, I feel it about 12 hours later.

 

You should know that gabapentin is absorbed poorly at higher doses. That 150mg/dose you just cut was probably not all being absorbed anyway. More of the drug is absorbed at lower doses, so your lower doses may be bigger cuts than your higher doses. I hope that made sense.

 

If you are still unsure, you might try asking on survivingantidepressants.org. They deal with both poly-drugging and gabapentin withdrawal. I learned a lot about gabapentin from that site.

 

Good luck to you. You've been through a lot but you seem to have a good plan to get back on your feet.

[[Se...]]

Does anyone know of any good scientific data that shows where it’s ok for Gabapentin to be mixed in water and reduced that was as a micro taper rather than reduce by a whole 100 mg capsule at a time? A Doctor I’m seeing here in hospital wants me to show her scientific research where this is ok as she is not on board with this method. I’m in a super nasty wave and am having a really hard time reading and searching at the moment and have been unsuccessful thus far in finding something. Thank you!

[[wi...]]

Don't know the answer to if there's any scientific proof out there.  My guess would be no, since doctors are most probably clueless with gabapentin tapering times and methods as they are to benzo tapers/times. I know many users on here who have used the gabapentin water taper to get off.  I'm on 1600mg gabapentin daily and before I knew I had to taper off xanax before any of the other meds I was taking, gabapentin included, I tried to come off gabapentin-my plan was to reduce my dose only by 100mg at a time and couldn't get past one week of that without having a bad reaction.  After my xanax taper is done, hopefully sometime next year, I will then dove on to getting rid of gabapentin. The general consensus  is that gabapentin had a high potential for dependence.  It is also sold on the street.  If taken at very high doses it causes euphoria, which addicts tend to like.  In my state, it is now a monitored substance.  So I say all that because I think a water taper is the way I'm going to go when I am ready to get off of it, whether my doctor knows I'm doing a water taper or not.  Maybe you should look for a new doctor who is more open to trying new methods of tapering that better suit you , the patient.  There are also people who have opened the capsules and mixed their measured out powder in applesauce.  Sounds though like your doctor only believes in the "reduce by pill" method. That doesn't make sense as all of us are different and need specifically tailored amounts which our nervous systems can handle as far as reductions go. Most doctors think that way, unfortunately. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

[[ga...]]

Does anyone know of any good scientific data that shows where it’s ok for Gabapentin to be mixed in water and reduced that was as a micro taper rather than reduce by a whole 100 mg capsule at a time? A Doctor I’m seeing here in hospital wants me to show her scientific research where this is ok as she is not on board with this method. I’m in a super nasty wave and am having a really hard time reading and searching at the moment and have been unsuccessful thus far in finding something. Thank you!

 

 

It sounds like your doctor does not want to give you the OK because he/she does not feel safe not doing things "by the book" for liability.

 

If it's the solubility and stability that is the issue with your doctor, a pharmacist would know more about this and might be able to set your doctor's mind at ease.

 

I didn't tell my doctor I was doing it. I just did it. I made sure my adult daughter always knew what my actual dose was in case it was needed for some reason in some kind of emergency. What your doctor doesn't know won't upset him/her.

[[ga...]]

Don't know the answer to if there's any scientific proof out there.  My guess would be no, since doctors are most probably clueless with gabapentin tapering times and methods as they are to benzo tapers/times. I know many users on here who have used the gabapentin water taper to get off.  I'm on 1600mg gabapentin daily and before I knew I had to taper off xanax before any of the other meds I was taking, gabapentin included, I tried to come off gabapentin-my plan was to reduce my dose only by 100mg at a time and couldn't get past one week of that without having a bad reaction.  After my xanax taper is done, hopefully sometime next year, I will then dove on to getting rid of gabapentin. The general consensus  is that gabapentin had a high potential for dependence.  It is also sold on the street.  If taken at very high doses it causes euphoria, which addicts tend to like.  In my state, it is now a monitored substance.  So I say all that because I think a water taper is the way I'm going to go when I am ready to get off of it, whether my doctor knows I'm doing a water taper or not.  Maybe you should look for a new doctor who is more open to trying new methods of tapering that better suit you , the patient.  There are also people who have opened the capsules and mixed their measured out powder in applesauce.  Sounds though like your doctor only believes in the "reduce by pill" method. That doesn't make sense as all of us are different and need specifically tailored amounts which our nervous systems can handle as far as reductions go. Most doctors think that way, unfortunately. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

:thumbsup:

[[wi...]]

Hi gardener! Nice to see you :-)

[[ga...]]

Hi gardener! Nice to see you :-)

 

Hi, Sky!

[[Be...]]

My Rheumy wanted me to take gabapentin, but then I didn't.  How does a person feel on it?  Do you go into tolerance w/d?  Any w/d symptoms?