Gabapentin (Neurontin) Withdrawl Support Group

[[Ga...]]

Slowly learning how to cope with this a little better.

Changing my diet and stuff has helped a lot I think. When I eat certain things, it sends me over the edge. I had no clue about the glutamte stuff.

 

I felt a little better off yesterday. It was way easier to deal with.

 

I woke up today with a sore throat and back pain and tested positive for covid.  To be honest, I can't really tell it apart from the withdrawal other than my throat now hurts.

No coughing, or anything else yet. I hope it doesn't get worse.

 

My poor body lol

[[Pa...]]

Slowly learning how to cope with this a little better.

Changing my diet and stuff has helped a lot I think. When I eat certain things, it sends me over the edge. I had no clue about the glutamte stuff.

 

I felt a little better off yesterday. It was way easier to deal with.

 

I woke up today with a sore throat and back pain and tested positive for covid.  To be honest, I can't really tell it apart from the withdrawal other than my throat now hurts.

No coughing, or anything else yet. I hope it doesn't get worse.

 

My poor body lol

 

I'm sorry to hear you tested positive for Covid, I agree, your poor body.  :'(

[[wi...]]

Gabapentin=Blurry vision for me, just to name one annoying thing about it.  I'm tapering it and am so glad that I am.  Have to taper somewhat slowly to ease the w/d effects. On this crap for 7 years, 400mg x 4x/day=1600.

For me, has turned into a nightmare of a drug.  Causes dependence.

They use it for everything nowadays, they call it off-label use.  None of the things they use it for off-label aren't even "proven" to work for those conditions.  It's about $$$ for the drug companies.

It actually makes me anxious now and ramps up compulsive, OCD brain stuff.

I read somewhere that it is the 10th most prescribed drug.  They're making a fortune off of it. Praise be that I'm already feeling what it's like to be off of this a tiny bit.  It is a rather difficult drug to taper, but it's worth it for me.  Just like benzos, I feel the brain warp from it.

 

[[Pa...]]

 

I read somewhere that it is the 10th most prescribed drug.  They're making a fortune off of it. Praise be that I'm already feeling what it's like to be off of this. 

 

I got a bottle from my vet for my dogs pain, I'm afraid to give it to her. 

[[Be...]]

I think it's good to take only an extremely small bit of any drug at first to see how your body reacts to it.  The damn vet killed my cat giving her a Convenia one-shot antibiotic.  She had every side effect mentioned and had them severely and the darn shot wouldn't leave her body for 14 days.  One side effect was no appetite and that's what killed her.  She stopped eating and refused to eat for five days.  I had to have her put to sleep because she went into renal failure from not eating. 

[[Ga...]]

 

I read somewhere that it is the 10th most prescribed drug.  They're making a fortune off of it. Praise be that I'm already feeling what it's like to be off of this. 

 

I got a bottle from my vet for my dogs pain, I'm afraid to give it to her. 

 

What kind of pain?

 

I think they make CBD for pets. That could be an alternative maybe?

[[Pa...]]

 

I read somewhere that it is the 10th most prescribed drug.  They're making a fortune off of it. Praise be that I'm already feeling what it's like to be off of this. 

 

I got a bottle from my vet for my dogs pain, I'm afraid to give it to her. 

 

What kind of pain?

 

I think they make CBD for pets. That could be an alternative maybe?

 

She had a lumpectomy and I've got some great CBD, thanks Galakar.

 

I noticed no on addressed your questions, can I help bring some attention to them?

[[Ga...]]

 

I read somewhere that it is the 10th most prescribed drug.  They're making a fortune off of it. Praise be that I'm already feeling what it's like to be off of this. 

 

I got a bottle from my vet for my dogs pain, I'm afraid to give it to her. 

 

What kind of pain?

 

I think they make CBD for pets. That could be an alternative maybe?

 

She had a lumpectomy and I've got some great CBD, thanks Galakar.

 

I noticed no on addressed your questions, can I help bring some attention to them?

 

Right now I'm open to any help I can get. My family has been helping a lot even if they don't fully understand it, they know something is wrong.

I've been laying in bed for the past few days in and out of sleep because of covid.. it has made getting sleep easier? I'm eating better since my diet change and don't freak out as much.

I starting eating 2 cups of blueberries a day because apparently they can help protect your brain from glutamate and excitotoxicity.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23875756/

 

Do they really? I don't know, but it can't hurt.

[[Pa...]]

 

Right now I'm open to any help I can get. My family has been helping a lot even if they don't fully understand it, they know something is wrong.

I've been laying in bed for the past few days in and out of sleep because of covid.. it has made getting sleep easier? I'm eating better since my diet change and don't freak out as much.

I starting eating 2 cups of blueberries a day because apparently they can help protect your brain from glutamate and excitotoxicity.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23875756/

 

Do they really? I don't know, but it can't hurt.

 

While we wait for someone with knowledge could you fill in your signature so other members will be able to see at a glance what your situation is?  These are the instructions but if you need help putting the info in there you can put it here and a team member can do it for you.  Add your history/signature 

[[De...]]

Blueberries are excellent for anti-inflammation!  Good job!

 

I hope you feel better soon 

[[Ga...]]

Blueberries are excellent for anti-inflammation!  Good job!

 

I hope you feel better soon 

 

Thank you very much!

Things are wild currently. I think I'm over my covid now, but things come and go. My really stiff neck has lighten up a lot. It constantly feels like my head is heavy or there is some kind of pressure with like jolts of light pain every now and then with a burning feeling.

 

Sleep is all over the place. I was getting 9 hours about 5 weeks ago, then it went to almost none. Now I'm getting about 6.

 

Food is still my biggest issue, it sets me off more than anything. I'm slowly working stuff in and out of my diet and figuring out what makes me feel worse.

 

All of this is organic as I could possibly get it so no extra sugars and all that jazz

 

Things i'm eating are:

2x cups of wild frozen Blueberries daily

bananas

apples

Dave's bread - Rye bread (only 1 slice daily so far)

santa cruz peanut butter

eggs every so often

chicken

Wild frozen mixed berries

Soylent

baby carrots

 

I can work out alright, walking out doors helps the most with the stress and anxiety. I haven't been doing it lately because of covid and lack of food, but I think I'm going to start today.

 

 

[[Ga...]]

Been really hard the last few days. Depression has been hitting hard and pressure feeling in my head doesn't let up, but the other stuff comes and goes.

 

I see a therapist on the 9th I might try and get back on to get stable and go much much slower.. I don't know if it's the right choice or not, but I seriously don't know what to do.

 

[[eg...]]

Hello.

I was put on GP last Oct for anxiety. ( Tapered off K 6 years ago) Now I find - like the benzo- I am dependent on it.

I am on 300X3 and having wd sx. I want off but I need to stabilize. I do not want to go up!

I don’t know what to do- stay on at this dose and hope I will stabilize or start a taper.

It is hard to make decisions when my body won’t settle down. (Burning skin -feeling of pins and needles- rapid heart rate)

I remember all these feelings from Klonopin.

I should’ve researched this drug before I went on it but I didn’t I just trusted the doctor. Same old story as last time.

Blaming does not change a thing. I don’t know what to do. Just keep tolerating this?

 

 

[[Ga...]]

Hello.

I was put on GP last Oct for anxiety. ( Tapered off K 6 years ago) Now I find - like the benzo- I am dependent on it.

I am on 300X3 and having wd sx. I want off but I need to stabilize. I do not want to go up!

I don’t know what to do- stay on at this dose and hope I will stabilize or start a taper.

It is hard to make decisions when my body won’t settle down. (Burning skin -feeling of pins and needles- rapid heart rate)

I remember all these feelings from Klonopin.

I should’ve researched this drug before I went on it but I didn’t I just trusted the doctor. Same old story as last time.

Blaming does not change a thing. I don’t know what to do. Just keep tolerating this?

 

I think I'd try to stabilize.. going slow as possible I think is the key to all of it.

I was forced to do a very very fast taper and while I did get better while doing the taper I'm almost right back where I started.

 

Same as you.. very scared and unsure of what to do, but I hope you find your answer and get on the right path.

 

I pray we both heal in time.

[[eg...]]

I am glad to find this support group. Benzo buddies helped me so much I can’t even describe it when I was coming off Klonopin six years ago.

 

I hope that we can help each other get off this drug that I had no idea I could get depending on.

I first realized that gabapentin was a problem because I  stopped it. Three or Four days later I had horrible insomnia and withdrawal symptoms in waves over and over all day. So I started back on it but skipping doses.

 

Yesterday was the 1st day of trying to get stable. I had Burning skin, pins and needles, elevated HR most of the day. I did sleep. Today I am a zombie. No sx just feel drugged.

I have gained weight but funny that I don’t care too much to worry about that.

Anyway hello everyone!

[[Ga...]]

I hope that we can help each other get off this drug that I had no idea I could get depending on.

 

That's how my story started with a doctor telling me it was safe and you couldn't get hooked on it.

It ruined my trust in doctors and my trust in medicine.

 

I've had all kinds of symptoms since quitting from a rapid taper.

 

Heart rate, insomnia, head pressure, weird vision issues, feeling of the flu, over all just feeling ill, and nerve pain mostly in my head and neck, crazy amounts of stress and anxiety on top of depression. I had none of this before.

 

All of it has come and gone over and over but the pressure it's almost constant. Sometimes new ones crop up and scare the hell out of me like the nerve pain, I didn't start feeling that until recently.

 

I'm thinking about reinstating and trying to get stable, but I'm scared it will make me worse so I'm in a pickle. Lol

 

I am lucky in the fact that this was the only thing I was on, but it's the first time ever dealing with a withdrawal. Some say it isn't as bad as benzos some say it's worse, i honestly can't say nor do I think it matters..What I do know is that it seems very very similar and the only thing that really keeps me trucking on is family and friends and stories of people quitting CT and healing.

 

I hope you heal quick, I really do. Keep us updated!

[[wi...]]

Gabapentin is sold as a street drug referred to as "gabbies" or "johnnies".

If taken a high dosages and mixed with other pills, it provides serious euphoria.

 

I can't wait to be off of it.  It does, in fact, give a lot of people similar Sxs of withdrawal as a benzo. 

The drug has been over prescribed by doctors resulting in $$$$ for pharmaceutical companies.

 

It is a controlled/monitored substance in certain states.  My state being one of them.

 

Depression, anxiety and irritability are my main symptoms from tapering, and an increase of pins/needles, face flushing hot, muscle spasms, joint pains and brain fog.

 

I hate this drug just as much as I do benzodiazepines, maybe a little less, but not by much.

[[sc...]]

Wow... I am glad I read this thread. I was going to ask my doctor for Gabapentin to deal with alcohol cravings. I had read that it is very effective. I had been on it for Alcohol withdrawal and must admit I "liked" it a little too much.

[[Ga...]]

Wow... I am glad I read this thread. I was going to ask my doctor for Gabapentin to deal with alcohol cravings. I had read that it is very effective. I had been on it for Alcohol withdrawal and must admit I "liked" it a little too much.

 

I'm glad you seen this too! it isn't worth it what so ever man.. stay away as far as possible! I hope you're cravings let up in time.. I've had people in my family die from alcohol abuse, but I've also had some that got past it 100%.

[[wi...]]

It's nice to see this thread active again.  I'm supporting us all in thoughts and wishes of recovery.

[[Ga...]]

It's nice to see this thread active again.  I'm supporting us all in thoughts and wishes of recovery.

 

I was reading your blog earlier and it made me want to write my own.

You've had a hard time and I hope you get better! I hope the doctor I see in a few days can set me on the right path of what I need to be doing..so little info is out there on gaba that it's really shocking.

[[eg...]]

Hello 

Introduce myself a little bit

I took the gabapentin once in a while not on the schedule of any kind. And then I started taking it every night because it was good for sleeping. I was put on gabapentin last October with the usual story of not being told that I could get dependent on it and have  withdrawl symptoms.

Three weeks ago I stopped taking it. I was fine for 5 days then I was slammed with the dystonia. No sleep the night before. All the symptoms I remembered from my benzo taper. It took me a while to figure out what was going on and that it was the gabapentin.

So I’ve been trying to stabilize so that I can start a taper. Today was good. Today was much better than the last 3 weeks. I think I’ve stabilized. I feel very calm and almost sleepy.s. So I think I will stay like this until April and then begin a 10% per month taper. Going to take it slow and easy to give my brain time to adjust.

One more whine- this drug is incredibly easy to get dependent on. Just taking it for a few months and I am like this!

Anyway I hope to hear from you all see how you’re doing see where you’re at in your tapers  or your use of this drug For the reasons he got on it in the first place.

[[Ga...]]

Hello 

Introduce myself a little bit

I took the gabapentin once in a while not on the schedule of any kind. And then I started taking it every night because it was good for sleeping. I was put on gabapentin last October with the usual story of not being told that I could get dependent on it and have  withdrawl symptoms.

Three weeks ago I stopped taking it. I was fine for 5 days then I was slammed with the dystonia. No sleep the night before. All the symptoms I remembered from my benzo taper. It took me a while to figure out what was going on and that it was the gabapentin.

So I’ve been trying to stabilize so that I can start a taper. Today was good. Today was much better than the last 3 weeks. I think I’ve stabilized. I feel very calm and almost sleepy.s. So I think I will stay like this until April and then begin a 10% per month taper. Going to take it slow and easy to give my brain time to adjust.

One more whine- this drug is incredibly easy to get dependent on. Just taking it for a few months and I am like this!

Anyway I hope to hear from you all see how you’re doing see where you’re at in your tapers  or your use of this drug For the reasons he got on it in the first place.

 

That's almost the boat I'm in right now. I'm almost 3 months off at this point and I'm scared to try and reinstate and get stable.. I don't want to make myself worse But I also think staying off them is making me worse over time.

 

It took me 2 weeks off it for it to really knock my socks off and I also didn't really know what the cause was.

 

Edit: I read that wrong the first time around clearly.. lol

[[or...]]

Hi there. Just a little note for galakar and ego trapped . . . gabapentin is water soluble. I wish I had known this when I was tapering the drug. I just made 100 mg reductions ( I had 100 mg capsules). Anyhow you folks could do a nice slow water taper off gabapentin by dissolving 100 mg capsules in water and reducing when you get to the low doses.

 

Just a thought.

 

Best to you both!

 

Katz

[[wi...]]

Hi there. Just a little note for galakar and ego trapped . . . gabapentin is water soluble. I wish I had known this when I was tapering the drug. I just made 100 mg reductions ( I had 100 mg capsules). Anyhow you folks could do a nice slow water taper off gabapentin by dissolving 100 mg capsules in water and reducing when you get to the low doses.

 

Just a thought.

 

Best to you both!

 

Katz

 

You don't say how often you made those reductions of 100mg, your hold times and how long you were on the drug.  Might be helpful.