Gabapentin (Neurontin) Withdrawl Support Group

[[or...]]

widesky . . . I was on 2300 mgs of gabapentin for years -- I had a neurological deficit in one leg from a botched back surgery. Also creepy pins and needles feelings as well as one foot that felt like it was exploding from time to time. I felt very unwell . . . and I became concerned about the reports of people feeling suicidal on big doses of gabapentin. With the help of a new doc, I cut my dose down to  900 mgs. The cuts were very big -- I cut 300 mgs a week or so until I reached 900 mgs, then had to find a different strategy as I felt sicker. I got my doc to prescribe 100  mg capsules, waited until I felt better, then dropped 100 mgs every 2 weeks. I held once and didn't feel any different, so I just carried on. I felt crappy -- nauseous and headachey -- all the  way to zero but once I was off the drug I felt a whole lot better. I'd say about 6 months off the drug I felt fine.  This was nowhere near as bad as my benzo taper. As I said, I wish I had known the drug was water soluble. I could have made smaller cuts by doing  a water taper off the last 100 mgs and maybe felt a little less crappy. But done's done. It's sure not a great way to taper, though.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Katz

[[Ga...]]

It'll keep this info in mind.. I'll find out tomorrow if I reinstate or not.

I'm very scared to, but I guess we are all faced with these choices during this process.

 

I pray I don't pick wrong..

[[eg...]]

It'll keep this info in mind.. I'll find out tomorrow if I reinstate or not.

I'm very scared to, but I guess we are all faced with these choices during this process.

 

I pray I don't pick wrong..

Please let us know what you decide.

Hugs

[[Ga...]]

I seen my therapist for the first time today.

He seem to know a lot about benzos and withdrawal and explained what the gaba was doing to me.

 

I was told I'd heal over time, but I needed to be sleeping and eating as much as possible as it just makes the stress and anxiety worse..of course lol I knew that.

 

He wants me to get back on the Gabapentin, but at 100mg x3 a day. I told him how scared I was of medicine and how trusting a doctor screwed me over once already..he promised me he'd see me through this.

 

At first he wanted to do 200mg, but half way into talking he lowered it to 100mg. He wants to see how it goes with just that and if It makes me feel better and able to eat and sleep he wants me to do 100mg drops over like 6 months. I get my first bottle tomorrow morning.. I'm still highly scared.

 

I was also put on 15mg Mirtazapine. He wants me to start taking it, but said not to get stressed out about it that I could always just not take it. So he seems to understand my fear.

 

[[ga...]]

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

 

I was hoping you would chime in, Katz. Your experience is very helpful. I decided to do a water taper based on it. I'm tapering my Q now, but when I was doing G, I did a water taper. It was rather like a benzo taper but not as bad. Got harder at the lower doses, though.

 

I would advise anyone not to go on gabapentin long term. Most everyone seems to habituate and need more for the same results. My neurologist pushed me to take more G over every little thing. I'm starting to suspect she was thinking I needed an anti-anxiety med and was using it for that. When I asked her wouldn't I just habituate to it and keep needing more, she said yes. At least she was honest.

[[eg...]]

Good morning everyone

 

I made the biggest cut I will probably make yesterday and I’m going to hold for a week and see if it hurts me. The next cuts I’ll make I’ll be much lower but I wanted to see if I could get by on 600 instead of 900.

I feel fine today and I slept well last night.

What I did was cut out 200 from the morning dose and 100 from the afternoon dose and kept the evening dose of 300.

I’m using water for titration. Mix up 300 ML warm water with a 300 MG capsule - drink 100 ml in am and 200ml afternoon. Then I’ll take 300 mg capsule before bed.

My thinking is it if I keep some in my system all the time that my body will be fooled that I’m going down. Time which I figure about 5 to 7 days will tell if this is working by how stable I feel.

Hope you all are doing well

 

[[Ji...]]

So I am taking 150mg of Gabapentin daily.

 

Cut a couple of weeks ago from 300mg daily, which I had been taking about 6 months.

 

Feeling a bit poorly, dues to not sleeping so well but may be down to moving house in 3 weeks, 600 km away.

 

WOuld it be better, in your opinions, to just stop this drug now?

[[eg...]]

So I am taking 150mg of Gabapentin daily.

 

Cut a couple of weeks ago from 300mg daily, which I had been taking about 6 months.

 

Feeling a bit poorly, dues to not sleeping so well but may be down to moving house in 3 weeks, 600 km away.

 

WOuld it be better, in your opinions, to just stop this drug now?

From what I understand it takes about 5 to 7 days to really feel a cut. So it sounds like you are feeling the cut. In my opinion you should hold until you feel better and then drop 10%.

10% drops or what it’s generally recommended to allow your brain time to adjust.

Since you’re moving you’re going  be stressed anyway so I stress your body anymore than you have to?

[[Ga...]]

So I am taking 150mg of Gabapentin daily.

 

Cut a couple of weeks ago from 300mg daily, which I had been taking about 6 months.

 

Feeling a bit poorly, dues to not sleeping so well but may be down to moving house in 3 weeks, 600 km away.

 

WOuld it be better, in your opinions, to just stop this drug now?

From what I understand it takes about 5 to 7 days to really feel a cut. So it sounds like you are feeling the cut. In my opinion you should hold until you feel better and then drop 10%.

10% drops or what it’s generally recommended to allow your brain time to adjust.

Since you’re moving you’re going  be stressed anyway so I stress your body anymore than you have to?

 

I agree.. take it as slow as possible. Don't rush it! from my own experience it takes a hot minute to actually feel withdrawal hit you.

 

I'm going to take my first 100mg before I go to sleep tonight. It hurts to reinstate.. I think I just need to find a stable spot and try to hang onto it for a bit to allow my body time to level out.

[[or...]]

imo having read so many accounts of docs prescribing gaba, it seems to be one of the things that docs just throw at the wall and hope it sticks. Really gaba is so little understood, it seems to be prescribed for just about anything. Originally thought of as a panacea for nerve pain (it didn't even help me with MY nerve pain at 2300 mgs) it's now prescribed for anxiety (give me a break) and to "help withdrawal". Oh yeah? How exactly?

 

I'm with gardener. Please resist being strong-armed into a gaba prescription. Chances are it will not do you any good,  and you WILL get addicted, thereby giving yourself one more drug to taper off. Of course, as we say on here, everyone's different, and you may be that unicorn that gaba helps . . . but I  haven't seen the unicorn yet. It's sad but true that we are all searching for that magic bullet -- something that will make our w/ds easier -- but imo and ime (experience) gabapentin isn't it.

 

Just my thoughts,

 

Katz

[[Ga...]]

imo having read so many accounts of docs prescribing gaba, it seems to be one of the things that docs just throw at the wall and hope it sticks. Really gaba is so little understood, it seems to be prescribed for just about anything. Originally thought of as a panacea for nerve pain (it didn't even help me with MY nerve pain at 2300 mgs) it's now prescribed for anxiety (give me a break) and to "help withdrawal". Oh yeah? How exactly?

 

I'm with gardener. Please resist being strong-armed into a gaba prescription. Chances are it will not do you any good,  and you WILL get addicted, thereby giving yourself one more drug to taper off. Of course, as we say on here, everyone's different, and you may be that unicorn that gaba helps . . . but I  haven't seen the unicorn yet. It's sad but true that we are all searching for that magic bullet -- something that will make our w/ds easier -- but imo and ime (experience) gabapentin isn't it.

 

Just my thoughts,

 

Katz

 

Do you think it's wise to even start again to begin a slower taper? I'm scared it will make me worse off trying to get stable.. I'm a wreck currently. Being almost 2 and half months off at this point has not been easy.

[[eg...]]

Orehonkaz,

How long does it take you to taper off of gabapentin? How did you do it?

I am guessing based on what  I’ve read to make my plan. What is most helpful is to find out what others who have gotten off have done.

One more question is how Long after you got off until you felt better?

[[or...]]

It  took me about a year all told to taper off gaba . . . but remember, I was on 2300 mgs to start. When I got to 900 mgs, I paused, reassessed things, planned a taper (ha) then started to reduce 100 mgs every 2 weeks or so, depending on how I felt.  It wasn't very scientific but it worked.

 

I felt a lot better -- cognitively sharper, no headaches, no crappy feeling, no dizziness -- after about 3 months off gabapentin.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Katz

[[wi...]]

I seen my therapist for the first time today.

He seem to know a lot about benzos and withdrawal and explained what the gaba was doing to me.

 

I was told I'd heal over time, but I needed to be sleeping and eating as much as possible as it just makes the stress and anxiety worse..of course lol I knew that.

 

He wants me to get back on the Gabapentin, but at 100mg x3 a day. I told him how scared I was of medicine and how trusting a doctor screwed me over once already..he promised me he'd see me through this.

 

At first he wanted to do 200mg, but half way into talking he lowered it to 100mg. He wants to see how it goes with just that and if It makes me feel better and able to eat and sleep he wants me to do 100mg drops over like 6 months. I get my first bottle tomorrow morning.. I'm still highly scared.

 

I was also put on 15mg Mirtazapine. He wants me to start taking it, but said not to get stressed out about it that I could always just not take it. So he seems to understand my fear.

 

If you're looking to eat and gain some weight, mirtazipine and gabapentin should do the trick. Both increase hunger and make  a lot of people put on weight.

[[wi...]]

imo having read so many accounts of docs prescribing gaba, it seems to be one of the things that docs just throw at the wall and hope it sticks. Really gaba is so little understood, it seems to be prescribed for just about anything. Originally thought of as a panacea for nerve pain (it didn't even help me with MY nerve pain at 2300 mgs) it's now prescribed for anxiety (give me a break) and to "help withdrawal". Oh yeah? How exactly?

 

I'm with gardener. Please resist being strong-armed into a gaba prescription. Chances are it will not do you any good,  and you WILL get addicted, thereby giving yourself one more drug to taper off. Of course, as we say on here, everyone's different, and you may be that unicorn that gaba helps . . . but I  haven't seen the unicorn yet. It's sad but true that we are all searching for that magic bullet -- something that will make our w/ds easier -- but imo and ime (experience) gabapentin isn't it.

 

Just my thoughts,

 

Katz

 

Well said

[[ga...]]

I have nothing to add but I come on this thread to see ego trapped's avatar . It is the cutest thing I've seen on the forum!

[[Ga...]]

I just took my 100mg about 3 hours ago.

 

I feel....weird. I went from feeling 30% to around 55% in that span. What ever this feeling is I can cope with. I feel...itchy? Like little needles are poking me all over.

It doesn't hurt it's just...odd. My brain is silent I don't feel crazy amounts of fear. My ears no long feel full, but still ring. My head is light, but sort of hurts. and it feels like I took way too much.. As in I feel drunk? high? Idk I've never felt something exactly like this before. I feel disconnected and like I pulled the plug on my emotions.

 

I'm unsure if I want to even take this 2x a day this feels almost too intense just at 100. Maybe it's my body just adjusting to wth is going on.. it must be very confused right now.

Maybe I should just stick with the 100mg for a bit to see where it leads

 

I feel very sleepy, but I can't seem to fall asleep. maybe I will later on in the night. I just hope it levels out and I get some what stable to do the taper right.

[[eg...]]

I have nothing to add but I come on this thread to see ego trapped's avatar . It is the cutest thing I've seen on the forum!

Thank you! Glad to see you on this form too 

[[eg...]]

I just took my 100mg about 3 hours ago.

 

I feel....weird. I went from feeling 30% to around 55% in that span. What ever this feeling is I can cope with. I feel...itchy? Like little needles are poking me all over.

It doesn't hurt it's just...odd. My brain is silent I don't feel crazy amounts of fear. My ears no long feel full, but still ring. My head is light, but sort of hurts. and it feels like I took way too much.. As in I feel drunk? high? Idk I've never felt something exactly like this before. I feel disconnected and like I pulled the plug on my emotions.

 

I'm unsure if I want to even take this 2x a day this feels almost too intense just at 100. Maybe it's my body just adjusting to wth is going on.. it must be very confused right now.

Maybe I should just stick with the 100mg for a bit to see where it leads

 

I feel very sleepy, but I can't seem to fall asleep. maybe I will later on in the night. I just hope it levels out and I get some what stable to do the taper right.

I have read that the lower you go the more is absorbed. So maybe that’s what’s happening to you.

 

The pins and needles you describe that’s what I feel like I am in withdrawal -my whole body gets consumed with that.It passed for me as I stabilize. That took a few days on my current dose. Hang in there

[[ga...]]

I just took my 100mg about 3 hours ago.

 

I feel....weird. I went from feeling 30% to around 55% in that span. What ever this feeling is I can cope with. I feel...itchy? Like little needles are poking me all over.

It doesn't hurt it's just...odd. My brain is silent I don't feel crazy amounts of fear. My ears no long feel full, but still ring. My head is light, but sort of hurts. and it feels like I took way too much.. As in I feel drunk? high? Idk I've never felt something exactly like this before. I feel disconnected and like I pulled the plug on my emotions.

 

I'm unsure if I want to even take this 2x a day this feels almost too intense just at 100. Maybe it's my body just adjusting to wth is going on.. it must be very confused right now.

Maybe I should just stick with the 100mg for a bit to see where it leads

 

I feel very sleepy, but I can't seem to fall asleep. maybe I will later on in the night. I just hope it levels out and I get some what stable to do the taper right.

I have read that the lower you go the more is absorbed. So maybe that’s what’s happening to you.

 

The pins and needles you describe that’s what I feel like I am in withdrawal -my whole body gets consumed with that.It passed for me as I stabilize. That took a few days on my current dose. Hang in there

 

That's true about higher absorption at lower dose. I remember seeing the numbers and was amazed how little gets absorbed as you go higher and higher in dose. So the lower your dose, the more bang for the buck. It could mean slower tapering toward the end.

[[Ga...]]

So.. when I take these I just get a mega high feeling and I don't know if it's covering up my sx ,or if they are actually less intense.

 

I woke up feeling decent and took my 2nd pill at 12 pm again got that mega high feeling, but around 7 pm i started to feel down in the dumps again I felt like I wasn't healing at all.

 

Is it possible more damage happens with a reinstate and What do you do if you decide to stop the reinstate? Just a fast taper off what you started? Should I just give it more time? I know some of these questions can't really be answered, but I'm at a total loss as to how I should be feeling with a reinstate.. this doesn't feel like the last time I reinstated at alt, but I was also off of them for a lot longer this time.. over double.

 

I'm kinda in a pickle as I'm very unsure of what I need to be doing and I'm not able to think very clearly.. I'd love any advance. I'm going to take my next pill here in about 30 minutes just to see if things are improving. I didn't sleep at all last night..maybe sleep is my issue?

[[eg...]]

Hey Galkar,

I am new to all of this however I will give you my opinion. You just reinstated yesterday so maybe you should give it some more time. Time to stabilize. That’s what I did. I had quit for about 4- 5 days and was fine and then the withdrawals hit me so I went back on three times a day. It took one day and I felt stable.

I get that not wanting to be on this medication and thinking maybe you should just stop because you did the wrong thing second-guessing yourself. You made a decision the other day to reinstate so maybe you should stick with that decision for a few more days at least.

:)

[[wi...]]

Where did people see the absorption numbers regarding the lower doses rendering larger absorption?  I'd like to read that.

It may help me!

[[eg...]]

Where did people see the absorption numbers regarding the lower doses rendering larger absorption?  I'd like to read that.

It may help me!

From the FDA website:

Oral Bioavailability: Gabapentin bioavailability is not dose proportional; i.e., as dose is increased, bioavailability decreases. Bioavailability of gabapentin is approximately 60%, 47%, 34%, 33%, and 27% following 900, 1200, 2400, 3600, and 4800 mg/day given in 3 divided doses, respectively.

[[or...]]

Good grief! No wonder my 2300 mgs of gaba was not doing my nerve pain any good. Shame on that doc for continually increasing my dose! I'm sure glad I got rid of that drug.

 

 

Katz