Gabapentin (Neurontin) Withdrawl Support Group

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Hi Toz,

I am so sorry you are suffering so much. Unfortunately, I do not know about reinstating and kindling with gabapentin. I have tapered from 2700 mg to 900 mg. I then tapered down to 400mg but was super sick from too fast of a benzo taper and going too fast with gabapentin that I went back up to 900mg. I don't think it made any difference. Have you tried anything else? Supplements? Natural alternatives? Are you in an area where there are integrative doctors or a naturopath that can help? Maybe worth a short. I've had great success with this. Hang in there!

Hopeful Girl

 

Yes I've tried pretty much everything from natural supplements to actually using benzos again but nothing provides adequate relief. The main problem I experience is dizzyness and depression and there isn't really much to help with dizzyness honestly. The dizzyness is due to the constant vision problems I still experience since quitting this med and it's making me depressed and I can't really see how anything else could fix this except getting back on neurontin. (I know neurontin can cause vision changes as a side effect, but I had no problems while using the drug except some minor dizzyness/tiredness). I also suffer allodynia that has gotten better but I still hurt every single day and this is all I can think about really since I can't get any relief from doing anything due to the dizzyness.

 

I feel like I have waited long enough, that this by now is completely pointless and I am suffering for nothing because these problems feel like they could take several more years to resolve. I don't doubt they will in time, but I fear I will not be alive to see that day happen if I keep feeling like this. I've lost all hope and I really need to get back on my feet. I don't feel like trying other medications is going to do much for me. It might remove some of the problems but it would be better to just reinstate the neurontin and then take it for the rest of my life. I could live with that actually, as long as it doesn't make things worse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Reinstating didn't make it worse for me, it just didn't help at all.  I had to go on doxepin.  I feel fine now.  The doxepin kicked in in about 3 days.  I take 75 mgs.  I will taper it later.

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I am getting close to 300mgs a day.  Been trying to make a cut every week.  End up in bed for a better part of 2 days.  The nausea is terrible even with zofran.  Can't eat much.  Started at 1200mgs a day first of November.    Yesterday I felt like I had Cotton in my ears all day.  But could hear water like when you put your ear up to a shell.

I am so looking forward to putting the last pill in my mouth.

 

With Xanax I at least had more time in between cuts to feel somewhat normal.  This one if I am lucky 3 days. 

 

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I am getting close to 300mgs a day.  Been trying to make a cut every week.  End up in bed for a better part of 2 days.  The nausea is terrible even with zofran.  Can't eat much.  Started at 1200mgs a day first of November.    Yesterday I felt like I had Cotton in my ears all day.  But could hear water like when you put your ear up to a shell.

I am so looking forward to putting the last pill in my mouth.

 

With Xanax I at least had more time in between cuts to feel somewhat normal.  This one if I am lucky 3 days.

 

Sorry you have so many symptoms! How much are you cutting and how often? I am still in pretty awful w/d from Xanax but am planning on beginning my Gabapentin taper in mid March.

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Trying to cut 7-10% per week.  The nausea is the most troubling.  Feels like major morning sickness.

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Trying to get my ducks in a row to begin tapering 400 mg of Gabapentin.  Some one said 10 mg / cut.  My plan is to put contents of capsule in a glass of water... wait till talc sinks to the bottom.  Draw off water.  Drink dose.  Any yeahs or nays to this approach.  How long should I hold?  I will finish K taper in a couple of wks... expecting to start this taper sometime in March. 

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Njoy, UtahGirls methode of liquid form seems a better chioce for consistency.  It worked well for her. I had trouble getting small doses until the liquid.

 

Toz,  I have read alot and have not found any research that talks about kindeling with Neurontin. I am no doctor and one thing I have learned about this evil drug is to be prepared for the unknown. Sorry and cant be more help. Others on this thread has reinstated. The doxepin is an older trisicklic AD that has much info and understanding. I took Noratriptalyne which helped the pain some. Neruontin is a realative new comer to the drug scene and not much research on long term affects.  Sorry you are going thru this. Truely I am..

 

Love you all .... IslandGirl (barely hanging on by a thread)

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Njoy, UtahGirls methode of liquid form seems a better chioce for consistency.  It worked well for her. I had trouble getting small doses until the liquid.

 

Toz,  I have read alot and have not found any research that talks about kindeling with Neurontin. I am no doctor and one thing I have learned about this evil drug is to be prepared for the unknown. Sorry and cant be more help. Others on this thread has reinstated. The doxepin is an older trisicklic AD that has much info and understanding. I took Noratriptalyne which helped the pain some. Neruontin is a realative new comer to the drug scene and not much research on long term affects.  Sorry you are going thru this. Truely I am..

 

Love you all .... IslandGirl (barely hanging on by a thread)

 

Island Girl,

 

I'm so sorry you continue to suffer. You are in my thoughts and prayers. I am still struggling post Xanax taper. Planning on starting my gabapentin taper in mid March. Ready to be done with it but also dreading the symptoms. I hope you get some rest tonight!

 

Love,

Hopefulgirl

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Hopefulgirl...I am learning that gabapentin withdrawal is pure hell.  I doses down from 1200 to 400 2 1/2 months.

I have been sick and worthless most of the time.

The doc said it should take 3 months.  It was not his idea to stop taking this med.  So no

hurry from that standpoint.

I am holding now till I catch up on life.  The rest of the withdrawal I will do by inches.

I agree with those who say take it slow.

 

The liquid sounds like a great idea.

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Hopefulgirl...I am learning that gabapentin withdrawal is pure hell.  I doses down from 1200 to 400 2 1/2 months.

I have been sick and worthless most of the time.

The doc said it should take 3 months.  It was not his idea to stop taking this med.  So no

hurry from that standpoint.

I am holding now till I catch up on life.  The rest of the withdrawal I will do by inches.

I agree with those who say take it slow.

 

The liquid sounds like a great idea.

 

So sorry to hear this. I am dreading it to say the least. I have been on it for almost 8 years 3 times a day everyday without fail so I have no idea how hard it is going to be to get off. Can't believe I have to face this after 2 years of a brutal time with the Xanax. Oh well-one day I'll be free from all of this and so will you!

 

Hopefulgirl

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Thanks, Hopefulgirl    Unfortunately, my doc says she can't prescribe it in liquid form or maybe its that it isn't available here... anyway, it doesn't appear at this time that is an option for me.  She did say the Neurotin dissolves in water and the inert ingredients will sink to the bottom and I can pour the water off and drink that.  She thought dropping 10 ml at a time sounded good but had no idea how long to stay at each cut. She reiterated what she said when I began my K taper that she really wasn't comfortable trying to prescribe outside of manufacturers recommendations.  Guess I'll have to let my body tell me.  She isn't keen on the idea of me cutting this drug out, so I don't want to press her too much.  She thinks I'm over reacting to the pancreatic issues related to the drug and says my dose is so small that it shouldn't be an issue. Yeah! Sometimes I just have to bite my tongue when I talk to her. Njoy

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Oh yes, that dose couldn't possibly be causing such problems.

 

Going forward slow, slow, slow.

 

We can do this.

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Coffee Lover:  just curious, what is your current dose of Gaba.  I'm taking 400 mg.  I cut 1200 mg all at once just before I started my K taper.  I think the issues I had early on w/ my K taper was actually the Gaba but, whatever, at least that is behind me.  I tried cutting 40 mg of the 400 mg that I am still taking of the Gaba and was having w/d sx almost immediately... decided to stay at 400 till I was off the K for at least 2 months which was my original plan but you know how it is... easy to get rambunctious w/ wanting off this ride.  Njoy

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I am at 400mgs...100mgs every six hours.  I cut from 1200 starting in Nov.

I am thinking the gabapentin likely cause more withdrawal.

 

Going to finish my taper very slowly.

 

I also have to start at some point tapering of my pain meds.

Hopefully that won't be as bad.

 

I withdrew from Xanax several years back.  Only took it at night.

The withdrawal symptoms were so much easier looking back now than the gaba.

 

 

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thanks for the info... yeah, I'm getting the feeling this is going to be the real bear  :'(

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2 things that have helped so much....generic zofran...clonidine.

 

Feel free to lean on me.  I still have a ways to go and it's nice to know someone is

Listening who understands.

 

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thanks CoffeeLover.  I'll be in touch  Njoy

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I was reading some of the earlier posts on this board and read that you shouldn't take Neurotin w/n 2 hours of taking Mg.  Does anyone know why?  I've been taking them at the same time, before bed. 

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Gabapentin blocks the absorbtion of Magnesium.

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Thanks Coffeelover, I'll space out the doses and see if I get better results w/ the Mg.  I have to say... it has helped... nice to hear that it might work better if dosed differently.

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Also soaking your feet in a solution of Epsom salt and warm water helps.  Plus it just feels good.

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I just thought I'd give another update.  My starting dose of gabapentin was 300 mg every night.  I have been reducing by 10 mgs every 2 weeks using the liquid form of gaba.  It took me 4 months to get down to 200 mgs.  It had gone really well, no problems at all.  Until now! 

 

I am now at 200 mgs.  I had severe anxiety yesterday afternoon.  I took a Xanax but it didn't help!  I took another Xanax, but it didn't help!  I was really suffering and scared.  I took my normal dose, 200 mgs of gaba even though it was 2:00 in the afternoon and I don't normally take it until 8:00 PM.  It completely stopped my anxiety!  I then felt fine.

 

I think in lower doses, half life must become very important.  The half life of gaba is 5-7 hours.  As you can see, it is very short! 

 

I woke up this morning with extreme anxiety.  I decided to take half of my dose so I took 100 mgs (2ml of liquid).  I will take the other half this evening.  After about 45 minutes, I felt much better.  The anxiety is gone! 

 

I will obviously need to split the doses from here on out.  Given the half life is so short, I wouldn't be surprised if I need to split the dose into 3.  Gabapentin is such a pain in the neck!  It is very difficult for me to get off.  Hopefully by splitting the dose, things will go more smoothly.

 

Wish me luck!

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Utahgirl:  it makes sense that splitting the doses should help.  Glad you were able to find some relief today. 

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I agree,  I think it keeps the brain from chasing the drug.    You are doing great.

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Coffeelover!  I've been spacing out the doses, taking the Mg about 2 hours before I take the Gaba.  Its been working great!  Thanks so much.  I'm back to sleeping well.  Being able to sleep is everything for me... I can handle so much more when I can rest.  I have times when I'm thinking about starting to w/d from those last 400 mg and I get so scared... how am I going to get through this again?  Can my body and brain really take this again?  When I decided to come off the K, I was so determined and that kept me going... I don't have that w/ this... there is all this questioning. Then, yesterday... the doc is all upset (all of the sudden) about what I'm doing, and not taking it as it was prescribed and I had talked to her ...she knew I had dropped 1600 mg... 1200 all at once, early in my K taper... she filled my script but said I should use the time to do whatever it is I'm doing because she can't keep prescribing at that level.  I get so angry!  The rejection and lack of understanding about the drug, what it does to you and how to taper is just mind boggling and I resent that it makes, so apparent, how ax I still am and how socially inept I have become... it doesn't take much for me to lose my composure... nobody's locked me up yet, but it doesn't help w/ social phobia that has become such a part of this experience... I really don't think we ask for much and it really hurts to be so ostracized.  I try to remember that some people deal w/ so much worse over the course of their lives, but, unfortunately, that comes about a minute or two after I've let them know what I think of their actions.  Some times I can apologize for my own and other times I just feel so strongly that someone has to tell them that what they are doing is unjust.  I don't care any longer whether or not I'm mentally ill, I should be treated w/ some reasonablenes, at the very least by those in professional situations.  Anyway, I expect anger is better than depression.  I've got five refills and that's it.  I'll have to make it work.  I'm not sure whether to start now, or stick to the plan and wait till I'm done w/ the K and taper more aggressively... scary thoughts!  Njoy