Gabapentin (Neurontin) Withdrawl Support Group

[[so...]]

Chris,

 

I was on Gabapentin for three years.  When I CT'd off 700mg I had akathisia for 7.5 months.  You need to push through the akathisia until it subsides.  You need to stop upping your doses of other drugs and adding more.  We are all suffering on this forum.  Some of us have chosen not to take any drugs, supplements or alcohol and give ourselves a fighting chance to heal.  It is the ONLY way.  There is no quick fix, nor is there any drug cocktail that will help you get through WD easier.  You need to get through the process, however long it takes to heal.  I have read your posts for a year now and everything you have done so far has made things worse--more CTs, more detox programs, adding drugs, changing your dosages--you are keeping your brain in utter turmoil.

 

Please, Chris, give yourself the time to heal.  Everybody has tried to help you with the same advice, but nobody can make this journey easier for you.  You must do this yourself, like the rest of us. 

 

Sofa

 

[[Hi...]]

I know everyone on here suffers but some people font get it. Putting on big boy pants? Most could not endure what im experiencing and thats not a downplay of anyones symptoms its just they dont understand. My living condition is contributing to why i cant get off i have noone to take care of me and im so sick i keep ending up in er for not being able to keep food water down and other things im simply asking if anyone has had akathisia as a side effect from gabapentin. Yes i know it causes it coming off all this stuff anyone thats had to endure it at the level i have im am greatly sorry. I am tapering off the meds everyone continues to slander why im not tapering. Well all my recent posts say i am but its didderent when you have a nice safe taper and when all the meds your onhave turned on you and your liver is sick and not proccessing them. And they are killing you because your liver so you need to get off fast but cant live as a consequences of the sx of tapering my situation is a little more complex than most and the psychotic torture and psychosis im experiencing is dangerous sooo

[[Ra...]]

Congratulations. Did you work through your taper?

[[Ra...]]

Hi All. Just thought I'd share that after 10 years on gabapentin, including a 2 year taper, I finally walked off the drug on March 30th so I'm finally free! I've been off for 4 days now. I have some crummy symptoms but not worse than a cut. Let the healing begin!

 

Hopeful

Congrats did you work through your taper ?

[[Hi...]]

Im sorry for being so hopeless i know theres only one way through this you guys are right but i cant handle what is happenning to my mind  i am tapering and my nervous system cant handle but its my mind im in spychosis over andoverIm really sick in a bad way and its getting mixed up with my mental stuff i hate when this happens im at the stage where i cant believe ive ever been this bad before. I trying to tell myself it will pass but i mean im really really sick and just pooring sweat muscles cramping up. Feel like i have late stage cancer thats what it feels like but then my mind is litterally sizzling

[[so...]]

Chris,

 

You are not suffering any more than the rest of us.  You are not handling the symptoms as well as the rest of us.  It takes a lot of perseverance and hard work to deal with this horror everyday.  You say people don't understand how bad it is for you.  Yes, unfortunately, we do.  We are all living this nightmare.

 

Sofa

[[Po...]]

Chris,

 

You are not suffering any more than the rest of us.  You are not handling the symptoms as well as the rest of us.  It takes a lot of perseverance and hard work to deal with this horror everyday.  You say people don't understand how bad it is for you.  Yes, unfortunately, we do.  We are all living this nightmare.

 

Sofa

 

How hard was it for you to quit gabapentin?  Did you do a taper?  I am only on 100mg at noon and 200 at 10pm.  I was on 300mg at night and doctor said try 100 during day.  I have swollen feet every day and want to get of this as soon as possible.  It did help with the c/t.  Still tapering pheno.

 

You are so right, we are all suffering and know the symptoms for morning, afternoon, and night.  Keep hoping when off the pheno things will get better.  It is the only way - just push forward.

 

Patti

[[ga...]]

Hi All. Just thought I'd share that after 10 years on gabapentin, including a 2 year taper, I finally walked off the drug on March 30th so I'm finally free! I've been off for 4 days now. I have some crummy symptoms but not worse than a cut. Let the healing begin!

 

Hopeful

 

Congratulations! Can you tell me how your doctor was dosing the gabapentin? I'm trying to figure out what's going on with my gabapentin.

[[Hi...]]

. Not everyones level pf suffering is the same yes everone is suffering some people very very horribly we are not all in the same situation.

 

Sofa i know you have been through it. You are right im not handli g my symptoms as welk as other people see. I have been through all this before and it was an i tolerable nightmare and there was no possible way it could get worse but i was able to cope with it somehow. When i reinstated from doctors orders to go back and do a slow tsper  eing told that it would help my brain heal properly. Thinhgs were really severe but this is now a different ballgame and im not blaming it all on the doctors but now that im o. The meds and methadone now also things are different tyhese symptoms are not masneagable because my mental health has deteriorsted so much it getting worse daily and im tapering very slowly but they are getting worse no matter how slowly i taper or if i dont taper befor i stsrted taperi g. See i also live alone and i cant take care of myself but theres nowhere for me to go im thinki g of going back to detox to get off the poison and hopefully ill be able to co vince my family to take me in but they already ssaid no. Behavior health says its from needing therapy from childhood trauma but that doesnt cause nerve pasin and burning and voives or thoughts telling me i need to do things and no its not skitxophrenia unless the pills are causing it but im really sick from liver and whatever else

 

I know this is gabapentin board and thasts part of it i was switched to klonopin and stopped gabapentin on same day a few months ago and nothing changed really i did get worse but it wasnt even as bad as it is now back on gabapentin

Ut i went to detox a week off the gabapentin and i o ly lasted 6 days and that was not even tapering the methadone i know they say dont do detox again it will make thi gs worse but things are getti g worse anyways i need to be in ss safe place where they can watch me snd help me. But idk idk i cant handle this  i been getting worse for a year now but i already went through the detox and i need help but they dont see whsts going on in the mind and its not just withdrawl because things het worse even going up on meds which im not doing anymore can you imagine what this does to your psyche i cant thiMmmmnk rationally most the time anymore i cannot function or enjoy anything in life i cannot go out to dinber or go to my friends house for bday all i can do is scream in agony and beg for help i try to meditate and it makes it worse cuz akathia i dont think can be coped with at certain levels of severitym i forgot who posted about  me oyt accepting help and about what am i doing to cope with symptoms and you fotund something to help you....can you please share with me what you do. See i cant distract sometime i can watch a movie or i try to go to aa meetings but

 

I know everyone deels they are in the ssorst shape they wont ever heal and you said something about tapering sng hitting a really rough patch well you are right that ive hit a really rough atch

 

But i am tapering but it hasnt even been enough for a person to feel i made a .005 cut in weight but i already am at i sanity and akathisia so severe that it cant get any worse but it foes i cant explain it i mean its just its passed the intolerable stage and im teying to stick with a taper plan but i cant live the way im doing it thats why ive changed around in past trying to experiment and figure out what woks but nothing does its so hard nearly impossible for me to focus on not my symptoms because there is nothing else it feels like an emergency constantly and its not a panic attack because panick attacks pass

 

Im trying im really really trying to get off the meds like everyone else but it seems like most people are stable or are a.t least are a le to stick to a taper schedule i already passed alk that a long time ago and went through hell and now im on a much higher dose and ive never been stable  ut it feels like my mental health is deteriotating so so fast that i am not able to cope with the symptoms a d i fear that its from other things as well or the meds are just ravaging me but im not in control im getting sicker and i know it sounds like well if your ganna be sick on then you might as well be sick off but i cant handle eother one.... does this make any se se? I need some sort of relief or hope because everything is litterally eati g my soul and my mind its not normal withdrawal because i was like this even going up on dosage so

 

Can anyone explain whats going on i think the medications are attacking me but i  eed medical help getting off and i feel like i need some sort of medication to help stabilize me but they all make it worse and its not a copout looking for an easy way out i know there isnt but i do need to be able to make it out and i think the methadone messed my dopamine and thats whats making it worse but to stop the methadone and have no dopamine while being attacked like this from the benzos and gabapentin or whatever is happening is not phathomable im trying to taper slowly but i feel like its just drawing the proccess out when im really really sicki want to go on an antidepressant  ut i know that they make my akathisia worse

 

Oh god i dont know what to do i TRY to sit with my symptoms as you say but i have this psychotic need to escape physically i walk around town begging for help and i cant stop it . im at beach frying and hallucinating skin burning mom wont text me i dont know if i can go home cuz they wont try to hold me or listen to me but im at stage where i am completely broken i know ive said this before but i dont think ive ever been this bad before dropping methadone didn't do what it normally does cus something else is going on. It might be cuz the benzos but idk.....it really feels like this is it. Im not crying or losing it im as calm as could possibly be but im idk my mental state is going going gone

[[li...]]

Hiphop, it has been a while since you posted in one of your own threads.

 

Maybe this thread will be of help: http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=154088.0

 

It basically says that the opiates can cover up a lot of symptoms. My gut feeling has been that maybe you should get off the opiate first. I know, easier said than done.

[[gr...]]

Chris, everyone DOES NOT suffer the same I agree with you. That's wrong for anyone to say. My suffering is mostly from depression, but I suffer from all the horrible symptoms of B wd and the gabapentin on top of it.

 

If I didn't suffer from the depression, things wud be much easier. Im sure there is just a couple of people here that have to deal with suicidal disabling depression. Bedridden and decaying for 3 years is suffering in it self that again only a couple people are that bad.

 

And I mean bedridden, 17- 18 hrs a day. So I have a lot of physical problems and pain. Both my shoulders are frozen. I cant use my arms well. It hurts.

 

Hang in...keep tapering. Get off. Heal. You can do it.

 

 

[[Va...]]

New to this thread. I'm on gabapentin 300mg twice a day. I don't really plan on stopping it until I'm symptom free from valium, last  dose was feb. 4th. Does the taper mirror that of benzos? 10% drop every two weeks? Was just wondering what was the most successful rate. I've been told that it's easier once we aRe healed.

[[so...]]

Chris,

 

I know you are suffering terribly.  If I came across calloused I apologize.  It's so hard to watch you suffer like this with no improvement.  You have drugs you need to taper and you can't take care of yourself because of how tortured you feel.  Somehow you need to get yourself to a hospital and tell them you need to be cared for full time because you cannot care for yourself.  These hospitals and detox facilities keep washing their hands of you and that is just inhumane.  Your parents will not care for you and that is horrible.  I know you want to survive this and your determination and your will to live are your greatest strengths.  Chris, can you go to a local church and get the pastor to take on the role of advocate for you?  You need someone in your corner.  I am praying for you.

 

Sofa

[[ho...]]

Hi All. Just thought I'd share that after 10 years on gabapentin, including a 2 year taper, I finally walked off the drug on March 30th so I'm finally free! I've been off for 4 days now. I have some crummy symptoms but not worse than a cut. Let the healing begin!

 

Hopeful

Congrats did you work through your taper ?

 

Hi There. Thank you! I could not work for over a year of my Xanax taper. I was so sick I still can't believe I made it through that. I am still in protracted withdrawal but I have been off for over 2 years.  I did work through my entire gabapentin taper. I really wanted to and so I took it really slowly. I also worked most of the time extremely ill. I have a very difficult job that requires me to be engaged with people or presenting all day. I had times where I had to excuse myself during a meeting and would throw up in the bathroom and have to come right back in. It has been very difficult. BUT I was able to do it. I still have a lot of symptoms so after the taper it is just time to patiently wait to be healed. I feel rather shell shocked and struggle to remember when I did feel good. But I am working to keep the faith that I will return to health.

 

Hopefulgirl

[[ho...]]

Hi All. Just thought I'd share that after 10 years on gabapentin, including a 2 year taper, I finally walked off the drug on March 30th so I'm finally free! I've been off for 4 days now. I have some crummy symptoms but not worse than a cut. Let the healing begin!

 

Hopeful

 

Congratulations! Can you tell me how your doctor was dosing the gabapentin? I'm trying to figure out what's going on with my gabapentin.

 

 

Thank you. I used the liquid and my cuts were 5 mg each until I got down to 100mg. (5 mil of liquid = 5mg) Then I switched to 1 mg cuts. I dosed 3 times per day until the last cuts brought me to zero. I rotated which dose I cut from each time so that I gradually lowered all doses but kept it 3 times per day. My doctor's script read: "Take 300mg as needed. Patient to self-taper as needed." This allowed me to have a huge bottle and make the cuts at my own pace. I hope that helps!

 

Good luck with getting yours sorted out!

 

Hopefulgirl

[[ho...]]

New to this thread. I'm on gabapentin 300mg twice a day. I don't really plan on stopping it until I'm symptom free from valium, last  dose was feb. 4th. Does the taper mirror that of benzos? 10% drop every two weeks? Was just wondering what was the most successful rate. I've been told that it's easier once we aRe healed.

 

Hi there,

 

My taper mirrored benzos....I actually tapered more slowly with gabapentin than benzos because I knew more and had been so sick for 3 years that I needed it to be very slow. I cut 100mg at first but micro tapered down for most of it. I had the most success with 5mg-1mg cuts. I was off of benzos for about 6 months when I started gabapentin taper.

[[Va...]]

Thanks so much for the reply hopeful. I have an appointment on Monday with my psychiatrist and I hope he will let me taper at my own pace too. I forgot my morning dose the other day (usually at 9 and 9), didn't feel a thing. I really want to get off the stuff, I think it is what is making me gain weight and have cortisol spikes. Either way I want to be 100% drug feel for once. Peace

[[Ev...]]

I really appreciate this thread!  I started tapering Gab about a month ago (not looking at my sig and can't remember for certain).  Went down 400 milligrams in that time.  At the half way point for me, I discovered the same challenge as benzos.  The half-way point requires a slower pace for me.  Slowing down to 10% per week (longer if needed).  Waiting to stabilize after a little hiccup earlier this week.  Feeling better today but so tired.    Life is good.

 

Sending peaceful thoughts to all.

 

Ever...

 

[[Va...]]

Wow, you're tapering xanax and gabapentin at the same tine? Geez that has to be tough, more power to ya! Peace

[[Ev...]]

Wow, you're tapering xanax and gabapentin at the same tine? Geez that has to be tough, more power to ya! Peace

Yes and no.  I'm on Clonazepam and am literally on the last few poppy seeds.  I had to reduce gab as much as I could due to a pretty unhealthy weight gain that was getting worse and definitely not stopping.  My cut back has resulted in some weight loss and I'm now holding at 350 milligrams for a bit.  I actually don't feel too bad other than gabapentin really stinks to get off of....just as bad as the benzos.  I'm looking forward to freedom.

 

Ever...

[[Va...]]

Yeah I'm gaining and gaining, despite all efforts to lose weight. It's very frustrating as I've never had trouble with my weight. Can't fit into most my clothes! I've gotta get off this stuff too, but right now I'm experiencing a wave that apparently makes my anxiety and cortisol spike. Peace

[[Ev...]]

Yeah I'm gaining and gaining, despite all efforts to lose weight. It's very frustrating as I've never had trouble with my weight. Can't fit into most my clothes! I've gotta get off this stuff too, but right now I'm experiencing a wave that apparently makes my anxiety and cortisol spike. Peace

Noticed your tag and a couple of lines below felt familiar. Tool or A Perfect Circle fan?  MJK is pretty amazing.  Any how - yes - the focus should be on getting better and reductions only gradually over time.  I've gained 5 sizes in just 7 months.  It aint pretty and I've always been at a perfectly healthy weight.  This drug has triggered all the M.D. Warnings about obesity, diabetes, etc. and I'm still consuming about 1200 calories a day, exercising, etc.  LOL 

 

Now a lower does of Gab and Clon, finally, the weight gain reverses...THAT makes me feel great in a different way that will motivate me to keep cutting despite some transient waves of yuckiness!  I'll continue to reduce in about 5 days when I'm feeling more consistently stable. 100 milligrams per week cut doesn't work any more.  Shooting for something a bit less intense in the upcoming weeks. 

 

Hang in there - you can do this.

 

[[La...]]

I've been reading everyone's posts and am glad I did. I'm having a tough time at 43 month's out from a c/t of .5 mg and having bad back pain from an old injury. My doctor had talked me into starting Gabapentin to help with my back pain I'm in and this PAWS. I didn't get it filled and am most certainly not about to get it now. She isn't going to be happy with me, but after seeing what everyone has to say about it and having to taper off from it too.... It is not for this guy.

 

I wish everyone well and I thank you for your posts. I'll continue on as I am for as long as possible.

 

 

Jim

[[Ev...]]

I've been reading everyone's posts and am glad I did. I'm having a tough time at 43 month's out from a c/t of .5 mg and having bad back pain from an old injury. My doctor had talked me into starting Gabapentin to help with my back pain I'm in and this PAWS. I didn't get it filled and am most certainly not about to get it now. She isn't going to be happy with me, but after seeing what everyone has to say about it and having to taper off from it too.... It is not for this guy.

 

I wish everyone well and I thank you for your posts. I'll continue on as I am for as long as possible.

 

 

Jim

 

Hi there Jim,

 

That is completely understandable.  You know, I read a recent study about a different mechanism specific to back pain and that was mindfulness based stress reduction. The NIH in the US recently released a news announcement indicating that MBSR had a different neural pathway to pain reduction and in other studies it was shown to bring relief to back pain.  I took interest in that because I have suffered low-back pain off and on my whole life.  Whether it is stress or just a world not made for tall people, I had to find a non-narcotic way to deal with the pain.  MBSR has been the most effective for me.  You might google it and see if there is anything there that appeals to you.  The cool part about it is that it is free, no copays, no doctor visits - it's just you, a focus on your breathing and not trying to escape the pain but cope with it.  I talk about it all the time because I'm so amazed at how effective it is for lots of things (including cranky kids and teens).  LOL

 

Wish you the best.

 

Ever...

[[La...]]

Thank you Ever, I'm on it. It has to be better than nothing and certainly worth a try, because pharma isn't getting it. Except for my prilosec, I'm pharma free.

 

Much appreciated

 

Jim