Gabapentin (Neurontin) Withdrawl Support Group

[[Ja...]]

Thank you !!

[[Te...]]

TeeCee: since you jumped K not long ago, I would think that your w/d might be K related.

Here is what I learned about gabapentin: when you reduce (and for me this means reducing from 1800 down to 900) your w/d symptoms ramp up a bit, and being sensitive due to benzo you're like 'oh shit hell again', thats how I initially felt. but then it never gets really bad, and leaves after 2-3 days or so. so I think the gabapentin w/d comes quick and leaves quick as well. magnesium helps a lot, it took most of it for me away. epson salt baths are great, magnesium spray, and any supplement forms.

now I think I might stay on 300 at bedtime, since it really helps with sleep, which I feel is more important now.

But again, every time I reduced it, or went off it - w/d wasn't too bad. you just have to tell yourself that this is gabapentin w/d not benzo w/d.

Yes it probably is related. It may also be related to the fact that I had previously taken gabaoentin during the time I was on klonopin, and had stopped. So this is a second withdrawal from gabapentin and there may be some kindling going on. With each reduction in dose, the withdrawal sx lasted longer. I'm also on macrobid, which I think has hurt my sleep and ramped up the withdrawal sx.

I'm afraid to take magnesium as sever diarrhea (with weight loss) was a major symptom of acute tolerance (or relative) withdrawal, and the diarrhea and other digestive sx persist.

[[lo...]]

Jackson1: I jumped over a month ago. my guess is that during your taper gaba w/d will be easier. but that might be individual, since my taper was easy. but you are already at 1mg V, which is basically nothing.

I do take 800-1200mg magnesium 3x per day, together with my 3x300gabapentin per day. I am about to cut futher, probably sometime this week. I did also c/t gabapentin 2x times during my benzo w/d or some form of rapid taper with no issues. I am going back and forth with gabapentin, but it is another damn drug with its own side effects. if it helps you - I would stay on it till you stable. I'm at a point where my benzo w/d baseline is established, and I don't feel the gabapentin does really much good. I don't feel like it prevents healing. I might keep it for really bad days. all those drugs make me feel like a zombie, I just want to be myself, even if its with a bit more symptoms. the only exception is sleep, I feel sleep is more important then non sleep, even with a drug. thats why I still take 50mg seroquel.

 

[[lo...]]

i dropped further gabapentin down to 600mg per day within couple days (1800 down to 600 in less then 2 weeks). right now i take 150 + 150 + 300.

I have only minimal symptoms if any (they could be benzo w/d related). actually I feel like my depression and mood is lifting a bit. wondering if this stupid drug could cause this.

so encouragement and support for those tapering - it does seem to go very easy in my case so far.

[[Te...]]

i dropped further gabapentin down to 600mg per day within couple days (1800 down to 600 in less then 2 weeks). right now i take 150 + 150 + 300.

I have only minimal symptoms if any (they could be benzo w/d related). actually I feel like my depression and mood is lifting a bit. wondering if this stupid drug could cause this.

so encouragement and support for those tapering - it does seem to go very easy in my case so far.

If I read your signature correctly, you  had one year of clonazapam? I had 4. I was on  gabapentin on an off duriing that time. I can't remember the highest dosage - might have been as much as 300mg 3x a day. I had no trouble discontinuing the gabapentin while on the clonazapam. When my pdoc put me on it to ease the clonazapam withdrawal. Each cut was worse for me. I'm only at 100 mg, and symptoms that  had been abating keep coming back, like the neuropathy. I'm supposed to stop the gabapentin this Thursday, with the option of 100 mg every other day. I think I'll try that. I'm glad you're finding it easy, but I'm in hell most of the day.

[[lo...]]

TeeCee: if you at 100mg - gabapentin has a half life of 5-7h. so if you take 100 once a day, you essentially should go through w/d every day.

i don't have any specific condition which the gabapentin would help with, but if you have some neuropathy, it would make sense that those symptoms come back

 

[[Te...]]

TeeCee: if you at 100mg - gabapentin has a half life of 5-7h. so if you take 100 once a day, you essentially should go through w/d every day.

i don't have any specific condition which the gabapentin would help with, but if you have some neuropathy, it would make sense that those symptoms come back

Locutus,

So on Thursday, at the two week mark for this dose, i should stop, or go every other day?

[[lo...]]

TeeCee: every other day, means the other days you will be in full blown w/d. what I would do, is see how you sleep without it. did you take the 100mg at bedtime? what I found the worst symptoms when I went completely off was worsened insomnia/mind racing at night. if you sleep fine, I wouldn't worry, otherwise maybe titrate the 100 further down slowly?

[Guest [Fu...]]

This might sound ridiculous but ever since I cold turkeyed the Gabapentin at 300 mg's on Christmas I have for lack or a better way of putting it felt dumb as bricks. It's different than just benzo brain. I feel like I'm legitimately missing part of my brain or something. I can barely listen to a podcast and retain any of the information or even follow along. I'm also extremely tired all of the time but I am still getting over the stomach bug from Hell so I'm sure that isn't helping anything. I'm trying to take magnesium as I've heard that helps but I have no idea if I'm even going through withdrawa and if I am how long it's going to last.

[[Te...]]

TeeCee: every other day, means the other days you will be in full blown w/d. what I would do, is see how you sleep without it. did you take the 100mg at bedtime? what I found the worst symptoms when I went completely off was worsened insomnia/mind racing at night. if you sleep fine, I wouldn't worry, otherwise maybe titrate the 100 further down slowly?

Locutus

I am in no condition to titrate. I am recovering from multiple medical issues. I take 100 mg at night around 7 but I don't go to sleep until around 10. I'm not sure the gabapentin has much effect on my sleep at all any more. I meditate and give myself time to fall asleep, telling myself it's okay if I don't. I think I will take it until Thursday as directed and then stop. Perhaps my sx will abate then.

[[lo...]]

how did it go TeeCee? I am down to 300mg at night. my plan is to keep it there for couple night, and then dry cut down quickly like 300/200/100/50/0

i feel a bit more revved for sure. but I do have this feeling that this stuff is going to prolong recovery. need to be done

 

[[Te...]]

how did it go TeeCee? I am down to 300mg at night. my plan is to keep it there for couple night, and then dry cut down quickly like 300/200/100/50/0

i feel a bit more revved for sure. but I do have this feeling that this stuff is going to prolong recovery. need to be done

Locutus,

I jumped at 100 mg one day early from my two week schedule. I'd noticed a diminishing of my shaking and palpitations. I immediately began having the same types of symptoms I had when getting off the K, but to a lesser degree. Neuropathy, cog fog, heartburn, zaps, etc. The big issue was whether it would affect my sleep. It has to some degree. Before the jump,  I was falling asleep without the aid of my sleep supplement that has l-theanine, 5 HTP and melatonin. For a few nights post jump, I had to take it just to fall asleep. Last night I didn't take it despite shaking and palpitations. I did a sleep meditation, belly  breathed, and gave myself permission to fall asleep in my own time. I didn't sleep great, but I did sleep. It generally has taken me 12-14 days with each cut to get back to my prior "normal" so I am optimistic that sleep will improve. My gut also seems to be improving, and I think I gained a pound (I had lost 15, and I didn't need to. Gained back five but have been unable to progress).

I am convinced the the gabapentin, although probably necessary for short term use, is equally poisonous. Our bodies can't return to health when we keep substituting one drug for another. I agree it prolongs recovery.

[[lo...]]

good to hear TeeCee. I can't wait to drop this drug. i'm just so done with having to remember to have another damn psychiatric pill. I think gabapentin is fine to have for emergency situations and take it here and there. I feel like this stuff caused me weight gain, made me dumber. It feels quiet a bit as benzo w/d but not as bad for me too. my K taper process was pretty easy, I'm not sure if gabapentin was help here or not. i had barely any symptoms. but now 6 weeks out its time to be done.

[[Te...]]

 

Locutus,  I couldn't agree more. Time to be done. I never found the gabapentin all that helpful when I took it concurrently with the klonopin. I had stopped it. I think it was useful during my accelerated taper from the klonopin. Remember, I stopped drinking alcohol in August. The gabapentin probably prevented a seizure. But it caused its own harm, and if my stomach continues to improve, it will prove to me that gabapentin was part of the problem. Now I can focus on healing my reflux disease and ulcer and hopefully in February when I see my doctor, I can talk about weaning off the dexilant. I believe the Klonopin and gabapentin made my reflux worse. I noticed with each cut of the gabapentin, my reflux slightly worsened. Again, I meditated and used belly breathing. Here's the thing. We can't avoid all anxiety. We can only deal with it better. Looking for an easy fix is how we got duped into this poison. As I've gone through this process, and with this last jump, I've learned to "embrace the suck" as they say in the military. I know what's coming, and that it will abate in its own time. Although I'm a long way from healed, the good parts of the old me are coming back.cus on healing my reflux disease and ulcer and hopefully in February when I see my doctor, I can talk about weaning off the dexilant. I believe the Klonopin and gabapentin made my reflux worse. I noticed with each cut of the gabapentin, my reflux slightly worsened. Again, I meditated and used belly breathing. Here's the thing. We can't avoid all anxiety. We can only deal with it better. Looking for an easy fix is how we got duped into this poison. As I've gone through this process, and with this last jump, I've learned to "embrace the suck" as they say in the military. I know what's coming, and that it will abate in its own time. Although I'm a long way from healed, the good parts of the old me are coming back.

[[re...]]

 

 

Please tell me how to help this:

 

I was taken down 200 mg of gabapentin in one week

I know this was to fast but I'm 4 days in and trying to endure

 

I am at 200 mg twice daily now.

I'm noticing heightened symptoms midday so I am assuming interdose withdraw (sweating, restless, irritable,anxious, nausea)

 

What should I do to help this?

How long would you hold at this dose?

 

 

[[lo...]]

TeeCee: that's how I feel slowly. old me is coming back. and embrace the suck is awesome lol. I think once you make it through the very worst of acute (that was really week 2 for me), everything else is a piece of cake. I feel like I can take any shit now. nothing killed me so far, nothing will. since I dropped to 300 (all the way from 1800) I feel way better I have to say. that 3x600 killed me. depressed zombie I don't have another word for it.

 

[[lo...]]

I never ever had interdose with this shit. If you can sleep ok I would stop at this point. I tapered from 1800 down to 300 within 2 weeks max. I plan to be done within another week. I would have stopped already, the only reason it is helping sleep, and want to taper the nighttime dose.

 

 

 

Please tell me how to help this:

 

I was taken down 200 mg of gabapentin in one week

I know this was to fast but I'm 4 days in and trying to endure

 

I am at 200 mg twice daily now.

I'm noticing heightened symptoms midday so I am assuming interdose withdraw (sweating, restless, irritable,anxious, nausea)

 

What should I do to help this?

How long would you hold at this dose?

[[Te...]]

I had many of the same symptoms every time I tapered. I am not a doctor, so I can't tell you what to do, but you might hold until the symptoms abate, then consult with your doctor about how to continue your taper. I found that with each taper, it took 10-14 days to get better. You may experience the same unpleasantness each time you taper. I'm getting off 100 mg a day as my last step, and I'm still having withdrawal symptoms, though not as severe as before. Accept it, recognize it for what it is. It seems to pass. Meditation helped me. If gabapentin has helped you sleep, you may experience poorer sleep as you taper. Don't get anxious about it, it makes it worse. Best of luck.

 

Please tell me how to help this:

 

I was taken down 200 mg of gabapentin in one week

I know this was to fast but I'm 4 days in and trying to endure

 

I am at 200 mg twice daily now.

I'm noticing heightened symptoms midday so I am assuming interdose withdraw (sweating, restless, irritable,anxious, nausea)

 

What should I do to help this?

How long would you hold at this dose?

[[Te...]]

TeeCee: that's how I feel slowly. old me is coming back. and embrace the suck is awesome lol. I think once you make it through the very worst of acute (that was really week 2 for me), everything else is a piece of cake. I feel like I can take any shit now. nothing killed me so far, nothing will. since I dropped to 300 (all the way from 1800) I feel way better I have to say. that 3x600 killed me. depressed zombie I don't have another word for it.

r

 

Yes. I hope it's not a fluke, but my gut seems to be settling down. I am hungry and eating frequently. I think I'm finally holding on to weight and getting stronger at the gym. Still having palps, shakes, pounding in ears, and neuromuscular issues, but less severe and less frequent. It helps me to keep busy. I'm sn empty nester and I'd like to downsize, so I'm throwing stuff out and cleaning. Possessions don't mean so much to me now. My health is more important.

[Guest [Fu...]]

"Depressed zombie" is a good way to put it. I really hope this passes because my CNS feels so messed up ever since I stopped taking this stupid f*cking drug. I'm sore all the time, my anxiety is so much worse and I'm constantly scared I'm going to have a seizure even though I was on a low dose for a short period of time. I also have no appetite and I'm so tired pretty much 24/7. Benzo withdrawal was bad enough I'd really like to get back to my baseline of miserable hell before I tried Gabapentin. It's been five days since I took my last dose so I don't think I'm actually at a risk of a seizure but my hypochondriac brain says otherwise.

[[re...]]

 

I'm really having a hard time and need reassurance please

Started on GABA late 2015 to start K withdraw

Highest dose was 2400 mg a day but that dose was only a few weeks

Tapered fast and stopped in June and crashed

Went back on in July.  Highest dose being 900 a day

800 mg a day in sept-oct

700 mg a day in nov

600 mg a day starting mid dec

 

Last week I was dropped from 600 to 400 mg a day

 

So basically I went from 200 3x. To 200 2x

By 2 pm I feeling it until I take my night dose

 

Any suggestions to make this more tolerable

[[lo...]]

Reba: how about 3x100 or so?

Fuzzy: sorry to hear, how long and how much did you take?

 

So I am down to 300 in the evening. Will keep it here for a while, until I feel 'steady'. altough I am wondering if this dose is throwing me into some interdose. impossible to know. especially with K jump being recent.

I also started ginkgo biloba. there is large thread in alternative. looks promising.

I have 0 fear of natural supplements. I know they can rev you up, but nature will not harm you.

[Guest [Fu...]]

I was only on for 24 days total. The first few at 600 then the majority at 300 and the last few at 200 and 150. I don't even know if I'm in withdrawal or not. I'm tired all the time, my anxiety is worse, my stomach is worse and I just feel off. Hoping it goes away soon.

[[Te...]]

Reba: how about 3x100 or so?

Fuzzy: sorry to hear, how long and how much did you take?

 

So I am down to 300 in the evening. Will keep it here for a while, until I feel 'steady'. altough I am wondering if this dose is throwing me into some interdose. impossible to know. especially with K jump being recent.

I also started ginkgo biloba. there is large thread in alternative. looks promising.

I have 0 fear of natural supplements. I know they can rev you up, but nature will not harm you.

 

Locutus, I have to disagree with you on your last point about nature and supplements. There are plenty of things in nature that can kill you. As for the safety and  efficacy of supplements, remember, here in the US there is little to no regulatory oversight of supplements. My take is that if a supplement is strong enough to have medicinal properties it can have side effects. Some supplements have been found to be ineffective. In some cases, examination of the supplement has shown that there is little to no actual supplement, just filler. Some people feel that prolonged use of melatonin disrupts your body's own ability to make it. Some of us react differently to supplements or have different underlying medical issues. Some supplement can be toxic in large doses. So try a supplement if you wish. But use caution. I use several myself, but some of them are a mix of helpful with some tolerable side effects. And some  supplements can interfere with some medications.

[[lo...]]

Fuzzy: I highly doubt that this is gabapentin w/d. could it be that gabapentin actually helped you a bit with K w/d?

My entire K taper was easy. I am starting to wonder *if* maybe the gabapentin played a role. I feel like it amplifies the benzo.

 

I was only on for 24 days total. The first few at 600 then the majority at 300 and the last few at 200 and 150. I don't even know if I'm in withdrawal or not. I'm tired all the time, my anxiety is worse, my stomach is worse and I just feel off. Hoping it goes away soon.