Gabapentin (Neurontin) Withdrawl Support Group

[[lo...]]

Paul: you could still be dealing with benzo waves for sure. My guess is that you healed some, and so the gabapentin did have some pretty noticeable effect.

Unfortunately any drug you're on, including AD's can be the reason for your anxiety and waves. the benzo w/d just makes it all a bit worse....

 

[[Pa...]]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

I wish I didn't have to take anything but sometimes it's just unbearable.

 

My last dose of Gabapentin was about 16 hours ago. The brain fog is mostly gone but my anxiety has continued to ramp up. I have felt this way before but I was wondering if I'm now experiencing Gagapentin withdrawal after 20 days use at 600mg per day?

[[lo...]]

Paul: if it was just 20 days, I highly doubt that you developed heavy gabapentin dependence, unless you were dependent on that drug before.

IMO it takes quiet a long time to get hooked on gabapentin.

[[lo...]]

how is everybody doing here? I started tapering again.....and currently take 300+300+550. i did not feel the cut for days whatsoever, but got back into some sort of a wave. wondering if this has anything to do....such a small cut.

this time i decided to ride it out. I dose at 7am, 1pm and 8pm. I noticed that if I miss my 1pm dose or do it late....I get interdose w/d badly. but interesting is that those interdose w/d do NOT feel like the wave I am currently experiencing, which makes me still think that dose 2 are unrelated.

anyways....I feel like gabapentin will be my friend for quiet some time lol. but the good news is that, and that goes for any of you, if you dose 3x day, you really w/d from that 1 dose, since half life is so short. so if you on 3x300mg, you really w/d from 300 in a sense. good luck all

[[ga...]]

I'm not tapering my gabapentin, but I did get annoyed with dosing 3x/day and am trying 2x/day. So far nothing really awful. Just more on edge. We'll see if it motivates me to go back to 3 times or not.

 

Gard

[[lo...]]

gardener: 3x is annoying. I did 2x for a long time and it was fine.

anybody here gets depression from tapering gabapentin? I noticed it. its a very dark the world is ending type of stuff. far more awful then the usual anxiety/rush type of gabapentin withdrawal, which can be somewhat helped by magnesium etc.

since my doses are unequal (300+300+550), I noticed that especially towards the afternoon. and it completely leaves after the evening dose. I am trying to equalize my doses and not sure how. I think I might bump the 2nd dose by 50, and reduce the evening by 50.

I truly think at this point that all my symptoms are related to gabapentin. if not that drug, I think benzo wise, I would 95% healed or so. it definitely helped getting of benzo, but now I have to deal with that shit.  or gabapentin never allowed a certain part of my brain to recover fully....who knows.

as said, the regular gabapentin w/d symptom, which most of people seem to have, anxiety, racing thoughts, restlessness, etc is really peanuts. but I am not sure how to deal with that intrusive thoughts, depression etc....it is very non-linear as well, some days I don't have, some days I feel amazing, but when it hits I'm done....

[[Sh...]]

Loctus...I'm feeling kinda similar on lyrica. I have cut down my dose rather quickly without too many nasty symptoms yet. But when I was on the max dose I started getting that depression you speak of. It's hard to really know where I'm at with the healing. I'm confused. This whole process has already almost gone 3 years now. First the benzo madness, then recently 5 months of lyrica use.

[[ga...]]

gardener: 3x is annoying. I did 2x for a long time and it was fine.

anybody here gets depression from tapering gabapentin? I noticed it. its a very dark the world is ending type of stuff. far more awful then the usual anxiety/rush type of gabapentin withdrawal, which can be somewhat helped by magnesium etc.

since my doses are unequal (300+300+550), I noticed that especially towards the afternoon. and it completely leaves after the evening dose. I am trying to equalize my doses and not sure how. I think I might bump the 2nd dose by 50, and reduce the evening by 50.

I truly think at this point that all my symptoms are related to gabapentin. if not that drug, I think benzo wise, I would 95% healed or so. it definitely helped getting of benzo, but now I have to deal with that shit.  or gabapentin never allowed a certain part of my brain to recover fully....who knows.

as said, the regular gabapentin w/d symptom, which most of people seem to have, anxiety, racing thoughts, restlessness, etc is really peanuts. but I am not sure how to deal with that intrusive thoughts, depression etc....it is very non-linear as well, some days I don't have, some days I feel amazing, but when it hits I'm done....

 

Thanks. That's good to know!

 

I was doing 200+200+300 which worked fine. Now I am doing 300+400.

 

I think moving 50mg to your middle does won't hurt and might help. Then if you could somehow move 50mg to the morning dose, you'd be very even. I hope it helps reduce you symptoms.

[[ay...]]

Hi everyone.

                    After cutting my morning 300mg out 7 weeks ago, then cutting out afternoon 300mg dose 21/2 weeks ago leaving just the evening 300mg, its got me. I've been a mess since. I've freaked out and gone back to 300mg 300mg 300mg yesterday. I took the evening does at 10pm but I still woke up burning all over my arms, and chest, and sweating. Also my thigh pain was at limping level which is why I was given this.

 

Im worried because I havent messed with the evening dose at all yet how I am waking is really scary. The burning has only been creeping through at times mildly through the day ( not as bad as on reduced dose), but by 4.30pm after taking afternoon dose at 3pm I'm defeated and on my bed taking the weight off my leg.

 

Is it possible to stabilize.?  If I keep the dosage and times exact will my body calm down, or is there a chance I may have blown it with Gabapentin now?  If it did stop working what would do you think the Dr will suggest?

I'm really desperate,

Ayley

[[ga...]]

Ayley, Many people have stabilized after holding their doses of benzos, so I don't see why it wouldn't work for gabapentin. There's even a Long Hold support group on Benzo Buddies. The idea is to not make any changes at all, no matter how tempted you are, until you feel back to baseline.

 

When I was destabilized and in benzo hell, my doctor told me, "The brain likes predictability. Take the same dose of each med at the same time every day until you feel better."  So, I did a long hold. It worked!

[[ay...]]

Thanks Gardener. I'm so glad you are around.  Much appreciated reply. What a relief just to hear from someone.  Waking up burning is so shocking.

 

Its 8pm, and still on the bed. Its becoming a regular routine since dropping to just 300mg a day. I have 3 boys and a husband to look after, and I'm finding it hard standing to cook their tea (5pm).  I've only had between 10am till 3pm pain free  today. This is when I can stand and sit, otherwise I'm limping.

 

I've gone from so positively getting off this to please let it work again. I don't think even doing it slower would prevent my pain problems so I think I should join the long hold club. I shouldn't have messed around with it because it did work very well. I  Can't remember the last time I limped before this. I had convinced myself Amyltriptline was doing all the good work.😕

[[ga...]]

Hang in there. I had awful neuropathy before I did my long hold. And anxiety and depression through the roof. I spent many hours lying down listening to peaceful music and guided meditations. I still do the guided meditations regularly because they help so much with anxiety. Fortunately my kids are grown now, so I only have myself to care for. But I had many long periods of illness (months to years) when my kids were young, starting when they were ages 2 and 4. But, ya know, somehow my kids turned out just fine. Yours will, too.

 

Here's where the Long Hold group is right now:  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=153201.msg2641196;topicseen#new  People end up on there when they are in very bad shape, but it's a very supportive group with people encouraging one another. It's one of the better threads on BB.

 

Gard

[[Ca...]]

Thanks Gardener. I'm so glad you are around.  Much appreciated reply. What a relief just to hear from someone.  Waking up burning is so shocking.

 

Its 8pm, and still on the bed. Its becoming a regular routine since dropping to just 300mg a day. I have 3 boys and a husband to look after, and I'm finding it hard standing to cook their tea (5pm).  I've only had between 10am till 3pm pain free  today. This is when I can stand and sit, otherwise I'm limping.

 

I've gone from so positively getting off this to please let it work again. I don't think even doing it slower would prevent my pain problems so I think I should join the long hold club. I shouldn't have messed around with it because it did work very well. I  Can't remember the last time I limped before this. I had convinced myself Amyltriptline was doing all the good work.😕

Hi Ayley...

A great chance that you will get back to where you were with GPN...

I have found it to be very forgiving in its self... I think things can change a bit when combined with a benzo or its taper, and everyone is different...

For me, the similar but stronger? Lyrica (Pregabalin?), was the one to be cautious of...

 

Do pop over to the long hold group, anytime... -I think some others there are on GPN too..

 

All the best as you start to feel better..!!

 

[[ay...]]

Thanks Gardener, my boys are in their early twenties, and a teenager, so its more like I have 4 men to look after including hubby. Thankfully they're not little, but still it takes a lot of work. Your encouragement means a lot.

 

Thankyou Cantfly. I'm glad to hear its very forgiving. I needed to hear that. The worst thing would be taking it to keep withdrawals at bay but it not working on the pain anymore.

 

Couldnt believe how long the long hold thread is! Thought this one was long.

 

Didn't wake up burning this morning.I was absolutely elated. I waited till 11.10 last night to take my evening dose and will do the same tonight.

 

Overall though this taper attempt, way too fast admittedly, has scared me stupid. I am only ever a prescription (refill) away from being thrown into a burning up mess, and its hard to accept. I'm not working at the moment but will soon have to and will need to be pain free. I may be stuck on this for life 😢 I've been on Gabapentin for about 4 years and never had to go without a prescription so have never felt any withdrawal from them I found another ladys story whose withdrawal symptom was burning in the chest area (mine was arms & shoulders as well). Its like you can feel every nerve ending burning. I guess this is what's avoided with a slow careful taper.😮I feel sorry for anyone on this who finds they can't afford their refill and it could happen to me easily one day

 

 

[[ga...]]

Sounds like you are well on your way to stabilizing, ayley.   This is just a course adjustment. If you are determined to get off, I'm sure you can do it if you go slowly. Going too fast (often what doctors think is slow) makes people think they can't get off, but that's not necessarily true. People on Long Hold, who tend to be sensitive to cuts, are going slowly and also doing combinations of tapering and holding. And they are succeeding. One baby step at a time. You will, too. I plan to succeed, too. after the Librium, the gabapentin will be the next to go!

 

Gard

[[ay...]]

I m not so sure Gardener. Sadly I woke up burning this morning again, and intermittently throughout this evening. Mostly  though, my original inner thigh pain,  (which is what Gabapentin was given for, and worked well), is back terrible, and so is my inability to sit. I have been squirming to try and sit all today but its too painfully. Managed to make tea then up on my bed to get my leg up by 4.30. I will be either stood up or horizontal for life like this like when it first started during Diazepam taper at 3.5mg from 10mg, because the Dr was pushing me too quick. Also cannot stand on one spot. Have to keep moving.

 

Just to recap for anyone who has this for pain they cannot bare, I have been on 3 x 300mg for about 4 years. I took out my afternoon 300mg felt nothing, took out my morning 300mg and lasted about 21/2 week before having to go back up. I panicked and reinstated 3 x 300mg.

 

Today is the 4th day of 3x300 and its like they have stopped working. Someone said it takes 4 days to settle down and a bit longer for the brain to register it. So I am worried sick. The burning heat on chest is screaming still withdrawls.

  I dread to think what would happen if I went to the Dr's. They might force me to taper off it, and too quickly. So I don't know what to do. From what I hear most dont recognise withdrawal from Gabapentin. That will be very irritating. Then I will be unable to walk probably and be in a right state.( I couldn't eat at 300mg). Has this happened to anybody and it got better?

[[ga...]]

Ayley, a few days really seems like too short a time to recover from such a rapid reduction. You do have windows and that is a good sign. I think you should check out the Long Hold group. There are members on there who took months to see improvement. And many of those have resumed their tapers now (myself included), some having successfully tapered all the way off.

 

Of course, your doctor would know if gabapentin can actually cause the burning, but I would think not. Mine always wants to give me more, not less, when I complain of pain. I won't take more. I use meditation and other mindfulness practices to help me stay calm. For anyone in chronic pain, I recommend the audiobook You Are Not Your Pain by Burch and Penman. It also comes in paperback with a meditations CD, but I love listening to the narrator's calm voice. It beats lying there counting the cracks in the ceiling! I think it might be called Mindfulness for Health in the UK.

 

I really do sympathize with you. I had a cyst on my spinal cord that gave me burning glute pain so that I could not sit for 6 months. I put a mattress in the center of the house so I could alternate between standing and sitting. I had autoimmune neuropathy that never let up for nearly a year, it was only bad or worse. I was scared to death. I thought I would never get better. Those fears actually made my brain sense pain as even stronger. You Are Not Your Pain is a program to help your mind to open up and accept the pain and to calm the fears that make the pain worse. I'm probably not explaining it well. The book does a much better job.

 

As you can see, this is not a super active thread. I think information and support from the Long Hold group and from You Are Not Your Pain would be a lifeline for you.

 

Gard

 

P.S. Glad to see you on long hold. And that you've connected with Miyu. She has been suffering for so long but is finally getting windows.

[[ay...]]

Gardener I can't believe you know about being unable to sit. Not many people would know. Sounds terrible , and mine is similar. I've heard of 'you are not your pain' . I really could do with it. I'm not sure my pain will ever go on its own. I will try and practice some mindfullness incase the Gabapentin doesn't stabilize. The thought of doing that for years on end to cope is daunting though.

[[ga...]]

Gardener I can't believe you know about being unable to sit. Not many people would know. Sounds terrible , and mine is similar. I've heard of 'you are not your pain' . I really could do with it. I'm not sure my pain will ever go on its own. I will try and practice some mindfullness incase the Gabapentin doesn't stabilize. The thought of doing that for years on end to cope is daunting though.

 

I was going to say I only knew you, too, but I think that there were others who couldn't sit in the yahoo forum I used to be on before my cyst reduction surgery. Some of the members found it almost impossible to lie down, so I was glad I could usually lie down without increasing my pain. Not being able to sit is really the weirdest thing. Hard to explain people. I had to quit working because of it, but my then-husband was able to support us enough to keep the house, thank goodness. He was not a happy camper, though.

 

I think that You Are Not Your Pain (Mindfulness for Health) is a great intro to mindfulness-based stress reduction because it assumes from the start that you need to learn things in small pieces. The daily practices are all very short. It's supposed to be an 8 week program but I took 8 months. No matter. It still worked. I use longer guided meditations now, but still go back to the short ones from You Are Not Your Pain pretty regularly. One thing that gave skeptical-me a bit of hope was that the authors both were in bad accidents and are in intractable pain themselves. So I just kept working at it even though it was hard to grasp the concepts at first. I signed up for a free trial of amazon's Audible to get the audio-book and then canceled my trial because I don't do audio-books much. The narrator is one of the authors and has a wonderfully calming voice. If I lie down and listen to her, I sometimes fall asleep. I know you're not supposed to fall asleep listening, but I'm very sleep deprived and will get minutes any way I can!

 

Gard

[[ay...]]

Thanks Gardener. I'm so glad you are around.  Much appreciated reply. What a relief just to hear from someone.  Waking up burning is so shocking.

 

Its 8pm, and still on the bed. Its becoming a regular routine since dropping to just 300mg a day. I have 3 boys and a husband to look after, and I'm finding it hard standing to cook their tea (5pm).  I've only had between 10am till 3pm pain free  today. This is when I can stand and sit, otherwise I'm limping.

 

I've gone from so positively getting off this to please let it work again. I don't think even doing it slower would prevent my pain problems so I think I should join the long hold club. I shouldn't have messed around with it because it did work very well. I  Can't remember the last time I limped before this. I had convinced myself Amyltriptline was doing all the good work.😕

Hi Ayley...

A great chance that you will get back to where you were with GPN...

I have found it to be very forgiving in its self... I think things can change a bit when combined with a benzo or its taper, and everyone is different...

For me, the similar but stronger? Lyrica (Pregabalin?), was the one to be cautious of...

 

Do pop over to the long hold group, anytime... -I think some others there are on GPN too..

 

All the best as you start to feel better..!!

 

Cantfly, its been 6 days since updosing, and I'm not feeling better. Did it take time for the Gabapentin to start forgiving?  I really wish I hadn't gone from 300 back to 900 ( my long term dose), but darent change anything now. Its basically not working on my leg pain at the moment since stupidly dropping from 600 to 300. I'm getting quite anxious. What do you think?

[[Ca...]]

Thanks Gardener. I'm so glad you are around.  Much appreciated reply. What a relief just to hear from someone.  Waking up burning is so shocking.

 

Its 8pm, and still on the bed. Its becoming a regular routine since dropping to just 300mg a day. I have 3 boys and a husband to look after, and I'm finding it hard standing to cook their tea (5pm).  I've only had between 10am till 3pm pain free  today. This is when I can stand and sit, otherwise I'm limping.

 

I've gone from so positively getting off this to please let it work again. I don't think even doing it slower would prevent my pain problems so I think I should join the long hold club. I shouldn't have messed around with it because it did work very well. I  Can't remember the last time I limped before this. I had convinced myself Amyltriptline was doing all the good work.😕

Hi Ayley...

A great chance that you will get back to where you were with GPN...

I have found it to be very forgiving in its self... I think things can change a bit when combined with a benzo or its taper, and everyone is different...

For me, the similar but stronger? Lyrica (Pregabalin?), was the one to be cautious of...

 

Do pop over to the long hold group, anytime... -I think some others there are on GPN too..

 

All the best as you start to feel better..!!

 

Cantfly, its been 6 days since updosing, and I'm not feeling better. Did it take time for the Gabapentin to start forgiving?  I really wish I hadn't gone from 300 back to 900 ( my long term dose), but darent change anything now. Its basically not working on my leg pain at the moment since stupidly dropping from 600 to 300. I'm getting quite anxious. What do you think?

No, Everything has been pretty quick for me, even a Valium updose, -depending on how far out I was...

Towards the end, my sciatic nerve pain would be months apart...

Strong enough to have me scream with no warning for 10 seconds every few minutes for half a day...

But The GPN would start to work within 2hours, even better at 4hrs... But bigger doses up to 2400mg, and these only took the edge off...

I never had any WD from it, even after long term use, -untill I was tapering Valium...

In this area, others have much more experience...

 

Im thinking this may settle soon, or not... It could be more physical, or it could be that GPN has entwined with your past benzo damage...

Personally I would hold tight at 900 for now if I could, If it became too much, I would look at finding out if GPN would even work at higher doses, -as a one off... But that is a whole different story, based on my situation and risks I would be prepared to take...

I am NOT recomending this for you, Just pointing out that sometimes we have to think outside the box and find ways to try and understand what is going on... -Something that I have done a bit too lightly at times...

It might help to teach those boys to cook for a while..!!

 

Hope you get some relief very soon, and can later follow on with a slower taper...

Sorry that I cant realy help... And I hope you can communicate with your Dr about these things with positive results too...

 

Incidently, GPN was slowing my already non functional GI tract, along with my other meds, and this was the cause of the sciatic pains... -a compacted bolus squashing it on the way through...

The GPN dose would relax my GI, allowing the bolus to pass, but the relaxation would initiate the cycle again...

-That took some working out..!!

I wonder if tight muscles could do similar...?? -outside the box stuff, outside of my specialists capabilities too... This can get complicated on occasion, but there will be a way...

 

Best wishes...

 

[[ga...]]

 

Im thinking this may settle soon, or not... It could be more physical, or it could be that GPN has entwined with your past benzo damage...

Personally I would hold tight at 900 for now if I could, If it became too much, I would look at finding out if GPN would even work at higher doses, -as a one off... But that is a whole different story, based on my situation and risks I would be prepared to take...

I am NOT recomending this for you, Just pointing out that sometimes we have to think outside the box and find ways to try and understand what is going on... -Something that I have done a bit too lightly at times...

It might help to teach those boys to cook for a while..!!

 

Hope you get some relief very soon, and can later follow on with a slower taper...

Sorry that I cant realy help... And I hope you can communicate with your Dr about these things with positive results too...

 

 

I've done this a few times, taken a really large dose of gabapentin. Usually it was at bedtime because the pain was interfering with sleep too many nights in a row. My doctor told me I could take one large dose up to 3 days in a row without risk of becoming dependent on the new, higher dose. But I've only ever done it 2 days in a row. And then I dropped to my lower dose with only a bit more anxiety the following day. I took 1,500-1,800mg at bedtime rather than my usual 300mg. I was really off balance after that large a dose, but otherwise did not suffer any ill effects other than drowsiness, but that was the idea.

 

If your doctor Okays a one-time trial, I'd suggest you warn your husband that you could be tipsy and drowsy and make sure he looks after you!

 

And thumbs up to teaching those boys to cook! And clean!

 

Gard

[[ay...]]

You both are amazing, thanks,  you've really made my day better.  Made me chuckle a bit too!  I didn't want to whine on the long hold thread. That's more for encouragement, though I am following it. I needed to put my miserable Gabapentin problems here😁

 

Didn't wake up burning for 2 days in a row then it happened again this morning on day 7 of updosing. I take the tablets at 8am, 4pm, and 11pm, and by 7 - 7.30am I wake up like that. Its just so freaky. It doesn't last long thankfully then a few more times through the course of the day. Im worried that if I ever truly taper right of this that I would have to tolerate a lot more burning and maybe permanently.  Also the heart palpitations (singular, and strong about 5 at a time out of nowhere), I'm worried they would become more frequent too. 😕

[[Ca...]]

You both are amazing, thanks,  you've really made my day better.  Made me chuckle a bit too!  I didn't want to whine on the long hold thread. That's more for encouragement, though I am following it. I needed to put my miserable Gabapentin problems here😁

 

Didn't wake up burning for 2 days in a row then it happened again this morning on day 7 of updosing. I take the tablets at 8am, 4pm, and 11pm, and by 7 - 7.30am I wake up like that. Its just so freaky. It doesn't last long thankfully then a few more times through the course of the day. Im worried that if I ever truly taper right of this that I would have to tolerate a lot more burning and maybe permanently.  Also the heart palpitations (singular, and strong about 5 at a time out of nowhere), I'm worried they would become more frequent too. 😕

My pleasure Ayley...

I did have a thought, but it depends how sensitive you are to change once you get more stable...

 

It might be interesting to see, if you kept the same time gap between doses, but swaped them around so the longest gap was through the day instead... If interdose type SX follow the shift you will know you may have to be strict on the 8hr dosing or look at other dosing options..

But I also think it is possible that morning SX can have a mind of their own, as so much is happening in the body as we wake up.. So the morning SX may not follow... (This was a thing for me...)

 

Sorry, just thoughts for you and everyone to ponder or discard... Never do anything that is suggested, you arnt fully comfortable with yourself...

 

Hope better days are here...

 

[[lo...]]

started cutting via pills + pharmacy made liquid. dropped from 300+300+600, to 300+300+475. 0 symptoms so far (other then initial wave, which i don't really think was gabapentin), in fact I feel better.

I do think that gabapentin is a awful drug long term, which causes bad brain imbalances, which in turn are responsible for all kinds of negative feeling, intrusive thoughts, depression etc.

that is especially true at higher doses.

those windows of improvement make me going forward, and I believe once i'm off this shit, things will be great. just need strength to get through the next wave (which might not come I hope)....