Gabapentin (Neurontin) Withdrawl Support Group

[[Da...]]

Hello group.

I have stopped my taper at 532 mg /day.  I was tapering one of my 100 mg capsules but was only able to get to 32 mg before I decided to hold due to withdrawals.  I've been holding for over three weeks and will continue to hold because I'm going on vacation next week and don't want to be screwed up for it.  Also, I was feeling pretty good about a month ago and decided to start drinking alcohol again. It's nice to have a few beers but I think it may have aggravated my withdrawals.  Right now my stomach is really messed up to the point I thought I had a bacterial infection or something.  Anyway, I think it's just IBS. 

 

I was put on gabapentin while in a detox clinic to help with klonopin withdrawals.  I didn't ask to be put on this stuff and they kept telling me it wasn't addictive.  They lied to me and I'm wondering if I have a case for a lawsuit.  This stuff is definitely hindering my recovery and those doctors should be responsible.  What do you think?  Do you think I have a case?  Thanks.

 

[[bl...]]

Following

[[Ca...]]

So you could dissolve 10x600mg tablets in 600ml of water and have 10mg = 1ml..?? A 600mg dose would be 60ml..??

 

i am confused, are you saying 6000mg gabapentin dissolved into 600ml of H2O would = 10mg per 1ml?

are you saying to dissolve (10 of) the 600mg tablets in 600ml H2O to get a solution that will allow me to get my 300mg individual doses from? (by drawing up 30ml in a syringe to have 300mg individual dose?)

 

my daily dose is 900mg taken as 1 & 1/2 of the 600mg tablets. i take an even dose of 300mg 3x daily. 300mg at 8am, 300mg at 4pm, and 300mg at midnite.

...i have to use them up, at least until i get my dose down to 800mg...perhaps then my dr will rewrite the RX as 800mg, to be taken as 100mg capsules, 2 at a time, 4x per day. (even though i take my doses 3x a day, the insurance would cover the 100mg capsules if it were written like that, because there is no 200mg pill! )

the 100mg capsules make dissolving/titrating easier i think. but for now i have the 600mg tablets to work with.

and i'm trying to do an even reduction across all 3 doses per day.

i'd prefer a DLMT, but i don't know if that's possible at this time due to the large amounts/mg's of the pills.

 

I dont see the problem.. Feel free to explain... why do you need so much water?? Wasnt that your complaint..??

 

yes the huge amount of H2O is my complaint. 

 

[glow=red,2,300]thanks in advance btw for all this, wherever it goes![/glow]

Confused..? -yes perhaps... But thats fine... You are also being proactive about your medication reduction..!!

Sorry, and pls dont take this the wrong way, but im reluctant to take this further to the point of providing you with a formula and schedule for a serious medication... I am not your Dr, nor a chemist, and my math is somewhat wanting... -Nor have I done this before with Gabapentin (GPN)... Others may feel more proficient, but I do not wish to be enabling of a potentially serious mistake...

 

My intent was to give you a heads up on some basic(??) concepts for you to further explore...

 

What I would humbly suggest is taking a slight step back and get your head around these concepts before proceeding too far..  When you can put together your formula and schedule, and have it checked, you will be in a much safer position.. You will be more likely to spot a mistake or question something that doesnt look right..  It may even promote you making suitable and timely adjustments to your taper along the way... This is one of the reasons why I am not a big fan of spread sheets as a first option for tapering...

 

Sorry if this sounds dismissing, -not my intention... I want the best possible outcome for you...

 

Your getting close, just solidify what you have.. Perhaps grab a pen and paper and trial it a few ways to see the difference...

 

Here if you need me... -but I recon you got this...

 

[Guest [sc...]]

This is probably dumb, but here is how I do it, as I am not good with math and formulations.  I take an 800 mg. gabapentin tablet and dissolve it in 8 ounces of water.  Then, each ounce of liquid has 100 mg. of gabapentin.  If I want to take lower amounts than 100 mg., I simply dilute it more, i.e. 400 mg. of gabapentin in 8 ounces of water.  Then, 1 ounce of the solution equals 50 mg. of gabapentin....and so on.

[[ga...]]

This is probably dumb, but here is how I do it, as I am not good with math and formulations.  I take an 800 mg. gabapentin tablet and dissolve it in 8 ounces of water.  Then, each ounce of liquid has 100 mg. of gabapentin.  If I want to take lower amounts than 100 mg., I simply dilute it more, i.e. 400 mg. of gabapentin in 8 ounces of water.  Then, 1 ounce of the solution equals 50 mg. of gabapentin....and so on.

 

If it's working for you it's not dumb.  :thumbsup:

[[Ba...]]

I wish I had thought of tapering before I just threw away all my pills one day! It will be 3 years this september since I quit gaba - I was taking 2700mg's a day at the end - down from 3600mgs a day and did a quick 3 or 4 week taper and quit. Ugh. It's been a long, long road. I had never experienced anxiety nor depression before taking gaba starting in June of 2015 - and I had many many more symptoms after I quit. Waves and windows is still going on but the windows are way longer now and the waves are way smaller and further apart. It will go a few months between waves now - and the waves are very bearable - whereas in the first year it left me bed ridden - scared - gloom and doom. I had always lived somewhat on the edge, looking for the next adrenaline rush - and this left me scared of the past, present and future. I thought I had cancer and every sickness known and unknown to man - and it was all in my head caused by gaba.

 

I tried magnesium, vitamins, supplements - everything under the sun. Even tried xanax. Xanax worked short term but I paid a heavy price as one .25mg pill of xanax would make the next 3 weeks utterly terrible. Nothing really was effective - the waves would come back no matter what I tried and there were some tsunami waves that put me in the hospital mixed in there. I still cannot take any pain medications or xanax - I tried to take a hydrocodone after I got my teeth worked on a few weeks ago and it threw me into anxiety/depression and it didn't help the pain at all. I have never had that happen in the past so I think it's related.

 

I really have sympathy for you starting down this road but this website and others were a comfort - knowing that these symptoms would go away at some point was massive. Slowly, slowly it happens - although it still can get to me when I have the off day or two every few months. It's a long road - but the windows get bigger and brighter, even to the point of forgetting the waves ever existed. It's worth it - I'm happy that I am where I am right now - even if it never improved from this I would be fine with it considering where it started. Good luck!

[[Ch...]]

Should I taper off if Ativan it Gabapentin first? Would love some suggestions.

[[ga...]]

Should I taper off if Ativan it Gabapentin first? Would love some suggestions.

 

If you create a signature (at the bottom of people's posts to show their drug history), people will have an easier time giving you advice.

[[Ba...]]

Wow so do many here think getting off lyrica or gabapentn as bad or same as benzo?

Here the drs. generally put you on one of the above to get you off a benzo... that and often doxepine AD.

Seems most people have to be on something to get off a benzo-- hopefully for just temporary, but wow reading some accounts of gabapentin  ;(

[[ga...]]

Should I taper off if Ativan it Gabapentin first? Would love some suggestions.

 

It looks like you've been on Ativan very short term. If so, you may be able to get off of that quickly. I would do that one first.

 

 

[[Ca...]]

Wow so do many here think getting off lyrica or gabapentn as bad or same as benzo?

Here the drs. generally put you on one of the above to get you off a benzo... that and often doxepine AD.

Seems most people have to be on something to get off a benzo-- hopefully for just temporary, but wow reading some accounts of gabapentin  ;(

I am here because after four years on Gabapentin it took me another two years to taper off before I ended up in a protracted and hellish withdrawal: started taking V to cover that. If there is any way to avoid using it, I would recommend that: some people do well with it and have no trouble getting off; others have a terrible time even after short periods of low doses.

[[ri...]]

Well I am back to this group and this time I am serious about getting rid of all this junk. I have been prolonging the process for waaay too long and too many strange things are happening to me. I am sick of running around to doctors and them telling me about all these new issues I have and I know they are all from the benzos. My plan is to get off Gabapentin with a slow taper, cross to valium from ativan and then start my taper. I may updose back to 1.5 mg of ativan because I thought i was fine when I just dropped one of my doses but that clearly wasnt the case. Im not sure if that is the right move so I am looking for suggestions

[[ri...]]

One more question would tapering 100mg every 2 weeks be too fast? I tapered up to 600mg by increasing my dose by 100mg every 2 weeks.

[Guest [sc...]]

One more question would tapering 100mg every 2 weeks be too fast? I tapered up to 600mg by increasing my dose by 100mg every 2 weeks.

It really depends as everyone is different.  That would be too fast for me, but you can try it and if withdrawal gets too severe, go slower.

[[Ca...]]

One more question would tapering 100mg every 2 weeks be too fast? I tapered up to 600mg by increasing my dose by 100mg every 2 weeks.

It really depends as everyone is different.  That would be too fast for me, but you can try it and if withdrawal gets too severe, go slower.

It really does depend on how long you've been on it, and at what dose. For me it would have been - was - way too fast, but perhaps like you I was having such weird symptoms from its use that I got impatient at the end (also did not know as much as I do now about tapering these drugs). Also just depends on how it hits you - and everybody is different. Maybe take a few smaller steps and see how you go??

[[Da...]]

I recently restarted my daily micro taper at 2 mg / day.  I was taking 200 mg in the morning and 200 mg in the evening and tapered my evening dose to 178 mg but started having withdrawals again.  I'm feeling like crap and am dreading the thought of having to go through this hell for another 478 mg.  Is there anything I can take to make me feel better?  I've tried CBD but it doesn't do much at all. 

[[ri...]]

One more question would tapering 100mg every 2 weeks be too fast? I tapered up to 600mg by increasing my dose by 100mg every 2 weeks.

It really depends as everyone is different.  That would be too fast for me, but you can try it and if withdrawal gets too severe, go slower.

It really does depend on how long you've been on it, and at what dose. For me it would have been - was - way too fast, but perhaps like you I was having such weird symptoms from its use that I got impatient at the end (also did not know as much as I do now about tapering these drugs). Also just depends on how it hits you - and everybody is different. Maybe take a few smaller steps and see how you go??

 

 

Thanks for the response Ive only been on gabaentin for three months. first month 100mg, then started increasing 100mg a week and have been at 600mg(200 3x daily) for a month. Started my taper yesterday with morning dose 200mg, afternoon dose 100mg night dose 200 mg. I will see how this gos and if it gets tough I have a compound pharmacy that can make it into liquid and I will slow down. One step at atime and I will one day be free off all this crap no matter how painful it is.

[[Da...]]

I just posted a similar message in the Other Medications group.  I read that an article was posted in JAMA that states that researchers have found a 50% increase in dementia risk for people taking strong anticholinergic medications.  In this group are antiepilectic drugs like oxcarbazepine or carbamazepine.  These drugs have known short-term effects like memory and cognitive deficits as well as an increase in risk of falling (dizziness?).  Gabapentin was not included on the list but it is an antiepilectic that has caused me memory and cognitive deficits as well as dizziness.  I can't help but wonder if this poison might be leading me down the path to dementia.  After reading the article I found my self falling into a serious funk (also one of the side effects of gabapentin, the wonder drug.) 

 

Is there anyone out there who has stopped gabapentin after taking long-term (3+ years) and recovered all of their cognitive functions?

 

[Guest [sc...]]

I just posted a similar message in the Other Medications group.  I read that an article was posted in JAMA that states that researchers have found a 50% increase in dementia risk for people taking strong anticholinergic medications.  In this group are antiepilectic drugs like oxcarbazepine or carbamazepine.  These drugs have known short-term effects like memory and cognitive deficits as well as an increase in risk of falling (dizziness?).  Gabapentin was not included on the list but it is an antiepilectic that has caused me memory and cognitive deficits as well as dizziness.  I can't help but wonder if this poison might be leading me down the path to dementia.  After reading the article I found my self falling into a serious funk (also one of the side effects of gabapentin, the wonder drug.) 

 

Is there anyone out there who has stopped gabapentin after taking long-term (3+ years) and recovered all of their cognitive functions?

I've been on it 6 years now, still trying to taper off, but have to go really slow, much slower than I'd like.  No point going into a funk, all we can do is keep trying to get off of it.  You're down to such a low dose, hang in there!

[[or...]]

Daves:

 

Is there anyone out there who has stopped gabapentin after taking long-term (3+ years) and recovered all of their cognitive functions?

 

Yes. My gabapentin was making me as dumb as a post. I tapered it down (was once on 2300 mgs for about 5 years) to 300, still felt stupid and dizzy, and tapered to zero. I feel a whole lot more mentally competent now. Even returned to my pre-benzo pre-gaba profession as an author.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Katz

[[ga...]]

Daves:

 

Is there anyone out there who has stopped gabapentin after taking long-term (3+ years) and recovered all of their cognitive functions?

 

Yes. My gabapentin was making me as dumb as a post. I tapered it down (was once on 2300 mgs for about 5 years) to 300, still felt stupid and dizzy, and tapered to zero. I feel a whole lot more mentally competent now. Even returned to my pre-benzo pre-gaba profession as an author.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Katz

 

That is good to know, Katz. Thanks for sharing!

[[Da...]]

Thanks for the info Gardener99. 

 

I began my micro taper again but had to stop after five days because the dizziness and other unpleasant effects became too much.  I was only able to taper 10 MG down to 464 mg /day.  At this rate I'll never get off of this medication.  C/T detox in a medical facility is starting to look like a good option.  I guess the worst of my symptoms is the dizziness.  It ruined my day yesterday.  I thought that a daily micro taper would be easier but I may go back to the bigger cuts.  The trade off is more intense symptoms but they are only last for a week and then I get more days of feeling better until the next cut.  With a daily micro taper I feel crappy all of the time.  Maybe I'll get lucky and a meteor will fall out of the sky and hit me in the head and put me out of my misery. 

 

I have also noticed that if I drink any alcohol it can make my dizziness worse.  I have been drinking alcohol occasionally over the past year and sometimes it will trigger a few days of dizziness.  This has happened on occasions where I drank only two drinks.  It doesn't always happen and seems to be much worse when I'm actually in a period of tapering vs when I'm holding.

 

I've also been trying some other drugs to see if the will relieve my symptoms - CBD, poppy seed tea, kratom and THC. 

 

CBD doesn't help much with symptom relief, maybe it helps a little with sleep but I don't get the benefit that some people report.poppy seed tea and kratom were recommended by friend who provided me with some samples.  I tried only a small amount of the poppy seed tea and it didn't do anything for me.  I was put off by the reports that it will cause nausea initially so I didn't try much.

 

Kratom didn't seem to have any effect either but there again I tried only a small amount.

 

THC is like a wonder drug and relieves all of my symptoms.  The dizziness and headache disappear and I actually feel pretty good.  It's like a mini vacation from my symptoms.  However, I don't like the psychedelic effects, especially if I take too large of a dose and it can cause my anxiety to spike.  Also, I don't like the after effects on my cognition in the days following.  My symptoms actually flare up afterwards and it seems to take around three days for my head to clear up again and my symptoms to die down.  It's not worth the few hours of relief that I'm getting and the only way around that is to stay stoned all of the time.  That's not a viable option.

 

[[ka...]]

Have chronic degenerative spine no way I'm coming off

[[va...]]

I wonder if the people in this group who were prescribed gabapentin to help with their benzo withdrawals, have been successful in tapering off the benzo, and if you atribute the success to the help of gabapentin. I was tapering quite happily until I came down to 1 mg too fast and went into a state where I had to choose between updosing and living in sheer terror and not functioning. I am now at 2.5 valium and a psych I visited prescribed trazodone and gabapentin. I'm taking the trazodone but I was too scared of taking the gabapentin as the first pill made me feel very weird. I'm afraid to try it but I'm at a loss with the reviews, as many people swear it saved them from the benzo and just at many say that it ruined their lives. Holpe you all have a great Sunday.

[[no...]]

I wonder if the people in this group who were prescribed gabapentin to help with their benzo withdrawals, have been successful in tapering off the benzo, and if you atribute the success to the help of gabapentin. I was tapering quite happily until I came down to 1 mg too fast and went into a state where I had to choose between updosing and living in sheer terror and not functioning. I am now at 2.5 valium and a psych I visited prescribed trazodone and gabapentin. I'm taking the trazodone but I was too scared of taking the gabapentin as the first pill made me feel very weird. I'm afraid to try it but I'm at a loss with the reviews, as many people swear it saved them from the benzo and just at many say that it ruined their lives. Holpe you all have a great Sunday.

 

the first pill makes you high. lots of people abuse it and it sells on the street recreationally. it always made me doped up. they call it "morontin" (neurontin) for a reason. if it makes you high, it is psychoactive and def works n the GABA receptors hence its name gabapentin. it downregulates (shrinks) the GABA receptors with continued use, and then we can't make our own feel good/calm down Dopamine from them. now ya know. yes it works well for pain, better than a narcotic/opiod. it's also more destructive as it prevents brain growth and prevents new brain neuronal synapses (connections) from forming. it shrinks the brain volume. this is all proven and published scientific facts.  you have the knowledge with which to make an informed decision. but, many people decide to play with fire, or do so out of ignorance of the facts of what it does to the brain, or are so desperate they take it anyway, knowing the dangers, because they can't bear the pain, each individual is unique, however, the drug is not and has the same effects on everyone's neurons. i can't make the decision for anyone else, just myself. i hope you find the strength to make the decision that's in YOUR  best interest. remember that stuff about the best advocate is you!