Gabapentin (Neurontin) Withdrawl Support Group

[[be...]]

Yes, they were 100 mg each. I was using a 400 mg one but got my doctor to exchange dose size specifically for this taper. It’s not that difficult. Though suck in the rest as fast as possible as it doesn’t taste very good.

[[va...]]

Yes, they were 100 mg each. I was using a 400 mg one but got my doctor to exchange dose size specifically for this taper. It’s not that difficult. Though suck in the rest as fast as possible as it doesn’t taste very good.

 

I see. So you decreased about 30 mgs every ten days, and that was after the benzo taper I assume?

[[be...]]

Yes, they were 100 mg each. I was using a 400 mg one but got my doctor to exchange dose size specifically for this taper. It’s not that difficult. Though suck in the rest as fast as possible as it doesn’t taste very good.

 

I see. So you decreased about 30 mgs every ten days, and that was after the benzo taper I assume?

 

It was in between tapers. After my klonopin taper but before my Valium. And yes about 30 mg or so every 10 days.

[[ga...]]

Gardener, I tapered my gabapentin way too fast by reducing 100 mgs a month. That made me feel  However, I have discovered lately (wish I had known it then) that there is a pharma liquid prescription gaba. Hot dog! You might want to look into that.

 

 

Katz

 

Thanks, Katz. I'm doing a sneaky taper, so I don't want to ask my prescriber for liquid. Shhh!

[[ga...]]

Yes, they were 100 mg each. I was using a 400 mg one but got my doctor to exchange dose size specifically for this taper. It’s not that difficult. Though suck in the rest as fast as possible as it doesn’t taste very good.

 

I see. My capsules are 300mg, so it would be harder to eyeball. I'm going to try to just dissolve in water this month and see how that goes.

[[ga...]]

I'm going to repost this here. This is what I'm basing my tapering method on.

 

I found this when I was googling around today. I thought it would be very helpful for anybody thinking about tapering gabapentin.

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/2309-tips-for-tapering-off-neurontin-gabapentin/

 

About a third of the way down the page is this really helpful link about how to start slowly and how to know if it is OK to try to speed up a bit. Since some people will have little trouble getting off and don't need to drag the taper out, this is very helpful information.

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/

[[ga...]]

Gardener, I tapered my gabapentin way too fast by reducing 100 mgs a month. That made me feel  However, I have discovered lately (wish I had known it then) that there is a pharma liquid prescription gaba. Hot dog! You might want to look into that.

 

 

Katz

 

thanks to oregonkatz...i looked it up and found this: https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/gabapentin-100-mgml-oral-suspension

 

Gabapentin is available as oral capsules of 100 mg, 300 mg, and 400 mg; tablets of 100 mg, 300 mg, 400 mg, 600 mg, and 800 mg; and an oral solution of 50 mg/mL. However, the need often exists for a higher-concentration oral liquid, and if tablets or capsules are used as the drug source, a suspension will result. In the literature, the 100 mg/mL concentration used in this formula also used an alternative second vehicle: simple syrup and methylcellulose 1% solution 1:1. Both formulations had the same stability and beyond-use dates, so the alternative formula could be used if desired.1 In the event that tablets are used as the drug source, the 600-mg tablets also may contain hydroxypropyl cellulose, copovidone sodium, and calcium stearate. The capsules also may contain lactose, cornstarch, and talc, and the oral solution may contain glycerin, xylitol, purified water, and strawberry-anise flavor. Gabapentin may be compounded into numerous dosage forms, including topical gels, transdermal gels, creams, and injections.

 

Gabapentin (cyclohexaneacetic acid, Neurontin, C9H17NO2, MW 171.24) occurs as a white to off-white, crystalline solid that is freely soluble in water and in alkaline and acidic solutions. A 2% aqueous solution has a pH of 6.5 to 8.0.

 

Ora-Plus is an oral suspending vehicle that accepts dilution of up to 50% or more with water, flavoring agents, or syrups while still retaining its suspending properties. It has a pH of approximately 4.2 and an osmolality of about 230 mOsm/kg. Ora-Plus is a thixotropic vehicle with a viscosity of approximately 1,000 cps at 25°C. It contains purified water, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, xanthan gum, carrageenan, sodium phosphate, and citric acid as buffering agents, simethicone as an antifoaming agent, and potassium sorbate and methylparaben as preservatives.5

 

Ora-Sweet syrup vehicle is a flavoring vehicle for oral extemporaneous preparations. It is flavored with a citrus-berry flavor blend and contains glycerin and sorbitol to prevent cap lock, a problem associated with many syrups. Ora-Sweet is buffered to a pH of approximately 4.2 and has an osmolality of about 3,240 mOsm/kg. It contains purified water, sucrose, glycerin, sorbitol (5%), flavoring, sodium phosphate, and citric acid as buffering agents and potassium sorbate and methylparaben as preservatives.6

 

Methylcellulose (Methocel) is a practically odorless and tasteless, white to yellowish-white granule or powder that is widely used in both oral and topical formulations. The pH of a 1% solution ranges from 5.5 to 8.0. Methylcellulose is hygroscopic and practically insoluble in acetone, ethanol, saturated salt solutions, and hot water, but is soluble in glacial acetic acid. Its solutions are stable to alkalis and dilute acids with pH values between 3 and 11.7

 

Syrup (simple syrup) is a clear, sweet vehicle used as a sweetening agent and as the base for many flavored and medicated syrups. It contains 85% w/v sucrose in water and has a specific gravity of not less than 1.30.1

 

also: https://www.pfizermedicalinformation.com/en-us/patient/neurontin#how-should-i-store-neurontin

 

How should I store NEURONTIN?

 

Store NEURONTIN Capsules and Tablets between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).

Store NEURONTIN Oral Solution in the refrigerator between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C).

 

For more information go to http://www.pfizer.com or call 1-800-438-1985.

 

What are the ingredients in NEURONTIN?

 

Active ingredient: gabapentin

 

Inactive ingredients in the capsules: lactose, cornstarch, talc, gelatin, titanium dioxide and FD&C Blue No. 2.

 

The 300-mg capsule shell also contains: yellow iron oxide.

 

The 400-mg capsule shell also contains: red iron oxide, and yellow iron oxide.

 

Inactive ingredients in the tablets: poloxamer 407, copovidone, cornstarch, magnesium stearate, hydroxypropyl cellulose, talc, and candelilla wax

 

Inactive ingredients in the oral solution: glycerin, xylitol, purified water, and artificial flavor.

 

This Medication Guide has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

 

This product's label may have been updated. For current full prescribing information, please visit www.pfizer.com.

 

also: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5393583/

 

Stability of gabapentin in extemporaneously compounded oral suspensions...

 

The liquid form available in the USA is a simple aqueous solution containing glycerin, xylitol, purified water and artificial flavor [2]. This solution requires refrigeration [2]. Considering its biopharmaceutical properties, a compounded liquid formulation of gabapentin should be equivalent to the commercial products as long as it is compounded as a solution. The absence of precipitation and no change in potency would be two critical quality attributes that will need to be controlled during the shelf life of this compounded product. Storage temperature also need to be evaluated; as stability of compounded preparations is usually evaluated under a shorter period of time (3 months) compared to commercial preparations (2 to 5 years), storage for 3 months at controlled room temperature should also be considered in the stability protocol.

 

With regards to compounded preparations, stability is generally defined as the absence of organoleptic changes, the absence of physical changes, a difference of pH of not more than 0.5 compared to the initial pH as well as a drug substance concentration of not less than 90.0% relative to the initial concentration [9–16].

 

A few studies reported the stability of compounded oral suspensions of gabapentin. In 1999, Nahata evaluated preparations of gabapentin 100 mg/mL compounded from gabapentin capsules in both methylcellulose 1% and a mixture of Ora Plus and Ora Sweet (1:1) conditioned in plastic bottles [17]. These preparations remained stable at least 91 days at 4°C and at least 56 days at 25°C [17]. In 2012, Sorenson reported that gabapentin 50 mg/mL in SyrSpend SF conditioned in low actinic bottles was stable at least 90 days when refrigerated or stored at room temperature [18]. In 2014, Soliman tested the stability of gabapentin 100 mg/mL suspension in a methylcellulose vehicle after three months of refrigeration. The assay of this preparation fell from 95.1 mg/mL initially to 69.9 mg/mL after three months (73.5% of initial concentration) [19]. This result was unexpected considering that Nahata and Sorenson previously demonstrated stability under similar conditions.

Methylcellulose vehicle is cumbersome to prepare, while SyrSpend SF is not readily available in Canada. Furthermore, conflicting information is available regarding the stability of compounded preparations of gabapentin under refrigerated conditions.

 

...Conclusions

Compounded preparations of gabapentin 100 mg/mL prepared using Oral Mix or Oral Mix SF, bulk drug powder or capsules and packaged in amber PET bottles or amber oral syringes remained stable for at least 90 days at 25°C. As physical changes were observed at 5°C, these preparations should be protected from cold and should not be frozen. Preparations should always be shaken prior use.

 

apologies if this has already been posted...i was researching for myself and thought it may be useful to others here.  seems like a simple glycerin solution would be easiest to make for a batch that needs to last for u pto 3 months.

 

Thanks for posting this.    I don't know what the glycerine is for. Is it for better flavor?  I'm trying just water and mixing about a week's worth at a time.

[Guest [sc...]]

I’ve dissolved them in water and the taste is quite nasty...be sure to hold your nose when swallowing 

[[or...]]

I'm doing a sneaky taper,

 

[[ga...]]

I'm doing a sneaky taper,

 

 

Same with the Librium.

[[ga...]]

I’ve dissolved them in water and the taste is quite nasty...be sure to hold your nose when swallowing 

 

Yes, it is! I guess I could dilute it more to weaken it, but I'd rather just drink it in one gulp.

[Guest [sc...]]

I'm doing a sneaky taper,

 

 

Same with the Librium.

 

A sneaky taper is the only way to taper!

[[ga...]]

Lots of sneaky people on this thread!

[[ga...]]

do you remove the balls from each capsule and dissolve just the balls...or do you dissolve a capsule, outside and balls altogether?

 

I twist gently until the capsule opens and dump the powder into a jar. (It's powder, not beads.) Then I sort of flick the edges of the two halves against each other to dislodge any powder clinging to the insides.

 

I have a fuzzy memory of trying to dissolve an intact capsule many years ago but nothing would dissolve it.

 

 

[[no...]]

do you remove the balls from each capsule and dissolve just the balls...or do you dissolve a capsule, outside and balls altogether?

 

I twist gently until the capsule opens and dump the powder into a jar. (It's powder, not beads.) Then I sort of flick the edges of the two halves against each other to dislodge any powder clinging to the insides.

 

I have a fuzzy memory of trying to dissolve an intact capsule many years ago but nothing would dissolve it.

 

oh wow thank you! i never bothered to open one up and see it's powder not beads  that's funny about nothing dissolving the capsule outsides part...i had wondered about that. orif it would end up partially dissolved like a gooey gelatinous mess

[[ga...]]

do you remove the balls from each capsule and dissolve just the balls...or do you dissolve a capsule, outside and balls altogether?

 

I twist gently until the capsule opens and dump the powder into a jar. (It's powder, not beads.) Then I sort of flick the edges of the two halves against each other to dislodge any powder clinging to the insides.

 

I have a fuzzy memory of trying to dissolve an intact capsule many years ago but nothing would dissolve it.

 

oh wow thank you! i never bothered to open one up and see it's powder not beads  that's funny about nothing dissolving the capsule outsides part...i had wondered about that. orif it would end up partially dissolved like a gooey gelatinous mess

 

Mine is a very light powder. I have to be careful it doesn't go floating away! I open it over a wide-mouthed jar and pour carefully. Fortunately, I have a stash, so I could practice before I started.

[[no...]]

do you remove the balls from each capsule and dissolve just the balls...or do you dissolve a capsule, outside and balls altogether?

 

I twist gently until the capsule opens and dump the powder into a jar. (It's powder, not beads.) Then I sort of flick the edges of the two halves against each other to dislodge any powder clinging to the insides.

 

I have a fuzzy memory of trying to dissolve an intact capsule many years ago but nothing would dissolve it.

 

oh wow thank you! i never bothered to open one up and see it's powder not beads  that's funny about nothing dissolving the capsule outsides part...i had wondered about that. orif it would end up partially dissolved like a gooey gelatinous mess

 

Mine is a very light powder. I have to be careful it doesn't go floating away! I open it over a wide-mouthed jar and pour carefully. Fortunately, I have a stash, so I could practice before I started.

 

oh thank goodness, that sure helps! thanks for the advice about the jar

[[Iw...]]

I also have a med alarm the I absolutely rely on.

 

Would you mind sharing the med alarm app with me? I am looking for a reliable one.

[[ga...]]

I also have a med alarm the I absolutely rely on.

 

Would you mind sharing the med alarm app with me? I am looking for a reliable one.

 

I confess, it's an actual alarm box, not an app. My phone has an alarm setting on it, too, but it's so quiet I am afraid I won't hear it if I'm not carrying it. I don't keep my phone on my person all the time. (Yes, I'm that old!) So I bought an alarm box that is so loud I sometimes think the neighbors can hear it.   The great thing is it repeats the alarm every few minutes for an hour if I don't stop it. My phone only does it for half an hour.

[[co...]]

My doctor mentioned the possibility of using Neurontin to help me deal with anxiety.  I said that I thought that there were problems with it.  Luckily, I checked here and can see that it is nothing that I want to be on and would make my issues much worse.

[[ga...]]

My doctor mentioned the possibility of using Neurontin to help me deal with anxiety.  I said that I thought that there were problems with it.  Luckily, I checked here and can see that it is nothing that I want to be on and would make my issues much worse.

 

I agree. If you take it regularly, you are likely to habituate to it. And then you need more and then you need more. I asked my neurologist wasn't this a dead end road when she tried to up my dose. She looked sad and nodded.

[[no...]]

My doctor mentioned the possibility of using Neurontin to help me deal with anxiety.  I said that I thought that there were problems with it.  Luckily, I checked here and can see that it is nothing that I want to be on and would make my issues much worse.

 

I agree. If you take it regularly, you are likely to habituate to it. And then you need more and then you need more. I asked my neurologist wasn't this a dead end road when she tried to up my dose. She looked sad and nodded.

 

yes, i'm taking 900 mg a day and so ready to get off it completely! was rx'd for "multiple sclerosis" pain and spasticity , well i dont have MS, just pain and spasticity, lol but exercise and meditation or distraction helps me deal with that. so i want off. then i found out i have to wean off of it carefully just like the other 2 tapers! sigh. i'm glad that dr was honest about it being a dead end.

[[ga...]]

Reporting in that I have made 2 reductions to my gabapentin. One thing that gabapentin has over Librium is it is short-acting, so you feel the symptoms soon after the reduction. No waiting around for days wondering if you cut too much and when it will hit. It hits pretty quickly. It's an anxiety hit rather like a benzo withdrawal hit, but not as severe. I'm able to make larger reductions than I ever was when I tapered a benzo. I'm cautiously optimistic that this taper won't take years like the last one did. Knock wood!

[[or...]]

gard, It's prescribed nowadays for the anxiety component of BPD. So the fact that your w/d is an anxiety hit makes sense. But, as you say, it's short-acting.

 

I don't think your taper off this drug will be as bad or as long as your benzo. It wasn't for me.

 

Best,

 

Katz

[[ga...]]

Katz, thanks for sharing that.  

 

Did you start up your gabapentin taper right after your Valium taper? Did you pill split? I have 300mg capsules so I'm liquefying again. The thought of doing that for another year or more is making me bonkers.