1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Gabapentin

Hi, I have been first on lyrica and now

Posted , 4 users are following.

linda78875
linda78875

Started lyrica in 2007 and was switched to gabapentin last year. I have been taking 300 twice a day. I wanted to withdraw from it. My doctor removed the a.m. 300 . The withdrawal was awful. Anxiety, emotional, fatique, not able to concentrate. Was off 300 for 2 weeks. Doctor put me back on, but after 2 weeks back on I still am feeling as if withdrawal syptoms still there. Is this true and how long til I feel me again? Also the doctor is switching to removing 100 every 5 days til off the 600. Is this too quick.

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • Eowyn33
    Eowyn33 linda78875

    Posted

    Give it a go with reducing 100mg at a time with your morning dose.  I still found I had withdrawal effects, but that they settled down after about a week.  When they settled down, I dropped the next 100mg.  If it took two weeks to settle, then this would be my pacing.   You might want to get down to 100mg in morning then drop an evening dose. Keep with it.  It does get better.
    • linda78875
      linda78875 Eowyn33

      Posted

      Thank you. Once I saw that it can be part of cause of osteopena which I know have and my Reflex sympathetic dystophy is in remission time to try. U also forgot to mention the aches and pains of that is hurting more. The itchy feeling skin or nerve endings is happening also. One day at a time.
    • linda78875
      linda78875 Eowyn33

      Posted

      Maybe I will continue with morning reducing. Thanks!
  • tonyev
    tonyev linda78875

    Posted

    Hi Linda I was taking 1200 a day for 3 months, 2 300 in the morning, 1 at tea and 1 at night. For 3 months I was fine then started having panic attacks. Over a week dropped my tablets to 1 in the morning and 1 at night and then stopped totally after a week. Since then I have never felt the same and I've been off them a month now. I'm struggling to swallow, sweaty hands and feet, blurred visor, tight chest ( feels like my heart is stopping for a few beats and my throat closes up). Never had anything like this till I took gabapentin. I had an ecg and chest xray and it came back fine, so I don't know what's it's done to me but I will never take it again. My doctor changed me to lyrica but I have not took it as I'm trying to deal with it without tablets. I took it for disc problem's but wish I had never bothered. It's been a month free of gabapentin and I have good days and bad.

    • Eowyn33
      Eowyn33 tonyev

      Posted

      You stopped the medication very quickly.  It took me 4 months to get down from 1200 to zero so I'm wondering if the symptoms you are experiencing are still part of withdrawal.  I have been off completely for 7 weeks and definitely improving each week and feeling pretty normal now.  

    • linda78875
      linda78875 tonyev

      Posted

      Wow! Lyrica withdrawals was like having worlds worst flu for a month. Than they put me back on and than switched to the gabapentin. I was told today, "Are you sure you want to go off. You sure act different." I sure am scared to do this, but it is harmful to do or not. I am scared to go through the withdrawals.

    • tonyev
      tonyev linda78875

      Posted

      Hi Linda I couldn't tell you if it's dangerous or not I stopped taking it without my doctors consent. He wanted me to change to lyrica but how the gabapentin effected me I decided tablets weren't for me. Its been a month now without taking anything and my body is still messed up. I find it takes the littlest emotion or someone just telling me news and it sets my body off into a panic attack for no reason. My mouth goes dry, I then struggle to swallow, my heart feels like it slows almost missing beats, sweaty hands and feet, blurred vision and then dizzy spells. If I think about it the more it happens, but they seem to happen more late a night. I'm not anxious, scared, depressed or anything that I've read up on about panic attacks. It all started 3 months after being on gabapentin. It's like my Brian is telling my body somethings wrong when it's not, not good. Over the month they have become less but no sign of going.

    • tonyev
      tonyev Eowyn33

      Posted

      I hope so. They've become less over the month but still there. I have never experienced anything like this before taking the tablets. I decided to stop taking them as they were making me worse. And reading up on lyrica it's more or less the same as gabapentin but a newer version. I was getting most side effects listed in the 1 in 10 people and couldn't carry on like that.

    • heather91375
      heather91375 tonyev

      Posted

      Hi tony, you have been off the gabapentin for 3 months now.. How are you doing? Still having side effects? How much gabapentin were you on and for how long? I was on 1800 mg for about 1month( titrated down from 3600 and then 2400 over a year and a half) when my doctor dropped my dose from 1800 to zero in 4 days.. Way too fast.. I am now 41 days gabapentin free and still suffering from the nausea, anxiety, headaches, dizziness and rebound pain.. Please update me on your symptoms.. Does this get any better?
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.