Short term low dosage Gabapentin still experiencing significant withdrawal symptoms
Posted , 54 users are following.
Hi all
Took Gabapentin for 17 consecutive days at 1 x 300mg capsule at night. Prescribed for lower back neuropathic pain. No impact on pain and didn't like how this med made me feel - constant "spaced out" feeling, unable to focus or concentrate at work or driving and completely flat mood. So, decided to stop taking it cold turkey 7 days ago. Having taken a relatively low dose for just under 3 weeks I thought there'd be no issues at all. How wrong can you be?!!! I'll mention that I've no previous experience of anxiety or depression and not taken any other meds recently. Last course of tablets were antibiotics a couple of years ago. So, In no particular order I've experienced the following symptoms since stopping GP - Anxiety to the point of jumping out of my skin, periods of significant low mood, whole body tremor, chills, disrupted and non refreshing sleep, severe muscle twitching in legs and an array of stomach issues. I find it incredible that this has happened and that this med can have such a profound effect in such a short space of time. Would love to hear if anyone else has suffered similarly after taking low dose for short periods?
8 likes, 153 replies
lucy81308 keith_40678
Posted
I'm surprised, but not totally amazed-having followed this discussion for some months (when I decided to get off this drug myself) I can say that it is not impossible the symptoms are withdrawal from gabapentin. I will however say, it does eventually settle down. How long since you stopped taking it?
keith_40678 lucy81308
Posted
Hi Lucy
I've been off GP for 8 days now. Definitely not the experience I was hoping for! I think the worst thing for me is being ambushed by overwhelming fear/Anxiety from nowhere. It's horrendous, however it does settle down. Just keep telling myself that it will get better eventually.
rita52071 keith_40678
Edited
Hi Keith.....You can not stop taking Gabapentin cold turkey...very very dangerous...you must be weaned off of it...Alot of things you mentioned are withdrawals.......You need to go back on it and work with dr to taper off...100mg every 4 weeks and since you are getting these withdrawals I would go back on 300 once a day for 2 monhs and then taper off.....I am sure you didn't want to hear that...I tapered off very slowly last one was October 13....had some withdrals...but I consider myself lucky...this week I think went through some withdrawals for like 3 days....seems better now...not 100 percent bbut good......i heard withdrawals can last for months and can take up to a year to get to 100 percent....dont know how true but key is slowly very slowly to come off......this is a dangerous drug........
naomi64 rita52071
Posted
i was on Gabapentin for 4 months 600mg per day and I been off since oct. I went off fast but not cold turkey. I heard it can take a year as well to feel better. I wonder if that why I still feel light headed spaced. What do you think?
rita52071 naomi64
Edited
keith_40678 rita52071
Posted
Yeah I just didn't think tapering would apply at such a low dose and the fact I'd only taken them for 17 days. Just shows how powerful this drug is and makes me wonder why none of this became evident during clinical drug trials before it was approved and marketed. Not keen at the thought of going back on it but something I'll have to consider now to taper down.
rita52071 keith_40678
Posted
I can't blame you for not wanting to go back on it...I had to go back on 100mg for like 3 months more....was getting very bad withdrawals couldn't function... I wasn't happy but I did it then went to 50 for 2 or 3 weeks on then off......this drug is really bad......
rita52071 keith_40678
Posted
Jeshuaschild naomi64
Edited
Yes I agree
Last taper half pill was July 18 after only a month on
Still have occasional anxiety sneak up where I've never felt before
So unsettling
BatikGirl rita52071
Edited
I just started weaning off from 300 mg 3xs daily. been on that dose a month.
stopped the midday dose altogether 3 days ago and then last night picked up a script for 100 mg 3xs daily.
woke up very dizzy. any others have this happen?
pharmacist said i could go directly to 100 mg since i had dropped the midday dose for 3 days.
So you think I should take more than 100 and keep the midday dose? The PCP did not tell me how to decrease just sent in the script!
BatikGirl rita52071
Edited
Is there a 50 mg pill? smallest I have is 10", was on 300 xs daily for a month, terrible side effects I attributed to other things as I have an auto-immune disorder.
SunshineSmiles BatikGirl
Posted
Hi, I truly hope you can taper off of this. I have completely stopped taking it after some truly terrible side effects:
causing my left leg to go completely numb
seizures-tremors
severe Stomach PAIN like no other
gastric problems
severe uncontrollable vomitting
feel out of it
water retention-legs ankles knees swelling up
I have been on Gabapentin since May 100mg 3x a day-and now I am just off of it. Since I stopped taking Gabapentine:
I noticed an immediate difference in less water retention and more feeling in my legs-sadly-the body pain is back with a vengeance. so I am stuck with whole body pain or all those horrible side effects.
My Dr. kept telling me to take even more -way more. I can't understand her logic.
For me the stomach pain-SEVERE! plus the tremors and seizures and swelling. It's super scary. I feel like the truth about what this drug can do to truly mess up a person isn't being talked about. It also caused me to become sullen-extra depressed-very aggravated at stupid things and I felt like I had to fight off many bad moods.
If you can get off of it-I am not a health professional just a regular person but I had to get off it. My stomach is still experiencing pain but not as badly.
SunshineSmiles naomi64
Posted
I wonder if your light headedness is from not breathing in enough oxygen at times? I suffer Severe anxiety and have to tell myself to breathe. So glad you got off the Gabapentin. I had to stop due to a lot of terrible side effects.
There could be some remaining side effects too though.
naomi64 keith_40678
Posted
keith_40678 naomi64
Posted
Hi Naomi
Yep it seems to have very potent psychoactive effects. My own fault too as I'm not one for reading patient info leaflets as I've had to take meds so infrequently. It's the waxing and waning of symptoms too that are hard. Difficult to predict what's gonna happen next. Will give it a few more days before considering whether to re-take and taper.