Gabapentin horrors

Hi there, your gp prescribed you gabapentin on her/his diagnosed, gabapentin if used for a short period will have for pain, vertigo, depression...patients have to change their life style, by eating healthy and do at least 10 - 15 minutes a day..drink 2 litres of water..if they do not change their life style and expect any drugs to do a magic is just not possible..drugs are there to help you temporarily onl... the problem is majority or perhaps of 95% of patients just take ..take ..take medicine on and on until their body is immune with it and need stronger one the gp increase the dosage, after awhile ..they needed even stronger one or a similar class and combining in to two, but then they have side effect..so doctor prescribe another medicine of that side effect..after awhile their body immune again...and carry on...we should take control our health..we can't keep relying doctors who are snowed down by the patients who could not careless looking after them self..so..find out what is the reason of your pain, sluggish , depression..try slowly taking of your medicine..you could not stop immidiately..it has to be gradually then start eating lots of fruits, vegs, waters, walk..alternative therapy such as massage, reflexology, yoga, breathing exercise, once you feel a bit better, reduce the dosage of the drugs..on and on until you reach a stamina where you can do without any chemical (medicine) in your body..let your body heal it self

I got myself off them for very similar reasons.honestly!! go back to your Doctor tell him/her,the awful side effects and say you want off them. I've read such negative results that I've taken myself off them,but you must not just stop.i was supposed to take 3600 mg a day.i didn't increase from the 2700mg daily and have very gradually taken myself off them The side effects to me were worse In my mind than the pelvic pain I was suffering from.

Good luck,let us all know what the Doctor has to say about these vile Capsules/tablets,and don't be persuaded to stay with them

Hold strong! You need to reduce in small increments, and even then you will go thru the dts...

?I have been on it for 15 years at 1800mg, but now trying to get off...down to 1400mg x day.

?doctors had/have no clue how hard it is to get off. One doc suggested I go off by "latering"...I believe it means this: 

?Go down by 100 mg on Monday, then for rest of week stay at your higher dose. The following week go down by 100mg on Monday and tuesday and back to higher rest of week...

This is what I am trying after Thanksgiving.

You are not alone...

It I started a nightmare of a drug!  Your Dr may suggest increasing it because most think it's a miracle pill meant for everything. Quote most Doctors on this. It is a safe and effective alternative to opiates' wrong!  Slowly taper of this non addictive medicine. It made me incredible ill and almost killed Me. I'm of the same belief now that the less We take of meds the better We are!  My whole Family has moved away from taking anything not medically 100% necessary!  I was on 4 meds Before gabapentin and ended up on 22!  My Doctor was prescribing meds for the side effects of gabapentin. I've actually been in hospital about 20x mostly ICU Because of gabapentin in last year!  All having to do with infections last one was bacterial menegitis! The pain it was suppose to help is excruitiating but getting better as I decrease dosage. Every time I asked if it was possible that gabapentin maybe problem told no and usually dosage increased. I literally couldn't think it through from so much brain fog. My Daughter became My caretaker and Me unable to work anymore. 5 years!!!!  I'm so glad You realize it is the problem. Watch out for lyrica too!! That's the next suggestion if gabapentin doesn't work. This war on opiates because of addicts and the illegal part is out of hand. I'm a chronic pain sufferer wanting to live like everyone else and enjoy my life. Pain makes it impossible!  I can take pain but not at the level it's at daily!  I wish You the best and sorry but the withdrawals suck!  I was at 3600 mg daily down to 1000!  The lower you go the harder the withdrawal goes and be careful with the depression. This med can really mess with Your mind!  

I feelyour pain. It is a horrible drug to come off of. I have tried twice to come off of it but the withdrawal effects are horrible. I am in the process of slowly increasing the dose to see what dose I’ll help with the withdrawal. I was only on a small dose 900 mg but the doctors cut me back to fast. The longer you are on it, the harder it is to get off. I have read many articles and it can take 3-6 months after you quit for your body to return to normal. It alters your brain chemistry. I wake up in the morning and have waves and waves of heat and burning in my face and arms. This lasts for a couple of hours. My arms and face fell prickly and like my skin is crawling. No antihistamines help, nothing does. 

How long were you on it? How much were you on? What are your withdrawal symptoms? Some people suggest taking magnesium but that did nothing for me. 

I was given the gabapentin for my constant headache but it didn’t help so I was told to stop it but since reading all the information it seems that I was taken down way too fast so my body has been in withdrawal since December 2016. I have read now that you need to go down 100mg every 4 weeks and that the lower you get with the withdrawal the more withdrawal effects you get. Hope this helps.

Diane

Really sorry you are having such a hard time. I was put on it for headaches too. Most doctors don't know about weaning off of this drug. This is the second time trying to come off this drug. The first time I was only on it for 3 months like you. I was at 1200 as well. The neurologist told me to go down 300mg every 2 weeks. I was ok until I went from 300 to nothing. The next morning I woke up and had waves and waves of heat and nausea. Couldn't figure out what was going on. Same thing next morning. I figured the only thing I had changed was stopping the Gabapentin. So that night I took 300 mg and the next morning I was fine. I stayed there for a month, then went to 200 for 2 weeks, then 100 for 2 weeks and the stopped and I was fine. A different neurologist at the headache clinic put me on it again. I only got as high as 900mg, but I was on it for 5 months. I was in a horrible way, so I was told to stop it since it as the helping the headaches. I went down too fast. I had forgotten about the morning waves of heat and thought it was just menopause hot flashes until I read my diary from the previous year and realized it was the Gabapentin withdrawal. The first time coming off it, I didn't get the skin crawling and burning face and tops of the arms but I guess it is because I was on it longer. You have come off it much too fast. I am not a doctor, so I can't tell you what to do but if it was me, I would go back on it. What dose did you start having the withdrawal effects? Everyone is different. I have read where people come off much higher doses and don't have any issues and some people like us who suffer terribly coming off of it. I am in the process of increasing my dose by 100 mg every 2 weeks to see if the withdrawal effects will ease as it is impacting my life greatly. I just started a dose of 500 mg and will go up to 600 in a couple of weeks if I get no improvement. Do you have 100 mg capsules or just 300mg? I would suggest you see you doctor and tell him how you are suffering. Most doctors are unaware of the withdrawal symptoms and how to come off this drug. I have read that dropping 100mg every 2 to 4 weeks is the best way to do it. It is a long process but better than what we are going through now. My problem was I dropped too fast at the beginning and my body has never been able to adjust to the lower doses even though I was on the lower doses for months. Hence I have been in withdrawal since January. Please keep me posted. I know it helps to at least know that you are not alone in this struggle. This is the worst drug I have ever been on and tried to come off of. I have read people who have been on benzodiazepines and said they were easier to come off of. Remember, this drug alter your brain chemistry and when it doesn't get it, it creates a lot of unwanted symptoms. I read one person who said it was a year later another stopping and she was still having issues. My thoughts are with you.