Gabapentin tapered down to 100mg

Posted , 5 users are following.

Right now I am on 100mg.of gabepentin for 5 days now.I plan on tapering off this drug completely but this last 100mg is brutal. I wake up nervous and the negative thoughts in my brain tjat this is never going to leave.I plan on staying on 100mg for 3 more weeks then dropping by 10% and staying on that every 3 weeks.I feel like the real me is trapped inside my body wanting to burst out! My question is since this is only my 5th day when will i start acclimating to the 100mg and start feeling alittle bit by myself. I am on clonazepam and take between 1 to 2 mg. as needed while going thru this.this is such a long process,crying anxiety a brain thats NOT mine

Any advice would greatly be appreciated.I take magnesium go to the pool for exercise and sun.My family just doesn't understand why this is taking so long.also when is the best time of day to take my 100mg.I usually take it around 4. I cannot take the clonapazam at night because i take a small dose of hydrocodone for my rls.thanks

1 like, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • Posted

    Vivian, what was your initial dosage and how did you taper? How quickly and how drastically you do it can create more problems. Also, how are you going to drop by 10%? Are you doing to titrate by dissolving it in water? It's your choice, but another group I'm in which supports the slow 10% taper over 4-8 weeks plan has an idea. Many people just stop taking it at 200 or 300 mg/day as it seems the lower you go the harder it can be. So people feel they'd rather feel lousy once than multiple times. I'm at 800,previously at 2700 almost 2 years ago and, I do a very slow taper by 100 mg very 4-8 weeks. I find I do better at 6-8 weeks so I'm keeping it to that now.

    I can't say how long it's going to be. Personally, I usually don't have much problem the first 2 weeks, a little problem at 2-3 weeks but more probably 4-6 weeks in, then feel MUCH better for several weeks until it hits again. You're on 3 very strong medications so I don't know how that interaction is affecting this taper either. I wish I had more advice. All I can say is that you're not alone, we've all been here and sometimes you just need to tough it out while taking care of yourself.

    • Posted

      Originally i was on 600mg then i forget to take acouple days i was on vacation and forgot. So i just took a 300mg got all messed up went to Dr he told me to wean 100mg every 2 weeks. Too fast for me. Now i am titrating 100mg 3x a day.today is the best I've felt since this started .i will stay on 100mg til end of month then 10% down every month. The klonopin use has also dropped i just took one 0.5 today.don't want to gwt use to taking it

  • Posted

    Hi Vivian, i have only been on this drug 56 days now and was on 300 mg 3 x daily for 12 days and  have reduced back down to 200 mg  3 days ago all well so far but will stay here for a week. How long have you been on this drug? and what dose? also what has been your reducing regime? x  
    • Posted

      I did reduce from 300 to 200 in like a weeks time.Horrible! So I waited a week dropped to 150 still miserable.now im on a 100mg this is my 6th day and i am not going to budge off of this for at least 3 or 4 weeks.i was only taking my 100 once a day which. Ii learned i should divide it into 3 doses a day since it gets out of your ayatem so fast. Sp i did the water tritating today and this day hasn't been bad at all. In a month ill drop 10 percent and stay on that for 3 to 4 weeks and then down another 10.it will be a long process but obviously very sensitive to this drug. Good luck.

  • Posted

    keep me posted vivian xx
    • Posted

      I will Amanda.yesterday I took my doses 3x a day.the pm dose kept me up horrible night.today I'm going back to 2 dose. I sleep til 9-9:30 so I'll do a 9:30 am dose and then a 3:30pm dose.I usually go to bed at nine.I take my medicine for my restless legs at night and I think they interfered with each other.I felt much better the next day when I just took 2 doses .yesterday taking 3 doses and waking up today not so good.so ill do what feels best for my body.

    • Posted

      Hi vivian today i took 200 mg am and 100 mg 3 pm and will take 200 mg tonight. are you allowed to open the capsules?

       

    • Posted

      Thats what i started to do and mixing with water. But im weaning down so that's wht im doing it.its on u tube under how to titrate your medicine when weaning.

  • Posted

    Hi Vivian.  I have been completely off this drug since May 29th. Im still not myself. I am going to my doctor tomorrow and talk to her.  Anxiety and depression are driving me crazy. I am not me any more. Also insomnia,blurred vision and headaches all the time.By the way I was on 900mg for a few years and I tapered for about 6 to 7 months. A very long process for me. Good luck to you I wish you a quicker recovery. 
    • Posted

      Good for you for being off of it.during your drops did you have bad days until finally started leveling.I'm thinking because its day 5 maybe this was the "bad day" and may start improving.im already on depression and anxiety meds( which i absolutely had to take 2 anxiety pills today it was just too brutal!

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