Gabapentin Withdrawal
Posted , 3 users are following.
I was on 200 mg 3 x day. For fibro pain; that is 600 mg/day. doesnt seem like a high dose. Well, anything to do with Gabapentin any dose, is too high. I hope someone can GO FORWARD on a class action suit against docs who prescribe wo warnings of horrendous withdrawal from the drug; the manufacturers who put it on the market and anyone else involved.
I am now 79 plus; 1.5 years ago I got off Tramadol which I was on for 15 yrs; small amount when needed. January 2018 began withdrawing from Gabapentin; first dose down by 50 mg. Way too much. Head was like I had a bad brain injury.. I dont recall how I went down dosing from then on. Because now almost 1 year and 3 months later, March 2019, I had been hospitalized for septic shock due to kidney infection. I at that time had been on 200 mg Gaba daily. THIS MAY HELP SOME OF YOU. I FOUND OUT THAT DOSING 3 X DAY WAS NOT WORKING. SO I WENT TO 4 X DAILY ; THATS EVERY 6 HOURS.
Since June of 2018 I have been on a 6 hour dosing schedule. Sad to say, I am stuck at 200 mg, 50 mg 4 x daily. THAT MEANS I MUST GET UP MIDDLE OF NITE TO TAKE A DOSE. YOU CAN GET THE LIQUID GABAPENTIN. AND USE A SYRINGE TO DOSE; YOU CAN GET PROPER DOSING FROM YOUR PHARMACIST. Its not hard and may work for you better as 100 mg capsule is the lowest you can get Gabapentin/EVIL drug.
Since I now have a tube in my kidney and wear a drainage bag, I dont even feel well enough to get any more procedures done like the stent they want me to have.
I have a low quality of life that remains; and all because of Gabapentin. I cannot lower dose or I go into withdrawal. And it raises my BP, I often have bad diarrhea, And the fear is awful.
THIS IS AN ALERT TO ALL OF YOU WHO MAY STILL BENEFIT FROM LOWERING THE GABA BY SMALLER AMOUNTS. RECOMMEND IS 10%; I CANNOT EVEN DO 5%. I AM STUCK AT 200MG./DAY. AND WANT OFF IT.
GOING OFF GABAPENTIN IN HIGH DOSES CAN RESULT IN FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. THERE IS A SITE ONLINE FOR GABAPENTIN WITHDRAWAL HELP. I DONT RECALL THE NAME OF IT. BUT THERE ARE VARIOUS PLACES THAT STATE 10% IS BEST WAY TO GO.
Being on Gabapentin is like being a prisoner; if you try to get off or cut down, you are immediately pulled back to endure more gabapentin.. You may have felt well for a short time, but then all your systems cry out for more of the deadly potion called gabapentin.
I DO HOPE THIS POST HELPS EVEN ONE OF YOU, IF NOT ALL.
2 likes, 3 replies
patsydancer
Posted
I found names of groups where you can get HELP TO TAPER GABAPENTIN. ONE IS "ITS ALL ABOUT THE TAPER." ON FACEBOOK.
SECOND ONE IS: GABAPENTIN (NEURONTIN0 WITHDRAWAL AND SUPPORT GROUP/ON FACEBOOK.
YOU can get special help from the admin on ITS ALL ABOUT THE TAPER. PLEASE TRY IT.
babs99203 patsydancer
Posted
There are other groups like The Withdrawal Projects (TWP), Benzo Buddies or on FB Gabapentin Awareness. Gab is different from anti-depressants and benzoids, but the guidelines for their side effects, withdrawal or tapering is the same.
babs99203 patsydancer
Posted
Hi Patsy, I'm so sorry. This is why many of us seem to over-react when we talk about gab. We know people just like you. It's impossible to predict who'll react badly or what dose will set it off. I wish we could sue, but sadly, as most of us are on generics, that is not an option. There had been a few lawsuits against Neurontin, but I think the only truly successful one was by an insurance company. Because they had to pay for it's use when it was never approved, i.e. off label. It had NOTHING to do with the harm to the patients, just that they wanted their money back for the drug payments.
As far as totally getting off it, some people who have bad tapers no matter what they do just stop at 300 or 200 mg. They figure they'll have one bad taper and be done with it. It can be better for some people.