Gabapentin Withdrawal Horror

Thank you for your kind prayers.  I really need them.  Hope you are having a good day and not too miserable with pain and medical issues.

Me too!  I wish I had never started on gabapentin.  My physician stated it "changes" nerve endings.  I think it really means gabapentin damages the nerve endings.  What ever happened to *first do no harm*?

As for the idea of going back on gabapentin- I completely understand.  I did give that a try with a tiny dose after being off gabapentin for almost a year.  I did not help at all and I felt I was in a terrible fog.  It seemed dangerous to be so out of it.  This time I was smart enough to go off immediately. 

I do not think there would be any circumstances to convince me to take even one more gabapentin pill.  This drug is a misery from start to long recovery.

Take care.  I appreciate hearing from you.

G.Allyn

Thank you for taking the time to reply to me, it is always appreciated and it makes me realize that what I am going through is normal for Gabapentin withdrawal, but it doesn't make it any easier. I have been back up at 300 mg for 7 weeks now and still have the same withdrawal symptoms. It has not gotten any better over that time but I don't want to go any higher as the side effects are bad too. I have read that it could take 3  -6 months for your body to start to recover and for the withdrawal symptoms to go away. I am waiting for an appointment with the clinical pharmacist to go over my meds and see what she recommends but she is only working one day a week at the office for 7 doctors so who knows what that will be. My face and top of arms still feel Kind of tingly and crawling and the morning waves of heat and burning on my arms and face still goes on for a couple of hours. It's kind of like hot flashes but without the sweating, and unlike hot flashes it is continuous. These days I just want to go to bed and sleep and not wake up until all the withdrawal symptoms have gone away. I still have the headaches and pressure which the Gabapentin was supposed to help as well. It really sucks right now but knowing I am not the only one going through this is somewhat comforting. I am going to try and hang in there at the 300 for another month and see if there is any improvement. Hopefully by then I will have seen the pharmacist and she has some suggestions.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

Lynn

Good luck with your appointment.  I was so frustrated with the withdrawal problems I tried to take a small amount of gabapentin per my physician's authorization of 100 mg at bedtime.  No change.  He suggested 400 mg a day.  No better.  I gave up.  No more neurontin for me.  This was at about the 9 month mark of discontinuing gabapentin.

I am currently at about the 15th or so month and things are finally starting to ease up in terms of pain and other symptoms such as nerves "shaking".

Isn't this whole thing ridiculous?  I wish I knew all this or I never would have taken the first dose.  Absolutely did far more harm than good for me.

Good luck!

Again, I want to thank you for responding to my post. Yes, this has done more harm to me than good too. It sounds like that is the case for most people, yet they still keep prescribing it!!!!

i am glad you are finally seeing some relief but 15 months is unacceptable! Someone needs to educate these doctors and not let them be swayed by the drug companies who make these horrible drugs. I realize that epileptics need this medication and that is fine, but all these off label prescriptions need to stop!

I wish you well😍

Lynn I totally agree! G Alyn 15 months is unacceptable. This should have been tested so as Patients We could make informed decisions. Yet I doubt 50 million scripts per year would have been filled if that fact was known!  Of course it's not the same for everyone but when you hear of People also taking it for just a few days and still going through bad withdrawals 6 weeks later...it really makes You pause and wonder, is the relief worth it..if You do get relief. I was so out of it, I don't remember. I never would've started it had a top rate addiction Specialist hadn't told Me it was non addictive and safe. Best drug for pain as I have very little nerve pain but pain from a metal on metal full disc replacement. I was prescribed on off label reasons. I had been in ICU about 4x for upper respiratory infection where I almost died from aspirating and not breathing. I went through the 4 meds I had been taking when My health collapsed. The only one I was still taking was gabapentin. Never being decreased but always increased and my pain and health issues increased too!  I was withdrawing and doing great and at My Primaries and pain managements almost insistence I had the second attempt of a medtronics pain pump. My Doctor no longer wants to prescribe opiates and only wants to deal with pain pumps and meds like gabapentin, lyrics and oxicarbizapine for Me!  Like I said I was doing good, my excruitiating pelvic pain was lessening but not enough to stop opiates. Like an idiot I had pump put in and within a week I was unconscious on a ventilator and had bacterial menegitis. It has in side effects chronic infections which I'm now diagnosed with. My Primary said the test that showed increased WBC count was really just an increase in inflammation. It was a safe operation!  He just can't believe that happened. I'm lucky to be alive and He still doesn't understand my insistence of withdrawing of gabapentin. If you find your sodium and electrolytes can't balance it's rare supposedly but another side effect. This drug has deadly side effects and the longer you take it the more your likely to get! No joke have a Person You trust ready to step in and make life decisions for You. My Daughter had to jump right in!  I couldn't remember if I even took my meds. Which lead to double dosing at times!  I'm going to get better hopefully and will look at any new meds prescribed. It was like well I got this so take this and it has side effects!  I went from 4 to 22 meds with all different side effects. Good luck and will keep You in My Prayers!  G Alyn I have a special spot for You as My "kindred Spirit"! Sherri

are you still in WD? How long does it last? Does tapering work?

G.Allyn,

 I know this post was from 2 months ago, but I have to agree with you this drug is a nightmare! I have been off approx 17 days last pill 11/17/2017 and still is a nightmare!! Does anyone get their life back after this med? Never will take it again!!

Hi, i saw that your last dose was on 11,17,17,,may i ask how you are feeling today? I hope your doing very well, i stopped 48 days ago and still having a hard time, lots of sadness

Hi Lynn

I was prescribed Gabapentin, 600 mg for restless legs in January, 3 months ago.  It gave me dizzy spells nausea, sleep problems etc.  I went to my GP who switched me to Pramapexole.  He old me to come straight off GB.  I was very ill with withdrawal symptoms unable to function or sleep.  I rang him and agreed a taper of two weeks on 2x100 then two weeks of 100 then off.  It has gone very badly. HOWEVER, I read about magnesium, tried a cheap lot but gave me bowel probs.  Could not get Remag so went for CBT from Amazon.   I took these and still do away from the GB dose.   I continued with the taper.   I took the 100 at night, the next day I had nausea and dizziness, but around evening I felt better.   Very strange.   So I stopped the GB completely and am off it completely with no obvious problems.  I really believe that The Magnesium has worked wonders.   Hopefully I am off this drug forever.   All Magnesiums are not the same.  Good luck x

That's the same amount im taking .My car was in the shop so i didn't get my meds for 2 days.My stomach was so upset!And i haven't slept well at all since.Im glad i found this site i thought i was losing my mind!!Uggghhh

It's not you mona, it's the drug. You were/are going through withdrawal symptoms.

i weaned down last june/july and still have anxiety and brain fog

I was just told the other day by a surgeon to get a prescription for ketamine nasal spray, it will reset my brain

Penny, PLEASE do your research in other support groups or online searches before you try this drug. It seems to be the new, yet untested an potentially dangerous drug-of-the-moment. It can not "reset" your brain. It is another drug similar to gab, antidepressants and benzos which can have severely detrimental effects. It is very easy to get caught in the trap that some doctors use to just keep throwing a new drug at us. Have you found a good therapist? Are there life-style changes you can make? I know it's hard, believe me, I've been there, but what you're dealing with is the damage to your brain and body from the gab. You need time for your body to heal. Attempts at instant fixes are not the answer. Look at Innercompass, Benzo buddies etc. for suggestions.

i will keep u in my prayers im quitting i take 1800 a day scared but know i have to get off of it just realizing all the side effects to my mind n body crazy i never realized it glad i am not alone