Gabapentin Withdrawal Horror

May I suggest that having taken this drug for 12 years that you reduce even slower?400 per week obviously is too fast.I'd reduce by 50 mg -100mg per week.If you struggle doing that,then keep it on the dose you're comfortable with for 2 or 3 weeks before taking it down further.I know in the U.S. there's an incentive (not least financial) to reduce quickly,but it's counter-productive if it's going to make you feel unwell.After being on this for 12 years,it's not unreasonable to think your body will need nearly a year to wean off it.

I'm not sure how long I have been on Gabapentin but it started at 300mg 3 x a day to 3600 4 x a day.  I don't feel it's really working any more and want to go off of it. ESPECIALLY hearing all these horror stories.  I believe I may only have been on gaba for 5 to 7 years. I take 600 mg (tablet) 4 x a day and 1 300 mg (capsule) 4x a day.  So how should I do this?  I sure dont' want to go thru withdrawal that's for sure....I have ENOUGH medical issues 

You must do it very ,very slowly.Have patience.I would reduce 50-100mg per week and hold it at any given level for another week,if you begin to have nasty side-effects.If you really need something like gabapentin,,perhaps you could ask your doc to give you a short course of tegretol (carbamazepine ) to cushion the gabapentin drop.The two drugs are often used together(my daughter has both,for trigeminal neuralgia)-and as you lower the dose of gabapentin ,you can raise the dose of tegretol to get the same pain relief.Ideally,you would then lower the dose of tegretol to zero nd be drug-free.This could take a long time.Even up to a year.But considering how long you have been taking gabapentin,it's not much to ask of yourself-as your body has been used to this for a looong time.Good luck .X Beth

Thanks Beth, I was on carbamezapine YEARS ago, I will talk to my Dr.  So go only 100 mg down from gabapentin for 4 weeks and what dosage to start with carbemezepine?

HOLY COW Preston!  My dr told me that I couldn't take more then 3600 mg per day! Is your dr. trying to KILL YOU? I'll pray for you as well as all the rest of you who were GREATLY deceived by this devil drug! 

No idea,Jackie.Maybe take 100 mg and deduce from your body's reaction if that is working.Either way,reduce the gabapentin really,really slowly-and maybe keep a meds diary,listing what you took and how you feel day to day.I reduced slowly and had no side effects.Down to last 100 mg in 2 doses spaced 12 hours apart now,and shall reduce further when the damned shingles eases up.I still have "jumpy " legs and hand shakes,which I didn't have before,so I presume that is the gabapentin side-effect.

good afternoon 7 after 12:00 mine are 300 mg capsules. I have not seen my doctor yet because your capsules I can't do it slowly. I know there are tablets which would be easier I just don't want him cutting me totally back on my refills until I know I can handle this. I'm so having some issues from cutting back when I thought it was okay just to stop them. So I only went back on 900 mg instead of 1200 mg. Because it had been a month and I figured 300mg was out of my system so it's been at least six or seven weeks I think but I still have issues off and on. thank you for posting

Absolutely please contact your doctor about for you begin to wean off. maybe he can give you something else to help you through the transition. Best to you!

Hi Jim,

I'm about 2-3 weeks into my taper from 1200mg. I was only on the stuff for 6 weeks before i began my taper. I got down to 150mg in three weeks, and was thinking I was one of the lucky ones, but on my 4th day at 150, the anxiety, headaches, and depression kicked in like a ton of bricks. I tried to stabilize at 300, but had to bump it up to 600 due to the severity of my withdrawl.. now I'm feeling defeated. But I guess I was trying to get off to quickly. I was put on gabapentin to help me kick my lorazepam addiction which I did successfully. Now I feel ounce traded one evil drug for another. My doc told me getting off the gaba would be a piece of cake. Boy was he wrong. I wish I could take a lorazepam to help with sleep but I'm not going down that road again. I'm wondering how your doing? Have you gotten below 300 yet?

Thanks for the lavender tip, as well as the peppermint tea. Good luck to you!

Hi Matt your story sounds a lot like mine.

I was down to 200mg Gaba in morning and 150-200mg at night.

Last Night I did not take my 200mg. I felt fine till about 430am and I woke up and could not sleep. In the morning I took 200mg like at 9am as my Anxiety was hitting hard. I also took a little bite off the Larazapam like maybe 1/3 mg ( I am down to that twice a day) Anyways I have had the worst day in months. My head feels like it is exploding. I really am marginal right now. My body seems to want more Gaba. This was over one missed dose!, I missed it on purpose but man POW! I was somewhat stable at 200mg morning and night (better at 400mg morning - 200 mg night) but this is not good where I am at now. I really pushed it two fast I guess, but I am going slow I thought. I guess I am back to the 200-300 morning and night. I am glad you are off the Larazapam that is what I want and I know exactly what you mean, if I was off , or when, I am staying off.

Well I am going to start again the taper, but not where I left off I hope, Hang in there! I am glad I am not the only one (sorry) but it is encouraging to know this battle is shared by others. I really think and hope I went to fast (sounds like you did also) But what disturbs me Matt is I was hoping I would find my anxiety gone or low as the drugs fade, BUT ITS STILL KICKING MY HEAD, that sucks... well I have not given up the fight.

 

Hey Jim,

Sorry you had a rough day after cutting back. I think once we get down to the lower doses the harder it gets. Maybe next time reduce it by 50mg. That's going to be my approach. I was doing great with my taper having cut back to 150mg in under three weeks. It wasn't until my 4th day at 150 that things got bad. Now im having a hard time at 600, but I refuse to go back up. I think my body went into a crash from trying to taper to quick. I wish I would have stayed at 300 for a couple of weeks before dropping down to 150. I was wondering how long it took you to feel ok after droping down to 400? Was it rough the first few days then get better? I've been at 600 for 3 days and it's only slightly better. The headaches, insomnia, and anxiety are unsettling.. Have you tried cbd oil, or marijuana? I've been considering trying it to ease the symptoms.. I'm hope things mellow out for you soon. And thanks for the lavender oil suggestion. I bought a bottle and some tea too which have helped me. Good luck buddy!, you'll be looking back at this once day and be shaking your head thinking how messed up this time was with a smile on your face. Take care

Hey Matt, I am better, but not back to how I felt before this last episode. I am back to like 600mg Gaba a day. Little Larazapam. I may try to drop the Larazapam first before I start going lower on Gaba.

Anyways the reason I was put on these drugs was Anxiety. So when I taper below a certain level, it may not be all about withdrawl, it is the Anixety "appears" still there hitting me. I am in therapy, and doing a lot of things, like exercise, food, mediation, but it still appears there. Hence off drug, feel anxiety. Don't get me wrong I want off the drugs. I am just trying to figure all this out. Anyways I have thought about Marijuana, and if I lived in a legal state I would try to see if it targeted my condition. My problem with pot and alcohol is I use till wasted, not buzzed. So that is a problem. I will look into the CDB oil, matter of fact I may try it. I am looking for all the help I can get, I have been Fighting this Anixety for almost 2 years. I am getting better, but to answer your question I did a drop of dose a week at a time about 100mg, after the first cut that was 300mg. It took about 2 days to adjust.

I way add I am getting balance or coordination issues sometimes that I believe is a side effect of the Gaba, not withdrawl, but a side effect.

Hey Jim,

I was put on ativan for anxiety due to some stressful situations at work. I got hooked on it after only a couple weeks. I was using it mainly for sleep. I had a horrendous time getting off of it. So after a month trying to get off it my Dr. Put me on gabapentin telling me it will help the withdrawal which it did. I was able to stop the ativan sucessfully after about two weeks on the gaba. I was told to stay on the gaba for another 6 weeks for good measure. After the 6 weeks I was feeling great and confident no stress or anxiety. So I started my taper going from 1200 to 150 in under 3 weeks. You know that party of the story. So now I'm back at 600 and it's taken almost a week to stabilize. Like you, I don't feel as good as I did before the taper but I'm going to stick it out. When I feel like I'm doing great again, I'll cut it down by 50mg every 2 weeks. My main point to this response to you is that I don't believe it's our underlying anxiety that is causing our grief, but it's the side effects of this evil drug. My symptoms don't feel at all like the anxiety I used to deal with. It's a different feeling, it feels like a horrible withdrawl from a nasty chemical that messed with my brain. It's going to take a while to retrain our brains not to rely on the gaba. I don't think its your anxiety causing your issues either. It's the same drugs that are messing with you. Just stay on course buddy. Remind yourself that things could be a lot worse. Your only at 600, not 1200, 2400 or worse.. you got This! Also, I've been taking a magnesium oxide supplement 500mg when I wake up, along with a Epsom salt bath once a day. I use 2 cups Epsom salt in a bathtub 1/2 full and soak for 20 min. And I've noticed a marketable benefit in my symptoms. Try and take the bath and the supplement a few hours from any gaba, as I think it will benefit you more. Stay positive, and don't second guess your mental health. It's these damn drugs causing you problems and nothing else. Good luck to you!

Hey Matt thanks for explaining things better. I tried the magnesium supplement and I have did a few salt baths. The salt baths help. The mag sub 400mg after two hours brought back my original symptoms from 1 year and 1/2 ago. And since that time they come and go it appears that kicked it off. I am not sure it was the mag but it appears it was (I did this before reading your post by the way as I am doing a lot of research). In general I am struggling every morning now, but it my case it does feel somewhat like the old feeling. I am at 600-700 gagba and like 1/3mg laraz. in general I would say I am feeling worse. I plan on getting the laraz to zero. I encourage you also to hold the course. But I have to say my feelings do feel like the old feelings and I do not find that encouraging.

Sorry to hear you're still not feeling well. You may have over done it on the mag. Here is an interesting article written by a respected doctor who is an authority on magnesium. You may feel worse for a time being after supplementing with mag, especially if you are severely deficient or if your adreanals are stressed which ours are. I too had to back off on the amount of mag I was using because it ramped up my anxiety a bit. I have continued to take it but slowly so my system will adjust to it. Im convinced after doing research that I am severely deficient in mag, and the gaba has made it even worse.. Im going to continue to slowly build the mag up in my body. Ill let you know how it goes. Im still at 600 mg of gaba for now. Thinking about cutting it down soon to 550 every 2 weeks. Here's the link that explains why magnesium may make thou feel worse and how to deal with it. Good luck to you Jim!

https://drcarolyndean.com/2012/10/when-magnesium-makes-me-worse/

Matt I am now off the Larazapam, on 700mg Gaba. Need to get some empty capsules so I can split up my daily intake better. Anyways I am going through Laraz withdrawl, and I tapered really slow, I was on it for a year and 1/2. Going to try Gaba 300 morn, 200 1 pm 200 bedtime. and get stable here. I am like at 60% functional.