Gabapentin withdrawal, I am experiencing some awful anxiety, depression and intrusive thoughts.
Posted , 6 users are following.
hi, i am weaning off of 900 mg and i made it to 100 mg once a day and I felt awful the second day. i am very agitated and irritable. my anxiety is really high and I feel hopeless. i feel like i can't stand my own family and I want to disappear. then i feel awful for thinking it. i went back to 200 mg and i feel better but my anxiety is still pretty high.
i feel like i am watching myself be like that and i can't do anything about it. how long does that last, im getting scared to drop down too 100 mg again, and i am debating on just stopping and going through that mess so it can be over... but it feels so awful.
how did you get off this awful gabapentin. I never want to take it again, ever and will never recommend it to anyone.
0 likes, 13 replies
Laura3333 tim77685
Edited
Hi Tim, when did you start to taper down? You should only go down by 100 mg daily per month, its a really hard drug to get off. Im currently taking 1500mg a day, was up on 3600mg, and it then stopped helping. Ive been taking it for years, and every time I drop by 100 mg, my pain is worse, but I hate the side effects, and feeling spaced out all the time.
I wouldnt just stop, if I were you Id go down by 100mg and then after a month try to come off it.
You have typical withdrawal symptoms, why they are still prescribing it for new patients I dont know, it stops working anyway after a while and the dose has to be increased.
Hope Ive been of some help.
tim77685 Laura3333
Edited
hi, i started in January and was shoooting for 1 month weaning off. everything went pretty well until i got up too 100 mg. mh second day on 100 mg, thats when everything was at its highest.
im starting to think i should be back at 300 and just take it from there. i am seeing a new doctor as I have moved, but it feels like there really are no doctors that know much about it.
i was feeling ok with the 300 and just a bit anxious with the 200.
this doctor wanted to maybe put me on an antidepressent because of my symptoms, as a last resort. something i dont want to do, which is why i want to get a second opinion.
thank you for replying, i dont feel so alone.
i have to mention that i am already i recovery as well. my last withdrawal was hell but this is a different kind of hell 😕
osuna1 tim77685
Edited
Hi Tim,
Know exactly where you are at. I tried to get off two times and have failed. First time I tapered over 3 weeks , then , 3 weeks later, the se came back big time. The second time I got down to 550 from 900mg and the mini seizures and shortness of breath made me surrender. I lose consciousness for 20-30 sec. and fell twice.
The dr's prescribe Gab. much too freely. It should only be used as a last resort for severe nerve pain or epilepsy and the patient should be advised, and made to sign a release, due to the potential devastating side effects that can be part of with drawl. I wonder if any one has considered a class action suit?
Good luck. Scott
tim77685 osuna1
Edited
thank you and I agree. i will never go back to this medication once i am off.
v2806 tim77685
Edited
hi Tim
im one of the fortunate ones i guess as im free of this dire drug
i was originally on 3,600 mg daily for my back a couple of years ago
when i got down to the last 100mg i had to do it day by day. i would take the100 then i went through like you have, that awful bad temper etc and even had the shakes, depression etc
i made the decision to get off it and although it was hell at the time i took the 100 mg a week then i actually halved it and took that half for a week ir so, then the half alternate days too for the same sort of time, finally making the decision to quit.
thats when the fun started.!!! I put myself through it and as hard as it was, and it was hard i refused to go back on it. The withdrawal was very hard but after a couple of months, i came out the other side and will NEVER ever take it again
i started walking and forcing myself to go out and it did help distract my bad thoughts. I wish you well , if I can get off it you should be able to cos your down to where i was ..... almost there . You an do this xxxxx
tim77685 v2806
Posted
thank you, that really gives me some hope. my partner is reminding me to start running again, since its getting warmer out and to get myself out there. im also exercising and trying to push through. its just awful feelings, i know it will pass but when im in it, it feels like forever.
thanks again.
v2806 tim77685
Posted
yes it IS so hard but if like me you manage to stick to pushing through, and get yourself back outside walking, running again etc, honestly its the way through. months seem like a long time, but actually its not now as you're already on your way out of that horrid drug and its even worse side effects. Dont think of it as having to suffer for literally months, after a couple of weeks you'll notice a big difference and your energy levels will pick up too.
Let me know sometime that you're free of it like i now am.
take care
Bocephus tim77685
Posted
That is kinda what happened to me when I got down to 100 mg capsule per day so I got on a night schedule and took two at night one night and one the next for about a week or more and then two at night, one two nights, then two etc. so my body got used to not having the constant flow.
Hopes that makes sense.
tim77685 Bocephus
Posted
that actually makes sense.
right now i am taking 100 mg in the morning, 7 ish. then 100 mg around 2 pm ish.
this seems to be working, i am a little anxious, i feel it just sits there on the outside but its not debilitating like it was last week. my irritability and agitation is almost not present.
i guess i will get myself used to this low dose, it was the dose that seemed to keep me sane at least. i will try 100 again in another week. i have been at 200 for almost 2 weeks now.
Bocephus tim77685
Posted
I think it worked so well because better sleep is so important to both body and mind.
tim77685 Bocephus
Posted
yes my pm dose is supposed to be the last one to give up. i am back in the gym also, and running. so hopefully this helps.
thank you.
JohnAk tim77685
Edited
Hi Tim, I am not an expert on this tablet but I have been taking it for about ten years on and off,Please do not just stop taking them as this could cause you to have a seizure .
If you want to come off them completly you must do it by weaning off them very slowly and not to rush it.I am sure your GP will explain on how to gradually come off them.
good luck and god bless
tim77685 JohnAk
Posted
thank you. the doctor i was seeing doesnt seem to know about it, she isnt my original doctor. long story about how i was prescribed it, i should not have been, as i was in a treatment centre. however, it did help with my nerve pain because it was bad. i have been clean for almost four years this march 28, but my dose is only at 200 mg and i dont really feel any nerve pain anymore. im kind of thinking it was just worse coming off of my d.o.c.