Gabapentin Withdrawal IMPORTANT

I attempted to come off of gabapentin following the recommendations of my psychiatrist (I had initially been prescribed it for anxiety). I was on 600mg 4xs a day. He had me go down in the following way:

600 mg 3xs a day for 4 days

600 mg 2xs a day for 4 days

600 mg 1x a day for 4 days

300 mg 1x a day for 4 days

This was one of the most horrific experiences of my life. From the beginning of decreasing I started having horrible nightmares, anxiety like I'd never experienced before, and horrible depression. By the time I was finally off of it completely I was nearly suicidal. I tried yoga, magnesium supplements and epsom salt baths, counseling, etc. Nothing helped. I finally broke down and started the gabapentin again, 200mg 3xs a day. My anxiety did not completely subside but my extreme depression and suicidal thinking went away. I hadn't realized just how crazy I'd been feeling from the withdrawal! I have since begun decreasing the gabapentin but have done it at a much slower pace. I bought a milligram scale on Amazon so I could pour out small amounts from my capsules and decided to decrease by 20mg per dose every three days. This is what I have been doing:

180mg 3xs a day for 3 days

160mg 3xs a day for 3 days

120mg 3xs a day for 3 days

100mg 3xs a day for 3 days...etc.

I am on my last day of 80mg 3xs a day and this time the withdrawal has been minimal. I am trying to eat healthy, I have been exercising nearly every day, doing yoga, and trying to maintain a positive attitude. I want to be off of this medication so badly. I recommend to anyone dealing with extreme withdrawal issues to try decreasing as slowly as possible. Drs do not know enough about this medication and do not warn you what you will go through if you ever want to quit it when they prescribe it to you-my doctor described it as a completely benign medication. I wish I'd never started taking it, but with the method I described above I finally feel like I will be able to be off of it someday. If I start to have the extreme depression again I will probably start taking a low dose again and decrease at an even slower rate, however, this rate seems to be working well for me so far. Good luck and much love to anyone dealing with this, the withdrawal is certainly real and severe for many people, but I believe it's possible to come off of it if you do it slowly.

My dr prescribed me 200 mg of gaba 2x a day so far to start out (major tendinitis in right hand/ nerve pain in whole arm now) and now my nerve pain has sky rocketed after surgery, but when I started I was already on 50mg of Topamax a day as a migraine preventive. I wish he read my chart and realized I was already on an anticonvulsant ugh. So for over a month now I take the gabapentin at night and during the day I was still fitting in my topamax and started having all kinds oF side effects thinking I was crazy until my bf looked it up is when I realized the interactions. It's so scary how some drs put you on medications and not see the risk in your current. I take 25 mg of my topamax every other day to keep my withdrawals from that down.

Hi All, I can totally appreciate the fact that many people use helpful resources like this site to learn and post about issues they've had with their medications. And of course everyone's body responds a little differently. I'm just curious if anyone here has tapered off Gabapentin and has Not had any withdrawal issues (or if they did they were minor and short term. If so, what did you do in terms of your tapering plan? Thanks in advance.

I'm strugging I do believe I am addicted at the gabbs. I am prescribed 4 ... 800 mlg a day. I did start taking more than I am percribed when I run out I'm sick I don't want to eat, my stomach is messed up. Its not a norcotic so it is possible to have withdrawal from them. How do I get off of them without withdrawals or is anything to take or do to help with it. I'm scared!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Ive been on this tablet since May was put on it for breast pain told doctor not sure if it's working sometimes feels like it took edge of it it not convinced after reading about it quite worried told doctor my face is tingly since starting these she told me to up dosage which I did no better has anyone had this side effect help ??

I have done this once before. I hate myself for ever being put in this position again. Chronic pain is a bitch and can wear you down. Brief history, motorcycle accident in 2004, completely destroying the left shoulder, resulting in TOS, brachial plexus injury, RSD, and few other odds and ends. I've had 10 surgeries total since then, the last one being in 2012. I have most recently been on 30mg oxycodone 3xday, gabapentin 300mg capsules x 2 @ night (had been on 2400mg daily at one time years ago) & Tizanadine 4mg tabs x 3 @ night. They also diagnosed me with ADD as an adult and put me on Adderall 10mg tabs x 3 per day. Ive been on this regimen for the last few years and did not see myself turning into another person all together. I've gone from 165 last year, to 130 now. I've stopped talking to anyone, including family. I have zero energy, depressed doesn't quite describe just how bad off I feel.My memory has been trash, to the point where I literally forget why I go into a room. I've been experiencing tremors, which can be the adderall or the Gaba, not sure. But instead of looking at the meds, they now are trying to say I have early onset Parkinsons. I'm not sure why docs dont really look into side effects of the meds they put us on. As a medical professional I take part of the blame myself, but when faced with chronic pain day in and day out, sometimes all you want is relief. But when the relief is worse than the pain, it's time to stop. I own a Medical Equipment Company for Pediatrics and I have been so depressed with such an intense fatigue, my employees are starting to think I am a myth. My wife doesn't know what to do to help and that leaves her feeling helpless, which in turn makes me more depressed.  I have just recently, 27 days ago, detoxed myself off of the oxycodone and adderall, not realizing that the Gaba was causing just as many problems. I thought it was one of the other two meds. The adderall is going to apparently take the rest of my life until I feel normal again, but the oxy withdrawal is done I hope. I have been supplementing with Magnesium which seems to help. My question is, having just completed a nasty detox, how best would you proceed to come off the Gaba? I'm afraid if i get anymore depressed I will just give up all together. I've gone cold turkey before off of everything, as a matter of fact, I went cold turkey from the oxy, but that stuff is more physical than mental. I just want my life back.