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Gabapentin Withdrawal IMPORTANT

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I spent 4 days in intensive care following a spinal operation. This was found to be the result of the sudden complete withdraawal of Gabapentin.

For 3 whole days I was, to quote my surgeon, 'on another planet.' The only drug, of the many I was taking for pain, the only one that could not been given in an alternative form was Gabapentin. Fortunately, on the 3rd day there happened to be a charge nurse on duty who had seen a [b]previous case similar to mine, also resulting from withdrawal of Gabapentin.

My husband insisted that some way was found of administrating the drug. (I myself was una\\ware of any of this until later). There were objections from the staff since I would need sedating and was unable to consent! My husband over-rode them - thank goodness - and said he would take full responsibility and 'just do it.'

Some time after he left they did sedate me and administer the Gabapoentin. Then, as now, I had been taking 900mg 3 times daily for nerve pain, so I had obviously fallen off a cliff in terms of amount taken.

The following morning I woke up back to normal and asked for a cup of tea. When my husband arrived I saw him wipe tears from his eyes. If not back from the dead I WAS back from a living nightmare.

WHAT CONCERNS ME MOST IS THAT THIS WAS DISMISSED BY THE MANUFACTURERS WHEN ONE OF MY CONSULTANTS MENTIONED IT. YET IT IS A TERRIBLE REACTION, ALBEIT NO DOUBT EXTREMELY RARE. IT SHOULD BE MAD E KNOWN:!:

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  • Tarun
    Tarun

    Posted

    If you ever have any issues with your medication in hospital, discuss these with a pharmacist. That is what we are there for. The source of confusion may have been that hospitals do not routinely stock the tablet version because they are much more expensive, and the nurse may have been under the impression therefore that only a capsule form exists.

    Tarun (hospital pharmacists)

    • Tabstoyou
      Tabstoyou Tarun

      Posted

      I would imagine sometimes people are too ill to enter into discussions and arguments with people about drugs.  We just want to trust that the doctors will do the best for us.  Being vegan, I can relate to Sheep Ali completely.

       

    • rita52071
      rita52071 Tarun

      Posted

      hi.....I have been on Gabapentin for 5 and a half month.....400 mg only at night......On jan 4 of this year I am starting to br weaned off.....300 for three weeks, 200 for three weeks and 100 for this weeks....Dr said two weeks at first but I told her I dont want any of these withdrawal....she said see how you feel but three weeks is fine......so nervous after all these things I am hearing........
    • lucy81308
      lucy81308 rita52071

      Posted

      I was 3000mgs a day, for months, I came off it, one 300mg capsule per week, and had NO withdrawals whatsoever.
    • rita52071
      rita52071 lucy81308

      Posted

      Thank you so much for sharing...the things I am reading are scaring me to no end........my dr wants to see if I have tmj that might be causing this dizziness.....I am so sick of meds etc........saw another specialist ent yeasterday.....he feel its MAV but wants me to send him all my tests.....He said its just a matter of the right meds.......and it takes time...I almost cried in his office....the only thing I wasnt checked for is vertical heterophia....although went to my opthamologisy had like a one hour exam  and said all was good............thanks again  much calmer about this gabapentin thing
    • brenda20365
      brenda20365 Tarun

      Posted

      Tarun you are so right...i was on metrocloprimide and my doc prescriped serratonin for me...the pharmacist said you cant take these two together so i went back to the doctor and he said i have 15 patients taking both of these with no problem so i took them together and the nerves on the right side of my face went for a month...should have listenend to my pharmacist !!! then my gastroenterologist prescribed Trazadone for me without even asking what i was on..i had been taking domperidone and guess what..i looked it up first on Treato webesite and it said do not take these two meds together...i check everything now with my pharmacist.
    • kirk51905
      kirk51905 brenda20365

      Posted

      brenda my dad took two drugs a doctor prescribed in the past and he couldnt walk for a year it turned out later my dad was taking a drug before the doctor prescribed the other two drugs and my dad never did tell him he was already taking something else so its possible the effects of two different drugs could be causing the problem because when i was injured my doctor prescribed two drugs to me a week later i didnt sleep at all for 5 days straight then my doctor prescribed gabapentin to counter act the side effects of the two other drugs its possible a combination of drugs could have caused that problem maybe just an oberservation
  • mary75579
    mary75579 Guest

    Posted

    I got off the gabapentin and lyrica, both bad news drugs.  I still have constant pain and an looking at more natural ways to stretch the muscles, get peace of mind and align my whole spinal body.  I think this is the answer. Tired of spending hundreds on tests, trying more drugs, and doctors. I want my life back, plain and simple.  I will post results to my next appointment with personal trainer/therapist.
    • Tabstoyou
      Tabstoyou mary75579

      Posted

      Have you tried Alexandra technique?  I went to my first session last week and I think this might be the answer.  I do yoga, pilates and swimming, also meditation etc.  but Im really hoping that this Alexandra technique helps!
    • martin45332
      martin45332 Tabstoyou

      Posted

      Hi

      I came across your posting when I was looking for advice on coming off Gabapentin. My wife has dystonia and has been going to Alexander Technique sessions for afew years. She has benefitted hugely and recommends them to all sorts of people. Hope they helped you!

  • annamarie10903
    annamarie10903 Guest

    Posted

    Hi there, I was immediately struck by your article on Gabapentin withdrawal. Apparently the secret is slowly reduce the amount of milligrams ingested: aka 100mgs weekly. I too owned to the misfortune of completing abandoning the tablets in January. The side effects were horrific to behold and similar in content to your own! Returning to the medication, as your husband suggested seems to be the only way to withold the severe withdrawal effects. Although I now fear I will never b able to abandon them completely I wish with all my heart and soul the surgeon had not recommended these addictive medication in the first place, last July after Brest surgery. Its a quandary indeed and if one forgets a dose the pain returns tenfold also one begins to feel very in weird indeed. Good luck coping.
    • rita52071
      rita52071 annamarie10903

      Posted

      Throwing out a question to anyone who can answer..........I have been weaning off of Gabapentin ...down to 100 mg.......this week I will be taking it every other day...........Yesterday and today feel yucky......very very very tired........could this be happening on such a low dosage....been doing really good..........cry
    • USofAnxiety
      USofAnxiety rita52071

      Posted

      Yes yes yes ...don't let nobody tell you it CANT happen. Everybody dosnt react the same , even at 100MG I tried stopping & had bad withdrawal symptoms. I just reduced from 100MG & I feel crappy , nausea has hit hard. I have to eyeball & half the capsule but I think I should of reduced to 75MG instead of approx 50MG. Ugggh hope this won't be too much longer
  • lolix1963
    lolix1963 Guest

    Posted

    I was on 900mg three times a day and stopped them. I have had no withdrawal effects and note only one change is that I am less iritrable &  agitated, I can relax & rest better.... I  stopped them about 3  weeks ago!
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