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Gabbapentin for Alcohol Withdrawl

Posted , 5 users are following.

Slowburnstar
Slowburnstar

Sorry in advance for the long winded post...

I was admitted to the ER Sunday - I did not really suspect alcohol withdrawal since I was still drinking - I spent a few days having heart palpitations/tachycardia and burning chest pain/anxiety/etc... But after having chest pain/dizziness/cold sweat/arm numbness/almost blacking out/squeezing in chest/tachycardia and thought I might die...

I went in. I was diagnosed with alcohol withdrawal and anxiety and sent home with chlordiazepoxide (Librium) 10mg 3x a day as needed.

* I have a history of being medically detoxed in a hospital twice for these same symptoms and was detoxed on Ativan with no problems and no further withdrawal symptoms.*

I went home and took the prescribed dose of Librium. One day passed - the next day I had symptoms return.

I went to a different ER. I was found to be suffering from

Hypokalemia. I had malabsorption issues and a dangerously low level of potassium that was causing the palpitations/tachycardia and arrhythmia - that could have been life threatening. I was given oral potassium - and Gabbapentin and a small amount of Ativan. I went home and not surprisingly did not digest the potassium pills.

I was prescribed Gabbapentin 600mg 3x a day for a week then 600 mg 2x a day for a week - 3 weeks depending on how I feel then 1 pill at night until I feel well.

I was told it was non addictive and completely safe.

I took the 600mg this morning when I woke up around 12pm. It caused me to be really out of it and spacey/loopy all day and I couldn't leave the house. I was supposed to take this does 3x per day?!?!

I then did research to find that it is really hard to ween off of even if taken for a week and causes its own withdrawal symptoms and side effects. That it's more for withdrawal symptoms and alcohol craving and won't prevent DTs or alcohol related seizures despite being an anticonvulsant.

It's giving me some serious GI issues - so if I'm having malabsorption of potassium and the Gabbapentin is causing me to evacuate everything in my bowls constantly - how am I supposed to maintain normal potassium/hydration?

I'm just not sure how to proceed. Do I take 300mg 2x a day for a few days and then 300mg at night for a few days to taper off?

I am in therapy and plan on getting into an outpatient rehab this time as I now fully committed to remaining sober.

I have an appointment with a general practitioner on March 10th (the earliest I could get).

Any advice or experience would be appreciated!

Thanks so much!!!

0 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • Shammah
    Shammah Slowburnstar

    Posted

    Gabapentin does not cause cravings for this medication like alcohol would cause, so it's not addicting in that way. However, your brain does come to depend on it to function and therefore causes discontinuation symptoms that can be severe if you taper down too fast. Everyone is different and can handle a different pace of tapering. It's best to have a taper schedule from a psychiatrist to get off since they would be more familiar with it... that is, when you are ready to get off. You do NOT want to create your own taper as you can face serious and dangerous withdrawal symptoms. I only took 100 mg for 6 months and I'm having trouble getting off it. I'm tapering down 10 mg every 3 weeks, so it's taking me several months to get off it. Others can stop taking 100 mg with no problem, or taper down over a couple weeks. The higher the dose, the more you can taper down, from what I've read. When you get to the lower dose the slower you need to go. Be careful. Wishing you all the best!
    • wanganui
      wanganui Shammah

      Posted

      Slowburnstar,I agree entirely with Shammah,anybody can withdraw from medication if it is done very slowly especially in the last doses.Here you can hold up to three weeks or even longer,just listen to your body .Far better to go slowly and take several months and have very little or no withdrawal effects! Good luck!
    • Slowburnstar
      Slowburnstar Shammah

      Posted

      I have only taken 600mg last night and 600mg this morning. I haven't started.

      I thought it was a super high does (600mg 3x per day) ...

      Haven't taken my next dose.

      I really don't want to get on a drug I don't need.

      It's been 72 hours since my last drink.

      I think the ER Doctor put me on it to help with "cravings" - but I've never had them in the past after detox...

    • Slowburnstar
      Slowburnstar

      Posted

      Excuse me - I haven't REALLY started...

      Unless I would already get withdrawals from a total of 1200mg?

    • Shammah
      Shammah Slowburnstar

      Posted

      You may not have withdrawals if you only took two doses? I have no idea. You need to talk to your doctor. You don't want to mess around with this drug. It's serious stuff. I took 100 mg every morning at 9am for 5 days. Then, decided to take it in the evening instead. By 1pm, I felt like I drank a whole pot of Starbucks black coffee. I was sooooo jittery. Then I started feeling very confused, my speech was stuttered. I could not think of the next word to say. I called my psychiatrist and he said you have to take it at the same time each day and let no more than 1 hour pass. If you want to change the time to take it, you have to do it gradually moving it 30 minutes every couple days. He told me to take my dose right away. When I did, within 10 minutes my heart slammed against my chest wall and I thought my heart was ruined. Then, I had an irregular heartbeat for the next couple months. I saw a cardiologist and he said my heart skipped a beat, that is what the feeling of slamming against my chest wall. It turns out my heart is fine, thank God! What I realized is this is an anticonvulant before it's anything else. So, the Gabapentin was working first to stop the jittery activity as fast as possible. This happened after only 5 days at 100 mg. Even though you have only taken a total of 1200 mg, I don't know how your body would do to stop taking it abruptly. I can't advise you to do that. The insert that comes with the medication cautions you not to abruptly stop taking it. There are warnings. You might be fine, but you might not be fine? Only you and your doctor together can figure that out. My personal opinion is if they are giving you Ativan, and that has worked before... why give you both Ativan and Gabapentin? They both work in the same basic way. However, I'm not a doctor. Your brain quickly depends on Gabapentin to function, within a few days, so I don't know how they can say to take it for just 1 - 3 weeks? Then stop taking it? That would be dangerous. At that point, you would need to be tapered off. What ever you do... make sure you do it with a professional who knows this drug. 
    • Slowburnstar
      Slowburnstar Shammah

      Posted

      I received the prescription in the ER don't have no doctor to follow up with.

      She said it was complete safe and non addictive.

      I took my first dose in the hospital and felt sleepy but nothing horrible. I took my second 600mg dose at noon the next day and I felt like a walking zombie!!

      I decided not to take my next dose. That would have been 8pm

      Yesterday ... I feel fine. Slept well ... I'm on day 5 of sobriety. I am not going to continue this drug especially at such a high dose!!! I don't want to trade alcoholism for some crazy anticonvulsant I would have to taper off as well!!! I'm trying to detox my body and stay clean and clear. I'm pretty shocked she prescribed me such a heavy drug with no supervision....

      Thanks for the input!

    • Slowburnstar
      Slowburnstar

      Posted

      Don't have a doctor to follow up with*

      Haha can you edit these posts?

    • Shammah
      Shammah Slowburnstar

      Posted

      She said it's completely safe and non addictive because that is what the manufacture says in the leaflet that comes with the meds. HOWEVER... you can read all over the internet and my personal experience that it is not safe for me and my brain and nervous system will not allow me to easily get off of it according to the manufactures taper. I have had horrible side effects. My heart skipping a beat is only the beginning of the problems I've had with this drug. I wish I never took it at all. I would have been better off. I have read about more problems than benefit from this drug. I'm SOOOOOO glad that you are feeling fine. Wheeeew!!! Yay! I'm excited for you! I wish you well as you continue to detox. You are doing great!!!!!  :-)
    • Slowburnstar
      Slowburnstar Shammah

      Posted

      Thanks so much!!!

      7 days so far and the only real symptoms were the Hypokalemia.

      I suggest anyone expierienceing tachycardia/palpitations up their potassium level - with an easily digestible potassium pill or liquid - or even drinking a high quality coconut water (no sugar added) will give you Aprox 455mg of potassium per serving. Not to say those symptoms shouldn't be taken seriously - but it's worth a try to have some around!

      I'm super glad I didn't start myself on this drug.

      Now to find a good out patient rehab that takes me insurance!!!

      Thanks again.

      <3

      >

      >

    • Shammah
      Shammah Slowburnstar

      Posted

      Awesome!!! And you're very welcome! I typically started feeling withdrawals  on day 6 and worse on day 14... sometimes up to 21 days. I think because you did not take it past the first day that your body didn't grab onto it. The withdrawals hit as you take it at the same time each day and your body comes to depend on it at that time each day. I think you will be fine since it's been 7 days. That is great that you found a wonderful out patient rehab that takes your insurance. It look like you are getting favor all the way around!!! ; )
    • Slowburnstar
      Slowburnstar Shammah

      Posted

      Haven't found the rehab yet, but crossing my fingers!

      Thanks!

    • Shammah
      Shammah Slowburnstar

      Posted

      Ohhhh... sorry. I read your post wrong. Okay. Well, I pray God leads you to the perfect place where they will be sensitive and honoring towards you and you will find full recovery so you can move on with your life to the fullest!  :-) 
  • meljett
    meljett Slowburnstar

    Posted

    I was at 600 3xs a day, when I figured out that the last nine months of terrible G.I. problems were from the drug, my doctors decided to wean me off of it. The plan is to go my first dose of the day is 300 the next two doses are 600 for one week, then, a week of first and second I was being 300Mg, then, eliminating one of the 300 dosages over the course of the next three weeks
    • Slowburnstar
      Slowburnstar meljett

      Posted

      I had horrible GI symptoms the first two doses I took.

      I wasn't having them at all before!

      Stopped taking it and GI symptoms are gone...

      Hope you can taper off slowly and get back on track!

      All the best.

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