Prescribed 3x300mg gabapentin for short term?
Posted , 6 users are following.
Recently, a family member was prescribed Venlafaxine er and gabapentin after being in a mental hospital for seven days. The prescription calls for the gabapentin to be taking three times a day but only has enough does for four days. In fact it only has 14ct which would leave the last dose missing.
What do I do here considering all the withdrawal issues people claim? I understand that if he doesn't need it anymore that he needs to be weaned off. Though, it looks like after the next refill that he will literally be cold turkey. He has an appointment in January but will be out of this medicine by next week. What do I do?
0 likes, 14 replies
diane80014 drew72438
Posted
drew72438 diane80014
Posted
I've seen a ton of people speaking praise for this drug too. Heck, the person taking it now hasn't given any complaints about it. My big concern is if they don't plan on this being a long term medication and him all of sudden just stop taking it. If he needs to keep taking it then fine but if not then I want to know how we can ease him off it.
We are gonna call tomorrow to see what they say. So far I haven't really noticed any negative side effects.
diane80014 drew72438
Posted
I’m not saying it won’t work for this person! It just was hell for me! I was fine until about 2 weeks on it! It depends I guess also what they were put on it for! You do have to wean off! My doctor had me drop 1 (300mg) every 5-7 days! I started out taking:
1 (300mgs) for 3 days
2(300mgs) for 3 days
3(300mgs)to get to my 900mg/day. Best thing is to talk to their Dr. Hope this helps some! Good Luck
drew72438 diane80014
Posted
Barely been a week since he has been on both meds. Honestly, I don't know if whatever pain he had was from his mental issues or because he had some actual physical pain. Only way to know is to wean him off or simply keep him on if it works.
Def gonna talk to his doctor.
stulee09 diane80014
Posted
Hi Diane I've been on gabapentin for 4 months now and started on.
3 x 300mg a day
Then the next month
3 x 400mg a day
Then
3 x 600mg a day
And now on 800mg a day 2400mg in total a day and I feel fine even though the pain in my affected area has not completely gone and It takes a good few week for this medication to start working properly so I'd tell the person who has concerns about the affects to help there family member to stick with it because they wouldn't of prescribed it for no reason at all and to get intouch with there mental health care worker or there doctor to get more advice and to try and get a refill for until the appointment in January as there is no point taking it for a week because it won't start really working in a week
drew72438 stulee09
Posted
He is basically taking it because he complained of pain all over when in the psych ward. Not eating, taking meds, laying down all day, and losing weight. Can honestly take a huge toll on you mentally.
The issue now is if he actually needs to take this medicine and if it is interfering with the venlafaxine er he takes each morning. It's hard to say as it has barely been two weeks at this point.
diane80014 stulee09
Posted
Rener drew72438
Posted
SOUNds like He is already taking it. Please take Him to His Primary and if it were Me then I would wean off it! My mental health worsened but I was taking it for nerve pain. I'm still trying to wean off and have 1000 mg to go! The lower the dose is that You get to the withdrawals get harder. The first 2400 mg was a piece of cake compared to each 100 mg I'm doing now! I was on it for 5 years at 3600 mg not knowing it was the reason I was so sick! If I didn't get My dose for even 1 time I would start withdrawals. Then if it was longer I went absolutely crazy. Had My Daughter not explained what I was missing They would've put Me on psyche floor. I still had to have a Sitter 24-7 plus hands tied down until it got back in system and I returned to normal. I hit a Nurse and then laughed!! I couldn't believe it. I've never hit anyone before and had I not been in ICU with septic pnuemonia I would've got in trouble legally! Lucky They understood but the Staff wasn't as nice after that!! Wow! Please do talk to a Doctor! Be careful of increases because that's what They like to do and say it's a safe alternative to opiates and benzos!! Merry Xmas and will pray for You!!
drew72438 Rener
Posted
What was you prescribed for your mental health concerns? They gave him Vitamin B12 with the gab and I'm wondering if it because it depletes your B12 levels. I just don't want him to all of sudden be cold turkey.
Rener drew72438
Posted
Mine was for depression. Chronic pain will do that to You plus anxiety! Everyone is different so it just depends on His body or brain and cvs. If only a week might not be bad. As mine was being increased I became kinda paranoid about People talking about Me. Suffered from short term memory loss thought I had dementia. I stopped being able to even care for self. My Daughter had to become My caretaker. I couldn't think! After I started having seizures and lowered dose I got my mind back!! Evil drug!! Good luck and merry Xmas!
stulee09 Rener
Posted
I understand where ur coming from but doctors don't like giving out morphine, OxyContin and oxycodone unless ur a cancer patient or have very servier pain that nerve drugs won't touch so gabapentin and pre-gabalin is the only thing they can prescribe
stulee09 drew72438
Posted
Is he eating properly cos that's the only reason I can think of why they'd prescribe vitamins
stulee09 drew72438
Posted
How long has he been on 900mg a day for? If it's only a week then there is nothing to be worried about from withdrawal off the ganapemtim ita if he's been on them for over a month or over and if u need to get more gabapentin for him until the review. In January then book am appointment with his G.P. or his mental health care worker
Shewholvs drew72438
Posted