Should I simply not take it?

I was taking 3600 mg per day. This was after increase after increase. In 5 years time not one Doctor of any type suggested decreasing. On top of the gabapentin My GP decided since gabapentin wasn't covering all My nerve pain to add 1000 mg of oxicarbizapin!  Wow! I'm not sure if I will ever recover the cognitive damage that's been done. Over 20 hospital stays in a year and half from upper respiratory infections, chronic infections, unbalanced electrolytes, heart problems and a big oil seizure a neurologist plus hospitalist said in a way that He had thought We were crazy and glad to hear Us discussing the amount of these meds plus My continued suspicion. He immediately lowered gabapentin by 1200 mg because My Primary said no to the 2400 mg that hospital wanted Me too. Looking back 2400 would've been way too much as I got pretty sick off the 1200!  Almost immediately like within 2 weeks my pelvic pain had decreased quit a bit. I could think and didn't have to point to My Daughter when asked a question. She had become My caretaker. I'm 54 and she is 20!  I was taking 3 medications which quickly escalated to 22 when I began gabapentin. I was being treated for side effects plus side effects for any new medications. At one point I noticed I had a med to urinate and one not to so much?! Huh?! Lol! One to have bowel movement and one for diarrhea!! After I got bacterial menegitis this past September from a pain pump being implanted despite the high CRP level in My system, I decided either My Primary was trying to kill Me or He just wasn't paying attention to Me. Once a month screaming about pain. Now as My labs improve and I can talk to Him again, He only will concede that at His suggestion Oxicarbizapin was withdrawn. I told him to take a picture of Me, put it next to gabapentin side effects...common and supposedly rare and He would have My medical record the current one needs to be updated as I lower it. I now have Addison's disease because the excruciating pain wore My adrenal glands out!! I had no prior indication of Addison's disease which I would've known before I was 51 or 52!  I went from being underweight to 193 pounds (obese)!  I can think of nothing positive to say about gabapentin except Phizer got rich off taking a drug not approved by FDA, lied to Doctors about it and now it's a miracle pill. That not enough research has gone into which includes how to safely withdrawal from this non addictive drug that is killing People. I know because more than once I was one that barely lived to tell My story. No one would've known the truth except pneumonia, bacterial menegitis or electrolyte issue!! Being the 8th most prescribed medication for every and anything, I believe this is happening quit a lot!  I'm currently at 1000 mg and the lower I go the harder the withdrawal!! Also if dose or doses are missed because no one knows to tell the Hospital or Doctor your taking this not only will you become violently ill but it causes psychosis in a way that You are on a different wave length! Like Your crazy. I would've been in psychiatric ward a few times if My Daughter and stepped in. I actually hit a Nurse who was unrestrainung My hands. Had to be restrained because I went crazy!  Good luck!

Sorry gabapentin is approved by FDA for certain things but the off marketing prescribing  has to really be stopped. That won't happen but I will never take another med without researching it from top to bottom. I've literally lost 5 years of My life living in the most excruciating pain and it infuriates Me to no end!!please don't get caught in this cycle of hell!

Thank you for sharing your story with me. I'm so sorry you've had to endure all of that. I've talked to my family and I think for now I'm going to not take them and tolerate the tingling and pain. It's simply not worth the risks of taking this.

please talk to Your Doctor as You taper off. It's not an easy med to withdrawal from much less stop....going cold Turkey!! Unless your Doctor suggests dp!  Good luck!!

Since I had taken it for only 3 days/3 doses total, I just stopped.I haven't noticed any ill effects. I assume it takes considerably longer to build up enough of the drug to cause the withdrawal issues. I assume my doctor will say I didn't give it a chance, but I don't care. It's not worth the way it made me feel or risking not being able to stop easily down the road.