Still very dizzy/spaced out 3 weeks after stopping Gabapentin. Please Help!

Posted , 5 users are following.

Hi everyone,

I'm at my wits end so any advice would be very welcome.

I was on just 200mg of gabapentin a night. I was prescribed it for pelvic pain and only took it for 12 days. The side effects were awful for me. Spaced out, heavy headed and very dizzy the entire time. I dropped down to 100mg a night on the last 2 nights then stopped after speaking to my GP.

The last nearly 3 weeks have been just as hellish. I'm dizzy, spaced out all day. It doesn't seem to be letting up. There are days when I think ok, im bit better today then the next day it's like I'm going backwards again!

I've read a lot about withdrawel etc and can only assume that's what I'm having although most of you were on much higher doses for much much longer.

I'm taking magnesium citrate orally and magnesium oil on my skin twice a day. Also omega 3 and curcumin too. Vit D and calcium too.

I don't take any other meds or drugs nor alcohol or smoke. My sleep is "ok" and I don't suffer any of the other withdrawel effects. Just don't understand how total dose of 2500mg over 12 days, 3 weeks ago are still affecting me. I have no one else to talk to who understands. Not even my GP. I'm back at work in 2 weeks and can't drive coz of the dizziness. So upset. Thanks in advance.

Jessy

2 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Posted

    The medicine was not be for you......But I would definetely see another doctor.....Different people respond differently to meds....I have been on Gab since July 13 2015....started 300 then went to 400 after a month  I am now weaning off...dr said 2 weeks at three hundred then 2oo hundred then 100 hundred...I told her 300mg for three weeks  200 for three weeks etc.......next week I dropp to 200  so far I have been very lucky...Gab can have a lot of side effects........I hear people even have withdrawals long after taking it  but they were on a much higher dosage........seek another doctor if you cant talk to the one you have!!!!!
  • Posted

    I am so sorry that you are having these problems still.  I can't be of much help.  I am trying to come diwn from 1500 mg a day and am just trying 1000 mg this week.  So confusing to read stuff here, have the dictirs tell you something different, etc.  Makes me wonder how educated dictirs actually are in the use if this drug.  I had a GI doctor at Stanford prescribe it for stomach issues.  Have you contacted your doctor again?  You might try calling your Pharmacist and discussing it with them.  If course, they may just tell you to contact your doctor.  

    Dies anyone know how long it takes for the drug to get out if your system?

  • Posted

    I only took gabapentin once and it was awful so never again but I did take lyrica for about 2 weeks which is similar and I had side effects for months after, I think anything that disturbs the natural chemicals can take a fairly long time before things balance out again but I will say the side effects I had although lasting a while have gone and stayed gone.

    The reason I wanted to say something is I was feeling really bad at one point with my body pain and I started taking magnesium supplements, I got worse and worse with additional symptoms such as dizziness, moodiness and neurological nerve type symptoms as soon as I stopped the magnesium after a few days my additional symptoms improved so I just wanted to say it might be worth stopping the supplements for a few days to see if that helps, it sounds like your taking a lot of magnesium too supplementing orally and transdermally and if you eat healthy too you might be overdoing it. I was only supplementing with the rda so I wasn't going heavy.

    I also have a question for you about the curcumin, do you find it makes a difference to you in any ways, I've just bought some in the hope of reducing inflammation throughout the body and to help with excruciating period pains, I wanted to use them instead of ibroprufen. Do they work that well?

  • Posted

    I was also on a low dose, and only for one week, yet went through months of hellish withdrawal!  I can't believe this drug is considered as safe as it is, when clearly many people have major issues with it.  I realize it works very well for some people, but certainly not for all of us.

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