Took 1200mg of gabapentin one day, what next?
Posted , 4 users are following.
my doctor gave me 300 mg capsules to be taken all at once before bed for sleep support. last night i took the full dose. I did not sleep any better but was instead stuck in some sort of half awake half asleep trance like state. it was horrible. i normally wake up at 7am. its now 1pm and i am so spaced out and dizzy i can barely move, i dont even feel real,also ive noticed a fast hear beat. after just 1 dose is there any need to taper, or can I just quit it?
0 likes, 20 replies
babs99203 aaron03723
Posted
Gab is NOT a sleep aid. It is an epilepsy drug which MAY help people with two categories of pain, from shingles and small nerve diabetic neuropathy. All other uses that doctor's give it for are NOT approved, tested or proven to be effective. As some people get fatigue and fogginess with gab, doctors think it will help with sleep issues. What you are experiencing is scary, and is from the drug. Hang in there, keep hydrated, try and relax and accept that this will pass
If it's given, the proper dosage is similar amounts 3-4 times a day, spaced out equally. It's no wonder you feel awful, that's a high dose to start with and given improperly. I'm not a doctor but generally if you're on a dose less than two weeks, you can just stop it safely. I would tell anyone, to do that, unless they have epilepsy. This is your choice. You may not to speak to your doctor or pharmacist. However, it's extremely likely your doctor will want you to continue the drug, as they generally know nothing about it's side effects or even what conditions it should be given for.
However, your symptoms may still last for several days or weeks. You may go through some type of withdrawal problems, but after only one dose, maybe not. Good luck! Can you please come back and let us know.
aaron03723 babs99203
Posted
The first night i took 1200mg the second night 900 the 3rd night 600 the 4th night 300. Last night i tried to just stop and lay awake the entire night with anxiety and crazy thoughts that made no sense at all. So i took 300mg this morning and slept from 5am to 9am and woke up in a total panic. Right now in starting to feel anxious and i dont feel really here, like im observing my life from a 3rd person... its hard to explain, but its very unsettling but im not going to take anything. Do you think if I take 2/3 of my capsule tonight (200mg) then take 1/3 (100mg) the following night that would be safe to just quit at that point? This feeling is horrible.
Also i took a version gabapentin called gralise ( not sure the name is correct) post shingles about 3 months ago for about 10 days. I had no poblem quitting it. So i have a history with the med. Im trying not to freak out or get to scared , but when youre laying in bed exhausted and you just cant sleep, its a scary feeling...
aaron03723 babs99203
Posted
I called my doctor who told me its not possible and this is a mild and safe drug and just to quit... i realize you cant give medical advice legally. Just wondering your thoughts and experiences. I will gladly go back to the mild insomnia I have than deal with this horrible feeling.
Bocephus aaron03723
Posted
Listen to your body. As someone else said, the drug was developed for nerve pain and epilepsy, not a sleep aid or general pain reliever. If it were me, I would just take one at night for a few days, then one every other night for for a week and maybe one twice a week for a week and then stop. That's just if it were me.
babs99203 aaron03723
Posted
Aaron, I don't understand how 95% of the doctors have no knowledge at all about this drug. I've heard this over and over and over, and of course from my own doctor. That's why we're all in this mess. It's wrong that we have to turn to the internet and fellow sufferers for information. All a doctor has to to is read the handouts and do a brief online search. I did reply to one of your other posts with advice. It will be difficult no matter what, but you were on it for a short time which should be in your favor.
Bocephus aaron03723
Posted
In my opinion, that is too much too fast.
I did the same thing at first. I then began taking one each night for a while and gradually increased it. It takes consistent use to get into the system. But after a year and a half, although it did help with sleep, I believe the other issues that I experienced were caused by it. Everyone is different so I would suggest proceed with caution.
JohnAk Bocephus
Posted
Quite agree with you that everyone is different .No it is not a sleeping tablet but it helps with pain so that you can get some sleep instead of being kept awake with pain
JohnAk aaron03723
Posted
HI AARONA
What was your total amount you took at bedtime mgs ????
Maybe you took to much to early instead of building it up slowly
aaron03723 JohnAk
Posted
1200 mg at once
babs99203 aaron03723
Posted
Go to support groups such as Inner Compass or Benzobuddies to learn what's happening and how to deal with it. The WD we go thru from gab is very similar to what happens with benzo, opioids and anti-depressants. The UK has just created new guidelines for informing patients about the risks of these drugs. If you do an online search for CEP UK.org or Prescribed medicines review: report at gov.uk you can learn more. When I was really struggling, it helped me to do research. It both distracted me and empowered me to know that it's the drug not me and I can get better. Or just rest and conserve your strength. Don't try and push through this. Good self-care is important, distractions, rest, music, TV, pets or anything that can make you have a respite is good.
babs99203 aaron03723
Posted
I hope you are doing better and had a chance to both rest and read some helpful information. I got feedback from some others. This is totally your decision, but the consensus was that you've been on it less than two weeks and what you're describing may be an "adverse reaction", a serious reaction to a medication which could merit stopping it. Do what you feel comfortable with. We each have to make our own decision. Generally if its less than two weeks, there are fewer problems. You may still have some tough stretches but you'll get through this.
aaron03723 babs99203
Posted
Yes I have read some very disturbing things about this drug. I have no idea what my doctor was thinking starting me at that dose. it looks like most people start at 100mg and work there way also with the half life it makes no sense to take it once a day.
yesterday i cut down to 200mg ( im just opening the capsule and taking 1/3 away) all afternoon yesterday i felt the worst anxiety ive felt since my mother died when i was a kid. i took the 200mg last night at 8:30 and was out cold until about 1am ( funny thats right around the 5 hour half life) anyway i lay awake until around 3am and was able to get back to sleep until around 7am. other than the fact that ive spent all morning crying like a baby i feel fine anxiety-wise. This morning i took 100mg tonight i will take 100mg then tomorrow ill do 50mg morning and 50mg night for 2 days then just jump off. if i have a week of no sleep and anxiety so be it. im not going to drag this into weeks or months. ive read about long term users having to go on year long micro tapers using liquid... crazy my doctor wrote me this Rx with 4 refills, and told me I could go as high as 3600 mg if needed. I think doctors just believe what the pharma reps tell them and have so little time they probably dont do much research.
i did take a benadryl yesterday but i have decided against using those as well. its amazing what these drugs, even over the counter ones can do to our health.
Bocephus aaron03723
Posted
The doctor that gave it to me did and said the exact same thing. Gave it to me for skeletal pain and said because I would sleep better, my pain would be less...Unbelievable.
babs99203 aaron03723
Posted
Aaron, thank you so much for reporting back to us. I've been thinking of you today and a close friend who's the admin in the group I asked advice from wondered too. I said you seem to be a strong person with good common sense, and should get through this fine. Half the battle is finding the strength to do what is hard, getting off the drug and believing that you can handle the tough times.
I've told people I cry about once every 10 years. I'm a very analytical, logical woman, yet during my taper I can cry four times a day. In stressful situations during a bad WD (my husband had a recent heart issue during the worst stretch of my WD, so I had to suck it up) I just told people, if I start crying, it's just the meds, please ignore it. Then I briefly explain, you'd be surprised how many people understand and know about gab. It seems the only ones who DON'T are our doctors. Yes, you are right, they heard about it from drug reps, patients trustingly took it, then were dismissed when they tried to say this drug is causing problems. I don't think they ever take the time to go back and research the drugs. It's so commonly handed out, like aspirin, they assume it's fine.
Good for you for not adding anything else. For some people, even small amounts of alcohol, like you'd get in Nyquil, can start the whole side effect/WD cycle all over again. Yet doctors will add drugs like Xanax or Cymbalta to "help". I think I told you I'm one of those who be taking 3 years to get off this drug. I had no choice, 2 weeks and even 4 weeks was too fast, the WD was overwhelming. But I won't micro-taper or titrate. This is my second to last taper. I dropped 7/21 and am just now, after 3 weeks coming out on the good side of the WD. I don't want to mess up my anniversary trip, Thanksgiving or Christmas, so I'll stay at 300 mg until Christmas Day. Then I'll stop taking it. I'll remember your strength and resolve when I get to that point. If you can do this, so can I.
Please keep coming back with updates. There will be Waves and Windows, meaning good and bad stretches. You may want to keep brief notes as to how it goes, to remind yourself there were respite periods. That's what keeps me on track.
JohnAk Bocephus
Posted
Quite agree with what the doctor has said regarding with the gabapentin helping with the pain and helping getting a decent nights sleep . It works for me at the moment. I Take 3600 mg Starting 5am 4x aday last one before i go to bed.
So its 900mg 4x a day.
babs99203 aaron03723
Posted
I just found something in another group which may explain something. That person was on gab previously, had some side effects, but no problem getting off it. Three years later she was put back on it for a different problem and has absolute hell. She wrote to remind us, to NOT go back on it in any form (Lyrica is similar, but different) and that we can get through this, like she did.
I hope this week is much better than your last one.
babs99203 JohnAk
Posted
John, what are you taking gab for? I don't know many people who get significant relief from gab and most feel any relief they get is offset by the side effects. It's only approved for, and shown to "help" with epilepsy, shingles/lingering post shingles pain (which I have) and small nerve diabetic neuropathy. There were relatively small case studies and any decrease in pain in about 50% was taken as being evidence for FDA approval.
After it was approved, there were concerted efforts to push the drug for post orthopedic surgical pain, not just for epilepsy. The Dr. behind that, Dr. Scott Reuben was found to have submitted fraudlent research to back those claims up. "A Medical Madoff: Anesthesiologist Faked Data in 21 Studies: A pioneering anesthesiologist has been implicated in a massive research fraud that has altered the way millions of patients are treated for pain during and after orthopedic surgeries." One article can be found online by looking up that info in Scientific American. More recent studies have shown it's made no difference in back pain caused by sciatica. If it helped you, that's terrific, but you are part of a very small group that have been successful in getting both relief and avoiding negative, life-altering side effects.
JohnAk babs99203
Posted
HI Babs
I Am taking Gabs for nerve damage caused from a Hernia opp and also severe and chronic back pain caused from heavy lifting in my previous work. I Have managed to cope with the side effects that come with the gabs with the worse being tired in the early evening, but getting a decent nights sleep makes up for that .I Can also become forgetful on occasions but have learned to live with that also . I Have read on this site how people are unable to cope with the Gabs and become very unwell. I Think the hardest thing is when people decide they want to come off it, it is not very easy to do with all the side effects it causes.When Doctors put people on the Gabapentin I Dont think they explain to people what side effects can come with them.