Posted , 6 users are following.
I've been on gaba for a year and am trying to wean off this drug. I was searching for info and came across this site. Very informative. I'm seeing that I am having alot of things going on like you all have been having! I was thinking I was going crazy. I pray for the best for all of us! Be well......
0 likes, 12 replies
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pamela16260 carol34396
Posted
Hi Carol. I have been in the middle of the nightmare of my life. Last year in May 2016 my pain management specialist put me on gabapentin for nerve pain which was being caused by pinched sciatic nerve between L4 and L5. That was in addition two steroid injections in the same area. What he failed to do was to recognize that I was on Prozac. Anyone taking Prozac especially as long as I have been should never be given Gabapentin. What has happened due to the combination of the two drugs is that my central nervous system has been damaged permanently. The neurotransmitters in my brain no longer have the ability to regulate my organs in my body mainly. Twice I thought I was having a heart attack within a six-month period and went to the hospital ER only to find that there was nothing wrong with my heart. In January this year I had a near-death experience and was sure I was going to meet my maker. I missed one dose of the Gabapentin and within 2 hours of missing that those immediately went into withdrawal symptoms such as those experienced buy heroin addicts. It was at that time that I visited my primary care doctor because I no longer trusted the pain doctor and told her I wanted to get off of the Gabapentin. She and I worked out a taper off schedule and I went away to a facility to detox. I am still on the roller coaster 4 months later. And recently finding out the information that I have I can only say that Gabapentin is deadly. It is deadly and so many ways that people don't even know. Now I am permanently affected with brain damage that is irreversible. I do believe you should get off of it whether you're on an antidepressant or not period with the symptoms that you are experiencing which like you say is similar to that that everyone else has experienced coupled with the fact that it doesn't seem to be working anymore and is indeed affecting your sleep among other things definitely find a way to wean off of it period and comma at the dosage Iran which is very high it's very important not to immediately stop taking it. I hope this information helps you and someone else before it's too late like it is for me. Good luck and God bless.
carol34396 pamela16260
Posted
I have been off gaba for 6 days. I'm am starting to feel almost human again. 👍 I hope my body and mind get back to the way it was before I started taking it. Words of advice for everyone, don't ever start taking this drug and stop if you are.
pamela16260 carol34396
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carol34396 pamela16260
Posted
Las730 carol34396
Posted
lynn72382 carol34396
Posted
Carol
i am really struggling to get off the Gabapentin. I have tried twice to quit but the withdrawal effects are horrible. The skin on my arms and face feels like it is crawling, itchy and prickly. in the morning I wake up with waves and waves of heat and tingling which is continuous. I am woozy and lightheaded. The skin crawling and heat waves are unbearable. I was on 900 for about 5 months. I cut it down and came off of it totally for a few days but felt so awful I went back on it, up to 600 for about a month. After that time the skin crawling improved but not the morning waves of heat. I decreased again and when I hit 400' the skin issues came back but I was determined to continue to decrease. I went down to 200 for a week but the withdrawal effects were so bad I went back up to 300. I have been there for a week now but feel even worse. Not sure what to do, whether I should continue to increase back up again or try and stick it out at 300. If anyone has any suggestions, please help. This is a horrible medication!!!!!
carol34396 lynn72382
Posted
pamela16260 carol34396
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I have been off Gaba since February. Initially I recognized the need to get off it after missing one dose and going into fill blown withdrawal like a heroin addict. I got with my PvP and we developed a taper-off schedule that would take about 1 month. I immediately started the plan, however within one week knew that I was going to need help. That began a long stream of what has become MY LIVING BREATHING NIGHTMARE. I had such terrible side effects I went to a detox facility. Four months later I feel not much better. In fact, I wanted to kill myself because I felt sick all of the time. I spent one week in a mental hospital and was diagnosed BiPolar and put on Lithim. I had been on Prozac for 30 years and had toI start a taper off Prozac. That sent my central nervous system into overdrive mode trying to reset to normal once again which had not happened yet since the taper off of Gabapentin. Three weeks after taking Lithium I stopped it because every pill I took I was feeling sicker and sicker. This week I went to the hospital or the symptoms of a heart attack. They could find nothing wrong with my heart at the and I was released. And, yesterday I went to the hospital because my head hurts so bad and again I was so tired of feeling so bad I felt like there must be something that they could do to intervene medically. The attending physician in the emergency room sat down and talked with me after performing a brain scan. He was very compassionate and explain to me that my body was trying to reset and that it could take up to a year and that he could do nothing but pray for me and give me his best wishes along with a prescription for Promethazine to help with the nausea that I've been experiencing. So here I lay at 10:30 p.m. and feeling like every nerve in my body is on fire. I itch all over and there is nothing to really help that. I did find a while back that high doses of magnesium helped with the never-ending constipation. I also had to start ingesting lots of salty items for my sodium shortage in my body. A prescription of Hydroxyzine can be helpful for excessive mucous production, itching and insomnia. The worst thing you can do is silently deal with this. The absolute best thing you can do is seek help like going on this forum. Other things that are helpful include trying to stay busy as much as possible so you don't dwell on the side effects of withdrawal. Talking with friends as well as a psychotherapist helps too. Good Luck and God Bless.
pamela16260
Posted
Also wanted to mention that if you have a really good primary care doctor, they may help by prescribing different meds to help with side effects. I had to go on 2 - Xanax 3 times a day for anxiety and am not also going through tapering off on Xanax. Ambien has been prescribed for my Insomnia.
Yes, this drug is a big, big seller. And, in my opinion it should be pulled from the market. It is poison.😡
Las730 pamela16260
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paddy95084 carol34396
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i'm on a small daily dosage (300mg), combined with anti-depression drugs. I have just been diagnosedd with Srenosis of my back spinal cord. Dr. recommends I change from Gaba to Lyrica, whihc he says is newer and better. The list of side effects for Lycria is downright scary, Has anyone experienced switching from Gaaba to Lyrica? Thanks to all the kind-hearted peoeple who share their info here.
Las730 paddy95084
Posted