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Gabapentin to help withdrawal


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My psychiatrist prescribed gabapentin to help my benzo withdrawal and also said it could help my chronic back pain.

Three weeks into withdrawal/tapering I feel awful but was warned by someone that gabapentin withdrawal is as bad as benzo withdrawal and that it also causes weight gain, so I haven't started it yet.

Does anyone have experience of this drug?

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Hi Serena,

 

I used Gabapentin last year, for two or three weeks, for nerve damage after a foot injury and it was a low dose. I've heard the same as you that this is used to help during withdrawal from benzo's and even wondered if it might work for me. I've also heard what you said about it possibly being addictive also. Now wondering if not used longer than a couple weeks it might be okay. I felt no adverse effects from the Gabapentin.

 

This is all while taking a low dose of Diazapam (4 to 5 Mgs.) which I have used for maintenance for the past three years at night for sleep; and am now ready to be done with entirely.

 

Will get that on a signature soon.

 

Best wishes to you in your taper completion, and I hope you feel better, and have lots of windows in the days ahead.

 

Grace 3~

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Thanks so much Grace.

Now I wonder if I'll take low dose Gabapentin for maybe two weeks as I have cut down pretty quickly from 20mg to 10mg diazepam.

Best of luck with your taper too.

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My psychiatrist prescribed gabapentin to help my benzo withdrawal and also said it could help my chronic back pain.

Three weeks into withdrawal/tapering I feel awful but was warned by someone that gabapentin withdrawal is as bad as benzo withdrawal and that it also causes weight gain, so I haven't started it yet.

Does anyone have experience of this drug?

 

My pdoc told me it makes one gain weight. Didn’t want to give it to me as I have an Eating Disorder. Some ppl on the forum confirmed it. I gained a lot of weight on Gabapentin’s successor, Lyrica. Had to CT from 300 mg. Wasn’t fun in the least. Helped sleep in the first month. Then I got addicted to the relaxed feeling. It was really cool, that feeling. But I preferred to lose weight. Lost all weight once I CTed. After like a month. From what I read on this forum, ppl become addicted to Gabapentin.

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From what I’ve read, Gabapentin withdrawl / tapering isn’t as bad as benzo withdrawl. But I can’t say that with experience, and Inam sure every person is different. Similarly, I recently began taking it for benzo withdrawl. It most definitely helps! That relaxed feeling it gives you just calms everything down. But at what cost? I’m not noticing any side effects after nearly a week of 300mg. But I’m already scared that I’m taking it too much. I want off ALL drugs!! :( I am usually soooo against taking nasty prescription drugs! But I was so despearafe for sleep that I turned to Xanax. And now I’m so desperate to combat the hell its brought me that I’m reaching for the Gabapentin!  :'(
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From what I’ve read, Gabapentin withdrawl / tapering isn’t as bad as benzo withdrawl. But I can’t say that with experience, and Inam sure every person is different. Similarly, I recently began taking it for benzo withdrawl. It most definitely helps! That relaxed feeling it gives you just calms everything down. But at what cost? I’m not noticing any side effects after nearly a week of 300mg. But I’m already scared that I’m taking it too much. I want off ALL drugs!! :( I am usually soooo against taking nasty prescription drugs! But I was so despearafe for sleep that I turned to Xanax. And now I’m so desperate to combat the hell its brought me that I’m reaching for the Gabapentin!  :'(

I too found Gabapentin a lifesaver for pain and anxiety, but coming off of it was jut as hard as a benzo withdrawal. Please beware

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I too found Gabapentin a lifesaver for pain and anxiety, but coming off of it was jut as hard as a benzo withdrawal. Please beware

 

Dang, CallyDex! That is good to know. Thank you for sharing your experience here. I’ve only been taking it one week, but I am thinking that’s enough already! The withdrawals sound horrible, and I don’t want to exchange one evil for the other!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was on Lyrica for anxiety caused by V and SSRI's. That's psychiatrists logic for you. It's name is pregabalin and is gabapentines stronger brother. It's addictive as a benzo, you get tollerant really quickly and have to up the dose then it stops working and is hell to get off and has w/d effects similar to benzos and with as long a duration.  Please do not touch gabapentoids of any kind.

Staz

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