Substituting Diazepam with Gabapentin

I'm working with a new psychiatrist who has me tapering off the Diazepam (per my wishes) by using and increasing a new drug, Gabapentin (Neurontin).  I was taking 9 mg of Diazepam per day.  He has had me reduce that dose by 1 mg every 5 days, and increasing Gaba by a corresponding 100 mg, from a starting dose of 500 mg to 800 mg so far.

 

This past weekend, I had a serious depressive episode.  Not sure if it was related. 

 

For further background, I was on Klonopin for almost 12 months, when my old psych switched me from 2 mg Klonopin to 18 mg Valium.  I then reduced from 18 mg of Valium at 2 mg per week.  When I hit 12 mg, I had a bad depressive and panic episode.  I then slowed the taper significantly to 9 mg over the next 3 months. 

 

I did feel better when the Gaba was introduced.  But I'm wondering now about my taper speed of the Valium. 

 

My first question for anyone who has tried this substitution (or any expert opinions on this) is: what do you think about this pace of taper/substitution?

 

My second question is: has anyone had luck switching from Valium to Gabapentin (Neurontin) for anxiety?

 

For full disclosure, it should also be noted that I take 60 mg of Cymbalta and 200 mg of Wellbutrin per day, which has remained at this level for several months.

 

Thank you,

Skytower

 

 

I was prescribed gabapentin briefly while in acute withdrawal after a previous taper (not my final one). It was awful for me. I couldn’t feel my hands. If your Valium taper is paced right for you there should be no need to replace it with anything. If you haven’t been taking the gabapentin for long you can probably stop it quickly or rapidly taper off (I recommend keeping Valium steady while doing this). Many people have a hard time coming off gabapentin so it seems like out of the frying pan into the fire.

Take care,

JKS

I'm working with a new psychiatrist who has me tapering off the Diazepam (per my wishes) by using and increasing a new drug, Gabapentin (Neurontin).  I was taking 9 mg of Diazepam per day.  He has had me reduce that dose by 1 mg every 5 days, and increasing Gaba by a corresponding 100 mg, from a starting dose of 500 mg to 800 mg so far.

 

This past weekend, I had a serious depressive episode.  Not sure if it was related. 

 

For further background, I was on Klonopin for almost 12 months, when my old psych switched me from 2 mg Klonopin to 18 mg Valium.  I then reduced from 18 mg of Valium at 2 mg per week.  When I hit 12 mg, I had a bad depressive and panic episode.  I then slowed the taper significantly to 9 mg over the next 3 months. 

 

I did feel better when the Gaba was introduced.  But I'm wondering now about my taper speed of the Valium. 

 

My first question for anyone who has tried this substitution (or any expert opinions on this) is: what do you think about this pace of taper/substitution?

 

My second question is: has anyone had luck switching from Valium to Gabapentin (Neurontin) for anxiety?

 

For full disclosure, it should also be noted that I take 60 mg of Cymbalta and 200 mg of Wellbutrin per day, which has remained at this level for several months.

 

Thank you,

Skytower

 

I was just prescribed Gabapentin last Tuesday as a substitute for my Clonazepam taper, took one dose that night and spent the entire night awake, ramped up and ready to check into the psyche hospital. I cried all night as I felt like I wanted to climb out of my skin. I trashed the bottle the next day. 

Gabapentin seems to be an interesting drug taht some people do ok with and others not. Ihave been on it for years for restless legs with no issues, mostly 300 mg s, but as much as 900.

for a long time I was able to stop and start it with no issues.

I am not sure now that benzos are on board  as well.

 

So for myself , gabapentin is way more benign than benzos, and I have ct back from 900 to 300 over the last year , and the wds are minor compared to the benzos.

 

I also know of a woman who did switch to gabapentin from her final .125mgs klonopin, so about 2.5 mgs Valium equivelant, I think she took 900 gabapentin. And she did fine , and is now off the GPN.

 

To me the exchange amount seems low,  and rate of switch seems  fast , the cuts of valium could catch up with you ... I woudl proceed with caution. you may be fine. they are different drugs , and gabapentin wills top any seizure possiblity I believe, it may not stop benzo wds though.

actually there is a  guy on BB called Irishman79 I think. I haven't seen him in a while, but he swithced out klonipin for gPN and I think did ok.

 

GPN does have wds, but IMP no where near as bad as benzos , and don;t last as long, just my opinion and experience

 

good luck!

MiYu

 

 

Gabapentin seems to be an interesting drug taht some people do ok with and others not. Ihave been on it for years for restless legs with no issues, mostly 300 mg s, but as much as 900.

for a long time I was able to stop and start it with no issues.

I am not sure now that benzos are on board  as well.

 

So for myself , gabapentin is way more benign than benzos, and I have ct back from 900 to 300 over the last year , and the wds are minor compared to the benzos.

 

I also know of a woman who did switch to gabapentin from her final .125mgs klonopin, so about 2.5 mgs Valium equivelant, I think she took 900 gabapentin. And she did fine , and is now off the GPN.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To me the exchange amount seems low,  and rate of switch seems  fast , the cuts of valium could catch up with you ... I woudl proceed with caution. you may be fine. they are different drugs , and gabapentin wills top any seizure possiblity I believe, it may not stop benzo wds though.

actually there is a  guy on BB called Irishman79 I think. I haven't seen him in a while, but he swithced out klonipin for gPN and I think did ok.

 

GPN does have wds, but IMP no where near as bad as benzos , and don;t last as long, just my opinion and experience

 

good luck!

MiYu

 

Yah, I agreed to try it based on two of my good friends who both take it and say it works well for them.  Neither of them are on Benzo's so I am wondering if it has something to do with an interaction or its just me.  Everyone is different but I sure didn't like the way it made me feel. 

Don't want to scare you, but my doc tried the same thing.  Gabapentin WD can be just as bad if not Worse (Yes worse) than Benzo WD.  They doctors have no clue,  they say its not addictive, and since its not a controlled substance its harmless.  There are people that end up taking Benzos to get off of Gaba.  Be careful with this one.  For some people its not a problem,  but there are a lot of people that is really messes with, and causes horrible WD.  Again don't let the horror stories scare you, and this does not mean it will happen to you.  The other thing I do not like about the drug is no one really knows how it works much past blocking a calcium channel,  we know benzos are bad, but at least we have documentation on what they are doing to us, and proof we can heal from it. 

Gabapentin WD can be just as bad if not Worse (Yes worse) than Benzo WD.

 

I have to agree with this. My gabapentin w/d was every bit as bad as my valium w/d.

 

However, that being said, maybe it will work for you and maybe you will not have a bad w/d from it. It is a very strange drug and is being prescribed for way too many things, I feel. I cannot fathom how a doc could think it could replace valium in a valium taper. If they think it acts on gaba in our brains, they are dead wrong. It was created to mimic gaba, but the chemists missed the boat. As far as I know it's good for RLS, some neuropathic pain and (lately) anxiety. As well, it is becoming the new drug of abuse, as opiods become harder to get -- a large dose of it all at once makes you a bit euphoric, apparently.

 

Hope you do okay.

 

Katz