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gabapentin w/d


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I'm stuck at 300mg gabapentin. From 900mg already tapered over months. Even at 5mg reductions I got to 200mg gabap. and just hell.

Is there anything to cover, replace gabapentin to get off of this? I already use plenty of gaba-esque supplements. And Hydroxyzine doesb't do anything

for gabapentin w/d.

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Did you add gabapentin during your benzo withdrawal to help alleviate the withdrawal symptoms?  Or is it more for the lyme??  Or something else???

 

(might want to update your signature)

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Yes. Phenobarbitol taper from cutting 1.25mg valium hospital, Nov 2019.

 

Added 600mg gabapentin, then 900mg. Tapered gabapentin down to 300mg this year.

Below 300 is very troublesome. Was cutting only 5mg pg liquied 100ml/mg brew from about 400mg down.

 

 

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I don't know if this will work with gabapentin but it worked for me with lyrica, similar drug. I was on lyrica for over 10 years. I got to the lowest dose capsule and absolutely could not drop even a tiny bit without severe neuro sxs. I decided to try taking that 25 mg capsule every 24 hours, exactly, for a few days. Then I went to 25 hours apart. The next day I went 26 hours apart. Of course I had to set my alarm for all hours of the day and night as I extended the time. As I went along if I felt any sxs at all I would hold for a day or 2 at the same time frame. I remember having to do that a time or 2 as I got maybe 35 or 36 hours between doses. I went to every 72 hours between doses before I  stopped but there were basically no wd sxs doing it that way. I hope that helps!!!
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Thanks Success. I just had severe w/d down to 200mg from 300mg slow taper by 5mg every day or 2 or longer.

Had to back dose. Then holding on that 100mg liquid(rest are capsules) it became very bad w/d. So now I'm at 400mg gabapentin.

 

I need a way out.

 

 

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Hi infoshar,

 

It's not that long at all since you stopped the benzo. It's recent enough that it's probably damaging your chances of reducing the dose of gabapentin very easily. I would be tempted to take a good long break, a month or perhaps even two, where you just take the 300mg. Perhaps try to think about something other than the withdrawal stuff... really gives yourself a break from this.

 

Hopefully when you start back out, you're able to get that little bit further. I really would recommend getting out of the mindset of looking for a replacement. It doesn't work like that. We get more sick when we try to patch ourselves up using methods that don't really fit. Sooner or later, it's time to get through the icky stuff without powerful drugs to help us out. Sticking to this ethos may be difficult at first but it starts to become worth it over time.

 

Slow and steady wins the race. Same as with benzo withdrawals. If you can't go any further, you need a rest and not more drugs.

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Hi infoshar,

 

It's not that long at all since you stopped the benzo. It's recent enough that it's probably damaging your chances of reducing the dose of gabapentin very easily. I would be tempted to take a good long break, a month or perhaps even two, where you just take the 300mg. Perhaps try to think about something other than the withdrawal stuff... really gives yourself a break from this.

 

Hopefully when you start back out, you're able to get that little bit further. I really would recommend getting out of the mindset of looking for a replacement. It doesn't work like that. We get more sick when we try to patch ourselves up using methods that don't really fit. Sooner or later, it's time to get through the icky stuff without powerful drugs to help us out. Sticking to this ethos may be difficult at first but it starts to become worth it over time.

 

Slow and steady wins the race. Same as with benzo withdrawals. If you can't go any further, you need a rest and not more drugs.

 

 

Hi diaz.

I agree. But was also trying to get ahead of the gabapentin sticking to my cells and making w/d tapering even harder.

I'm trying to level off, so sick from the taper. I've had to updose. I am beginning to think I just have such lyme damage to my cns.. that I'll always have

unbearable anxiety...and need something for it. Always with the terror that funding or a dr cuts me off for who knows why. Such as with valium. The expert addictionologist kept insisting I go up to 6mg or 8mg and stay. But he couldn't prescribe.

 

thanks

info.

 

 

 

 

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Hi infoshar,

 

It's not that long at all since you stopped the benzo. It's recent enough that it's probably damaging your chances of reducing the dose of gabapentin very easily. I would be tempted to take a good long break, a month or perhaps even two, where you just take the 300mg. Perhaps try to think about something other than the withdrawal stuff... really gives yourself a break from this.

 

Hopefully when you start back out, you're able to get that little bit further. I really would recommend getting out of the mindset of looking for a replacement. It doesn't work like that. We get more sick when we try to patch ourselves up using methods that don't really fit. Sooner or later, it's time to get through the icky stuff without powerful drugs to help us out. Sticking to this ethos may be difficult at first but it starts to become worth it over time.

 

Slow and steady wins the race. Same as with benzo withdrawals. If you can't go any further, you need a rest and not more drugs.

 

I guess gaba supplements would interfere with a gabapentin w/d too? Damn.

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I had a hellish withdrawal from gabapentin a few years ago.    The max I ever took was 300mg a night.  I tapered down to 100 then dumped about half the capsule, and took about 50mg a night.  When I stopped altogether, I had severe withdrawal symptoms similar to opiate withdrawal.    The only thing that helped soothe and calm my poor brain was vaping cannabis.  I live in a legal state, and cannabis was an amazing tool for me to get off numerous prescription drugs.

 

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Livestrong.

This is so dissapointing.

How long did those awful gabapentin w/d last?

I don't know anything about vaping or canabus other than what I read and hear. Seems many use it for w/d.

I'll need something. Or accept my brain is so damaged from lyme and genes I'll always have anxiety. But I don't want to be

handcuffed to any rx. I also can't get off of glutathione gel, a simple neurtraceutical.

 

I'm sorry you went thru so much. Why do drs ALWAYS prefer rapid everything. They are sooo clueless and barbaric. It's their trade. Disgusting.

And the nonsense several medical and docs shout at me: " I've never heard of anyone not able to get off their gabapentin!"

 

And someone on here said they got off easy after eyeballing 50mg gabapentin when they were down to 100mg.

 

 

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Hi infoshar,

 

It's not that long at all since you stopped the benzo. It's recent enough that it's probably damaging your chances of reducing the dose of gabapentin very easily. I would be tempted to take a good long break, a month or perhaps even two, where you just take the 300mg. Perhaps try to think about something other than the withdrawal stuff... really gives yourself a break from this.

 

Hopefully when you start back out, you're able to get that little bit further. I really would recommend getting out of the mindset of looking for a replacement. It doesn't work like that. We get more sick when we try to patch ourselves up using methods that don't really fit. Sooner or later, it's time to get through the icky stuff without powerful drugs to help us out. Sticking to this ethos may be difficult at first but it starts to become worth it over time.

 

Slow and steady wins the race. Same as with benzo withdrawals. If you can't go any further, you need a rest and not more drugs.

 

 

Hi diaz.

I agree. But was also trying to get ahead of the gabapentin sticking to my cells and making w/d tapering even harder.

I'm trying to level off, so sick from the taper. I've had to updose. I am beginning to think I just have such lyme damage to my cns.. that I'll always have

unbearable anxiety...and need something for it. Always with the terror that funding or a dr cuts me off for who knows why. Such as with valium. The expert addictionologist kept insisting I go up to 6mg or 8mg and stay. But he couldn't prescribe.

 

thanks

info.

Yes, that is a clear disadvantage to being dependent on these substances. It is not in our control whether a doctor will continue to prescribe a maintenance dose and if a doctor decides to cut you off, they're probably not going to be sympathetic to whatever you have going on in your life.

 

Ultimately, this may work out for the best. If you're able to get off the meds, stay off the meds and give it enough time to recover, you may find that you're better off without. I don't know anything about Lyme but I do know that actually being able to get off the benzos shows that you're stronger than some people. Nerve damage is a hallmark of benzo withdrawal, so please don't assume the worse, because it is recoverable.

 

Updosing is something you really need to find a way to avoid in future. It would be better if you stopped viewing this as a treatment option at any given time. It's something to have up your sleeve in case of emergencies. If you've done this more than once, it means you're going too quickly with your taper and not learning from your mistake. Please, be more cautious. As much as it sucks, you are already physically dependent on gabapentin. You can't do anything to prevent it because it has already happened. What's the point rushing to get down to 200mg if you're only going to have to updose again? If you're already going slowly, go even slower.

 

I see people here turn a corner when they start looking to make small changes to their overall approach rather than looking for the big fix.

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5mg cuts is pretty slow. So I don't know how to do slower.

And being that low was so horrible I'm afraid to go their again. As usual it'a nightmare.

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5mg cuts how often? Cutting 5mg per week is more than five times faster than cutting 5mg per month, for example.

 

It's obvious you're going too quickly for you because you keep having to updose and you're desperate for something to mask the withdrawal effects despite your negative experiences with meds. What I'm suggesting first is just hold at whatever dose you're at on whatever meds you're on and don't take any other psychoactive substances, just for a little while to allow your body to settle down a bit. Then, after that, go slower than before otherwise the same thing is bound to happen. Instead of carrying on tapering even when you're ill until you can go no further (then doing something drastic like updosing) you need to figure out the right time to just hold. Because it doesn't need to be as hard as this.

 

As much as I hate meds and would want to be off them as quickly as possible, there is a reasonable argument for you staying on the low dose of gabapentin for a little while longer. I believe you are unmasking benzo withdrawals still being 10 months clear but this perhaps wouldn't be as big a problem a year from now. I am not saying you should stay on it that long or even that it's right to delay your taper for much longer, but it is an option for you.

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Infoshar,

 

For me, the biggest symptoms of gabapentin withdrawal lasted about 2 weeks, once I was completely off. 

It was horrible, but no where near as long as Benzo withdrawal. 

My doctor was also in denial that gabapentin withdrawal existed.  :idiot:

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5mg cuts how often? Cutting 5mg per week is more than five times faster than cutting 5mg per month, for example.

 

It's obvious you're going too quickly for you because you keep having to updose and you're desperate for something to mask the withdrawal effects despite your negative experiences with meds. What I'm suggesting first is just hold at whatever dose you're at on whatever meds you're on and don't take any other psychoactive substances, just for a little while to allow your body to settle down a bit. Then, after that, go slower than before otherwise the same thing is bound to happen. Instead of carrying on tapering even when you're ill until you can go no further (then doing something drastic like updosing) you need to figure out the right time to just hold. Because it doesn't need to be as hard as this.

 

As much as I hate meds and would want to be off them as quickly as possible, there is a reasonable argument for you staying on the low dose of gabapentin for a little while longer. I believe you are unmasking benzo withdrawals still being 10 months clear but this perhaps wouldn't be as big a problem a year from now. I am not saying you should stay on it that long or even that it's right to delay your taper for much longer, but it is an option for you.

 

I've held for quite a while, several weeks now. And it's not better.

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5mg cuts how often? Cutting 5mg per week is more than five times faster than cutting 5mg per month, for example.

 

It's obvious you're going too quickly for you because you keep having to updose and you're desperate for something to mask the withdrawal effects despite your negative experiences with meds. What I'm suggesting first is just hold at whatever dose you're at on whatever meds you're on and don't take any other psychoactive substances, just for a little while to allow your body to settle down a bit. Then, after that, go slower than before otherwise the same thing is bound to happen. Instead of carrying on tapering even when you're ill until you can go no further (then doing something drastic like updosing) you need to figure out the right time to just hold. Because it doesn't need to be as hard as this.

 

As much as I hate meds and would want to be off them as quickly as possible, there is a reasonable argument for you staying on the low dose of gabapentin for a little while longer. I believe you are unmasking benzo withdrawals still being 10 months clear but this perhaps wouldn't be as big a problem a year from now. I am not saying you should stay on it that long or even that it's right to delay your taper for much longer, but it is an option for you.

 

I've held for quite a while, several weeks now. And it's not better.

What was your cut rate..??

Iv found I needed more time with each med, and the lower I got on each one too..  Im sure Im still getting benzo symptoms that are enhanced by this taper, but I look at it like all the meds blended in the stew pot...  (See Sig..)

 

I can only remember the last few posts, but without picking through it, my thoughts would be similar to Diaz’s... Though it would be hypocritical of me to “chip” you on updoses... I guess in the end they are part of what got me through to this point...

Funny timing, I just made mention of my “Seesaw” taper on my blog yesterday.. :( (a pill splitting cut n hold taper, and SR/CR tablets are part of it, as is my cut/symptom profile.. Very individual to be sure/clear)..

 

Diaz, Im not “chipping” you at all.. Obviously avoiding updoses as best as possible is prudent advice...

 

 

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5mg cuts how often? Cutting 5mg per week is more than five times faster than cutting 5mg per month, for example.

 

It's obvious you're going too quickly for you because you keep having to updose and you're desperate for something to mask the withdrawal effects despite your negative experiences with meds. What I'm suggesting first is just hold at whatever dose you're at on whatever meds you're on and don't take any other psychoactive substances, just for a little while to allow your body to settle down a bit. Then, after that, go slower than before otherwise the same thing is bound to happen. Instead of carrying on tapering even when you're ill until you can go no further (then doing something drastic like updosing) you need to figure out the right time to just hold. Because it doesn't need to be as hard as this.

 

As much as I hate meds and would want to be off them as quickly as possible, there is a reasonable argument for you staying on the low dose of gabapentin for a little while longer. I believe you are unmasking benzo withdrawals still being 10 months clear but this perhaps wouldn't be as big a problem a year from now. I am not saying you should stay on it that long or even that it's right to delay your taper for much longer, but it is an option for you.

 

I've held for quite a while, several weeks now. And it's not better.

It won't be any better if you reduce the gabapentin either.

 

Honestly, weeks is nothing. It takes weeks to adjust to a small dose reduction.

 

You need to understand that a failed reduction (where you have to go back up to a higher dose) is a lot worse than if you stayed at the same dose. You are hurting yourself every time you do this. The advice I am giving is intended to help your nervous system recover from all the recent stress and put some strategies in place so you don't become so ill again. I think you're feeling the pressure to rush because it's so bad but one of the big reasons it's quite so bad is because you're trying to rush. I see it here all the time. I know how absurd it seems to call this rushing but it's the right word. You're facing consequences because you're going faster than is manageable. That's rushing.

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