Any one with a positive story about using Gabapatin?

Started 8/30 .5 k but really only used .25 jumped to .125 2 months ago now .10 many symptoms started from the beginning really never felt great but cut the GAD

 

My problem is the nerve pain, burning, constriction, itching and rash I had it before taking the K but no diagnosis over the years and no way close as intense. Kept in check over the yrs with exercise not much now and herbal and homeopathics which Dr Ashton took away from me. So I am sure the K is exacerbating a problem already I had and my doctor thinks the Gabapatin will help. I understand it comes with its own withdrawal and side effects but the if it has helped someone who had prior issues or just in general I would like to hear about it.

Hi Shorttimer

 

Sorry i dont have any exoerience with Gabapentin, you might like to post a question to this support group

 

Gabapentin (Neurontin) Withdrawl Support Group

 

Magrita

I used it for a couple of months after my c/t.  It helped (a little) with my sleep.  I had no noticeable withdrawal from it, but only used 300-400 mg.

 

I have some at home now for the hip injury I suffered back in July.  I had a lot of nerve pain, so was prescribed some (300 mg).  I took about 5-6 doses over two weeks, then stopped.  Again, no problems.  It definitely helped with the pain, and improved my sleep a little.

Late response but Gabapentin works really well as an adjunctive mood stabilizer for me in addition to my other bipolar meds. Be careful because it does affect GABA

I had a horrible experience with it!  To me it’s the devil and the withdrawal is worse than than the withdrawals I had with Ativan. But it effects every one differently!  Just because it made my withdrawals worse in intensity doesn’t mean it will with you. I do believe it will set back your healing though because it does affect the same receptors.

I had a horrible experience with it!  To me it’s the devil and the withdrawal is worse than than the withdrawals I had with Ativan. But it effects every one differently!  Just because it made my withdrawals worse in intensity doesn’t mean it will with you. I do believe it will set back your healing though because it does affect the same receptors.

 

Paxia I’m sorry to hear you had a bad. experience with it. and I agree with almost everything drug psych drug related, it effects people differently. I myself am on a 1200mg gabapentin and also am having a horrible time tapering.  whether gabapentin contributed to this or is helping I can’t even say.

 

I will say that I tapered from 1500 to 1200 and every time i dropped 100mg I was badly depressed for several days, but then it passed. so I will indeed need to taper carefully once i’m done tapering benzos.

 

But I wanted to add that everything i’ve been told and researched says that  it does not act on gaba receptors which is why it’s widely used during benzo recovery. Note that i’m not advocating it. Some people have horrible experiences and hard times getting off it... but many more say it helped mitigate their withdrawals. so everyone really has to make that decision for themselves.

 

Here’s what comes up on NIH PubMed.gov:

 

Gabapentin has no activity at GABAA or GABAB receptors of GABA uptake carriers of brain. Gabapentin interacts with a high-affinity binding site in brain membranes, which has recently been identified as an auxiliary subunit of voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels.

That was from 1997...... 

 

https://pubs.asahq.org/anesthesiology/article/105/2/325/6718/Gabapentin-Increases-a-Tonic-Inhibitory  This is from 2016

Paxia, thanks for the updated article. but unfortunately with my benzo brain and my lack of medical understanding, it’s hard to make heads or takes of this article. Can you help me by siting an excerpt from this arrival that most closely states or infers that gabapentin hinders benzo recovery?

Gabapentin increases a tonic inhibitory conductance in mammalian neurons. High-affinity GABAA receptors that generate the tonic conductance may detect small increases in the ambient concentration of neurotransmitter caused by gabapentin.

 

That study focused on fairly high levels of gabapentin.

Gabapentin helped me a great deal with nerve pain. I injured my tailbone and was in horrid burning pain travelling down my leg. Gabapentin definitely helped. I took as much as 2300 mgs a day when the pain was worst. I tapered it off myself down to 900 mgs as my condition improved without much trouble. But from 900 mgs on down, it was tough. It has a discontinuation profile similar to benzos (thanks, doc for keeping me in the dark about this). So you will most likely have to be prepared for a bit of an uncomfortable taper.

 

But it did work well for me when I needed it to.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Katz

Is 1200mg a high dose?  My brain started to hurt after trying to read that article.

 

I’m having such a hard time even crossing over from Ativan to Diazepam, i’m always curious about if i’m doing anything that’s contributing to my difficulty.

1200 mg is probably what I could call a moderate dose.  I took a much lower dose (usually 300-400 mg but 600 mg a few times).

DrugFree, I had a very hard time crossing from Ativan to Valium, but I don't think the gabapentin had anything to do with it. For me, it was the Ativan wearing off, and the interdose w/ds from it . . . and the fact that the valium didn't provide relief. Being on both drugs was horrible. When I got finally crossed over, I felt so much better -- those interdose w/ds stopped completely. I felt sedated from the valium for about a week or10 days then that passed also.

 

Hope this info helps,

 

Katz

oregonkatz, it does help. I was just talking to someone else recently about difficulty crossing over, and they felt ativan was causing a ton more suffering than the the V did - was that you?. i’m going to be at the same V dose once I cross over. I was hoping to taper 14mg in around a year. 30 months sounds like forever when i’m already suffering every day. but we can only taper as fast as our bodies will allow it right?

 

I’m really looking for all the stories I can to give me hope that ashton is going to make things easier for me.

I was just talking to someone else recently about difficulty crossing over, and they felt ativan was causing a ton more suffering than the the V did - was that you?./quote]

 

It might have been me, DrugFree. The valium did not cause me one tenth the problem the Ativan did.

 

I followed Ashton's schedule down to about 3 mgs, then had to switch to daily tapering as I made a really stupid error -- didn't "listen to my body", went too fast, and messed up my taper. I just didn't pay attention to what my body was telling me about feeling unwell. Following Ashton is a good idea . . . just don't hesitate to go slower than her schedules if you need to. I believe even she says they're just a guideline.

 

Best  to you,

 

Katz

thanks oregon. now an old unique and symptom has gone back. my neck and back ache like i’ve  been in a car accident.  I can barely move across the room. i’m hoping this will pass.  i’m on a 9/10 pain scale right now. i’ve got some leftover tramodol but i’m trying to save it for when I can’t bear the pain anymore.

Bummer, DrugFree. I found lots of old miseries revisited me on my taper. Mostly I treated them (misery in my hip from a car accident, ditto from a wrenched shoulder) with OTC pain relievers. I have no doubt that I would have taken a Tramadol if I'd had one lying around. Aaargh. The trials and tribulations accompanying benzo w/d  were the weirdest things I've ever heard of or encountered.

 

Best to you,

 

Katz

i’ve heard about the old injuries things. sucks. and thanks.