Question on switching from Benzo to Gabapentin

Hi,

 

Last time I talked to my psychiatrist she mentioned that she wanted to try to switch me to a different anti anxiety med instead of Klonapin. This med I think is Gabapentin and she was looking to put me on it long term. I have read that a lot of people have not had good experiences with this and wanted some input as to why this drug is not helpful. Thank you in advance.

Well, it has its own withdrawals once you get to come off of it.

It MAY have its own withdrawal.  It works differently than benzos, but affects the same overall system.  Some people have a difficult time tapering gabapentin.  I had no difficulties, but usually only used 300 mg (600 occasionally).

 

Gabapentin will mask benzo withdrawal symptoms.  That may seem like a good thing, but when you finally reduce/eliminate the gabapentin, the benzo withdrawal symptoms may still be there.  And/or gabapentin withdrawal may occur.  It's difficult to tell the difference.

It MAY have its own withdrawal.  It works differently than benzos, but affects the same overall system.  Some people have a difficult time tapering gabapentin.  I had no difficulties, but usually only used 300 mg (600 occasionally).

 

Gabapentin will mask benzo withdrawal symptoms.  That may seem like a good thing, but when you finally reduce/eliminate the gabapentin, the benzo withdrawal symptoms may still be there.  And/or gabapentin withdrawal may occur.  It's difficult to tell the difference.

 

I have been thinking of taking 300 mg gabapentin at night. I have been suffering terribly from W/D from a 1/2 mg cut of Valium from 12 mg, and am desperate, and have some here. I just can't stand it any more.

Please see what diseases you can get from this drug and think if you need it. Moreover, if your central nervous system is damaged by klonopin, it will be very sensitive. These are the side effects of gabapentin:

SIDE EFFECTS

Adverse reactions are classified by frequency of occurrence: very often (≥1 / 10); often (≥1 / 100 to <1/10); infrequently (≥1 / 1000 to <1/100); single (≥1 / 10,000 to <1/1000); rarely (<1/10 000); unknown (frequency cannot be determined from existing data).

 

Infections and invasions: very often - viral infections; often - pneumonia, respiratory infections, infections of the urinary system, otitis media. From the side of blood and lymph: often - leukopenia; unknown - thrombocytopenia. From the immune system: infrequently - allergic reactions (including urticaria); unknown - lymphadenopathy, eosinophilia.

 

On the part of metabolic processes: often - anorexia, increased appetite, weight gain; unknown - fluctuations in glucose levels in patients with diabetes mellitus. Mental disorders: often - hostility, confusion, emotional lability, depression, anxiety, increased nervous irritability, impaired thinking; unknown - hallucinations. From the nervous system: very often - drowsiness, dizziness, ataxia; often - convulsions, hyperkinesia, dysarthria, amnesia, tremor, insomnia, headache, paresthesia, hypesthesia, impaired coordination, nystagmus; increased, decreased or absent reflexes; infrequently - hypokinesia;

unknown - other movement disorders (choreoathetosis, dyskinesia, dystonia).

From the side of the organ of vision: often - diplopia, amblyopia. On the part of the organ of hearing: often - vertigo; unknown — ringing in the ears. From the side of the cardiovascular system: often - hypertension, symptoms of vasodilation; infrequently - palpitations. From the respiratory system: often - rhinitis, pharyngitis, dyspnea, bronchitis, cough. From the digestive system: often - nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, gingivitis, constipation or diarrhea, dry mouth, dyspepsia, dental changes, flatulence, increased activity of hepatic transaminases; unknown - pancreatitis, hepatitis, jaundice, increased bilirubin levels.

 

Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: often - facial edema, purpura, skin rash, itching, acne; unknown - exudative erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, angioedema, alopecia. From the musculoskeletal system: often - myalgia, arthralgia, back pain, muscle twitching; unknown - myoclonus. From the urinary system: often - urinary incontinence; unknown - arrester. From the reproductive system: often - impotence; unknown - mammary gland hypertrophy, gynecomastia.

 

Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: often - facial edema, purpura, skin rash, itching, acne; unknown - exudative erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, angioedema, alopecia. From the musculoskeletal system: often - myalgia, arthralgia, back pain, muscle twitching; unknown - myoclonus. From the urinary system: often - urinary

 

General disorders: very often - increased fatigue, fever; often - peripheral edema, walking disorder, asthenia, malaise, flu-like symptoms; infrequently - generalized edema; unknown - withdrawal reactions (anxiety, insomnia, pain, nausea, sweating), chest pain. Others: often - injuries, fractures.

 

Why would you poison your brain with a chemical with an unexplained mechanism of action, which has a lot of serious side effects?

 

 

Gabapentin does not cross the blood brain barrier, as benzos do.  It affects gaba receptors in the body.  It can create a dependency.  Higher doses are more likely to have that problem.  I used 300 mgs gabapentin to help withdraw from clonazepam.  I took it for almost 1 year.  I tapered off 1 month after I completed the clonazepam taper.  The gabapentin taper from 300 to 0 mgs took 6 weeks.  I had no withdrawals or side effects from it.  Everyone is different. 

Gabapentin does not cross the blood brain barrier, as benzos do.  It affects gaba receptors in the body.  It can create a dependency.  Higher doses are more likely to have that problem.  I used 300 mgs gabapentin to help withdraw from clonazepam.  I took it for almost 1 year.  I tapered off 1 month after I completed the clonazepam taper.  The gabapentin taper from 300 to 0 mgs took 6 weeks.  I had no withdrawals or side effects from it.  Everyone is different.

 

Gabapentin DOES cross the blood brain barrier! 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10491815/

 

I agree though everyone IS different. I had horrible withdrawals from gabapentin and still suffering from them. Just like any medication it affects everyone differently.

Gabapentin does not cross the blood brain barrier, as benzos do.  It affects gaba receptors in the body.  It can create a dependency.  Higher doses are more likely to have that problem.  I used 300 mgs gabapentin to help withdraw from clonazepam.  I took it for almost 1 year.  I tapered off 1 month after I completed the clonazepam taper.  The gabapentin taper from 300 to 0 mgs took 6 weeks.  I had no withdrawals or side effects from it.  Everyone is different.

 

Gabapentin DOES cross the blood brain barrier! 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10491815/

 

I agree though everyone IS different. I had horrible withdrawals from gabapentin and still suffering from them. Just like any medication it affects everyone differently.

 

 

How much gabapentin were you taking? W/D's happen in higher doses, lower ones can be tapered easily. There are a number of people on these boards who took only 300 mg and tapered easily within a month or two.

 

Also, the abstract you linked says only a fraction of gabapentin does, no acess to the entire study, so we don't know how much that fraction is.  It also appears you were stopping Baclofen too, at the same time as the gabapentin? Baclofen can cause W/D's as it acts on GABA, different GABA receptors than the ones benzos act on. It's hard to know which one caused your W/D's and is still affecting you. Could be either or both. I am guessing by the limited info in your signature, so would need you to elaborate more.

Gabapentin does not cross the blood brain barrier, as benzos do.  It affects gaba receptors in the body.  It can create a dependency.  Higher doses are more likely to have that problem.  I used 300 mgs gabapentin to help withdraw from clonazepam.  I took it for almost 1 year.  I tapered off 1 month after I completed the clonazepam taper.  The gabapentin taper from 300 to 0 mgs took 6 weeks.  I had no withdrawals or side effects from it.  Everyone is different.

 

Gabapentin DOES cross the blood brain barrier! 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10491815/

 

I agree though everyone IS different. I had horrible withdrawals from gabapentin and still suffering from them. Just like any medication it affects everyone differently.

 

 

How much gabapentin were you taking? W/D's happen in higher doses, lower ones can be tapered easily. There are a number of people on these boards who took only 300 mg and tapered easily within a month or two.

 

Also, the abstract you linked says only a fraction of gabapentin does, no acess to the entire study, so we don't know how much that fraction is.  It also appears you were stopping Baclofen too, at the same time as the gabapentin? Baclofen can cause W/D's as it acts on GABA, different GABA receptors than the ones benzos act on. It's hard to know which one caused your W/D's and is still affecting you. Could be either or both. I am guessing by the limited info in your signature, so would need you to elaborate more.

I was on what is considered a low dose gabapentin.  I’m fully aware of the fact that my doctor had me with drawling from three separate medications relatively rapid and too close together for anyone to figure out which one is making me so devastated. It’s probably all 3 combined. My point was gabapentin DOES CROSS THE BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER. Even if not 100%. It still does, so it shouldn’t be told to people that it doesn’t. There is a whole separate withdrawal forum from gabapentin from low 300mg doses. And withdrawal from gabapentin is exactly like alcohol and benzo withdrawal. Just like baclofen‘s withdrawal. My information on my signature is irrelevant. I’m not asking anyone, especially someone who’s not a doctor to decipher what I’m going through or which withdrawals are over powering the other. I was simply stating that it does cross the blood brain barrier so not sense in falsifying information to people. And plenty of people suffer hellish withdrawals from it. It really depends on the person. Just like some people don’t kindle with benzos. And some people only use it short term and end up here in imaginable suffering.

Gabapentin does not cross the blood brain barrier, as benzos do.  It affects gaba receptors in the body.  It can create a dependency.  Higher doses are more likely to have that problem.  I used 300 mgs gabapentin to help withdraw from clonazepam.  I took it for almost 1 year.  I tapered off 1 month after I completed the clonazepam taper.  The gabapentin taper from 300 to 0 mgs took 6 weeks.  I had no withdrawals or side effects from it.  Everyone is different.

GABA supplement doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier, gabapentin does, but gabapentin doesn't affect GABA receptors, it blocks VGCCs thereby reducing glutamate release.

Gabapentin does not cross the blood brain barrier, as benzos do.  It affects gaba receptors in the body.  It can create a dependency.  Higher doses are more likely to have that problem.  I used 300 mgs gabapentin to help withdraw from clonazepam.  I took it for almost 1 year.  I tapered off 1 month after I completed the clonazepam taper.  The gabapentin taper from 300 to 0 mgs took 6 weeks.  I had no withdrawals or side effects from it.  Everyone is different.

 

Gabapentin DOES cross the blood brain barrier! 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10491815/

 

I agree though everyone IS different. I had horrible withdrawals from gabapentin and still suffering from them. Just like any medication it affects everyone differently.

 

 

How much gabapentin were you taking? W/D's happen in higher doses, lower ones can be tapered easily. There are a number of people on these boards who took only 300 mg and tapered easily within a month or two.

 

Also, the abstract you linked says only a fraction of gabapentin does, no acess to the entire study, so we don't know how much that fraction is.  It also appears you were stopping Baclofen too, at the same time as the gabapentin? Baclofen can cause W/D's as it acts on GABA, different GABA receptors than the ones benzos act on. It's hard to know which one caused your W/D's and is still affecting you. Could be either or both. I am guessing by the limited info in your signature, so would need you to elaborate more.

I was on what is considered a low dose gabapentin.  I’m fully aware of the fact that my doctor had me with drawling from three separate medications relatively rapid and too close together for anyone to figure out which one is making me so devastated. It’s probably all 3 combined. My point was gabapentin DOES CROSS THE BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER. Even if not 100%. It still does, so it shouldn’t be told to people that it doesn’t. There is a whole separate withdrawal forum from gabapentin from low 300mg doses. And withdrawal from gabapentin is exactly like alcohol and benzo withdrawal. Just like baclofen‘s withdrawal. My information on my signature is irrelevant. I’m not asking anyone, especially someone who’s not a doctor to decipher what I’m going through or which withdrawals are over powering the other. I was simply stating that it does cross the blood brain barrier so not sense in falsifying information to people. And plenty of people suffer hellish withdrawals from it. It really depends on the person. Just like some people don’t kindle with benzos. And some people only use it short term and end up here in imaginable suffering.

 

 

I'm sorry if I upset you, I wish the study was available to read, abstracts don't tell us much. I get your point,I just wanted to understand your situation better.  I'm autistic so sometimes I don't communicate things that well, I feel bad because I obviously went about this wrong. I apologize, you are correct that Healing64 was incorrrect.

Gabapentin does not cross the blood brain barrier, as benzos do.  It affects gaba receptors in the body.  It can create a dependency.  Higher doses are more likely to have that problem.  I used 300 mgs gabapentin to help withdraw from clonazepam.  I took it for almost 1 year.  I tapered off 1 month after I completed the clonazepam taper.  The gabapentin taper from 300 to 0 mgs took 6 weeks.  I had no withdrawals or side effects from it.  Everyone is different.

GABA supplement doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier, gabapentin does, but gabapentin doesn't affect GABA receptors, it bloks VGCCs thereby reducing glutamate release.

 

 

Thank you, yes this is correct.

Gabapentin does not cross the blood brain barrier, as benzos do.  It affects gaba receptors in the body.  It can create a dependency.  Higher doses are more likely to have that problem.  I used 300 mgs gabapentin to help withdraw from clonazepam.  I took it for almost 1 year.  I tapered off 1 month after I completed the clonazepam taper.  The gabapentin taper from 300 to 0 mgs took 6 weeks.  I had no withdrawals or side effects from it.  Everyone is different.

 

Gabapentin DOES cross the blood brain barrier! 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10491815/

 

I agree though everyone IS different. I had horrible withdrawals from gabapentin and still suffering from them. Just like any medication it affects everyone differently.

 

 

How much gabapentin were you taking? W/D's happen in higher doses, lower ones can be tapered easily. There are a number of people on these boards who took only 300 mg and tapered easily within a month or two.

 

Also, the abstract you linked says only a fraction of gabapentin does, no acess to the entire study, so we don't know how much that fraction is.  It also appears you were stopping Baclofen too, at the same time as the gabapentin? Baclofen can cause W/D's as it acts on GABA, different GABA receptors than the ones benzos act on. It's hard to know which one caused your W/D's and is still affecting you. Could be either or both. I am guessing by the limited info in your signature, so would need you to elaborate more.

I was on what is considered a low dose gabapentin.  I’m fully aware of the fact that my doctor had me with drawling from three separate medications relatively rapid and too close together for anyone to figure out which one is making me so devastated. It’s probably all 3 combined. My point was gabapentin DOES CROSS THE BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER. Even if not 100%. It still does, so it shouldn’t be told to people that it doesn’t. There is a whole separate withdrawal forum from gabapentin from low 300mg doses. And withdrawal from gabapentin is exactly like alcohol and benzo withdrawal. Just like baclofen‘s withdrawal. My information on my signature is irrelevant. I’m not asking anyone, especially someone who’s not a doctor to decipher what I’m going through or which withdrawals are over powering the other. I was simply stating that it does cross the blood brain barrier so not sense in falsifying information to people. And plenty of people suffer hellish withdrawals from it. It really depends on the person. Just like some people don’t kindle with benzos. And some people only use it short term and end up here in imaginable suffering.

 

 

I'm sorry if I upset you, I wish the study was available to read, abstracts don't tell us much. I get your point,I just wanted to understand your situation better.  I'm autistic so sometimes I don't communicate things that well, I feel bad because I obviously went about this wrong. I apologize, you are correct that Healing64 was incorrrect.

 

I wasn’t upset and apologize if I gave you that impression. I just didn’t see a point in trying to figure out personal struggle. Mine is complicated so I don’t even expect doctors to figure it out. Don’t feel bad.

 

 

I wasn’t upset and apologize if I gave you that impression. I just didn’t see a point in trying to figure out personal struggle. Mine is complicated so I don’t even expect doctors to figure it out. Don’t feel bad.

 

 

❤️

 

 

So just to clarify the gaba receptors aren’t affected? Gabapentin only blocks glutamate receptors?

Gabapentim binds to calcium channel ions. It increases gaba in the brain without binding to the gaba receptors. Kind of like alcohol. Alcohol does bind to gaba receptors but it also binds to calcium channels to block glutamate and increase gaba in the brain. That’s why the withdrawals very closely resembles alcohol withdrawals.

I was thinking of trying it just once to see if it helps. I’m definitely going to read up on it first tho.

For readers who wish to learn more about gabapentin from a current (updated May 2020), credible source (NCBI is the US National Center for Biotechnology Information, a division of the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health):

 

Gabapentin - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493228/

For readers who wish to learn more about gabapentin from a current (updated May 2020), credible source (NCBI is the US National Center for Biotechnology Information, a division of the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health):

 

Gabapentin - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493228/

 

Thank you, very helpful.

I had to come off of gp before I came off of valium. Let me tell you it was hell. I'm not in the minority. Gabapentin is a nasty medication and many people say, including me, that gabapentin was worse than coming off of benzos. IMO I think you should join this group and then make your decision. This is a really bad medication that has a ton of side effects and withdrawals from it are horrendous. It takes a lot longer to taper from. It causes a lot of misery. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1438525646474773/permalink/2811597309167593/?comment_id=2811610659166258&reply_comment_id=2812236705770320