Gabapetin Taper Need Encouragement

Hello!

 

I've been off benzo for 4.5 years and now need to get off a high dose of gabapentin. As with all of us, the benzo taper was hell and I am scared to death of going through that again with gabapentin. Can someone please tell me that a gabapentin taper won't be as bad? Thanks friends!

 

 

No, it won't be. I was on a horribly high dose of gabapentin for a pain condition and when that relented, I went pretty quickly (6 months) from 2300 mgs to 900 mgs. I had no side effects that I can recall. I stayed there for a couple of months, then tapered down gradually (100 mgs a month) to 100 mgs. Again, no problematical side effects. Strangely, it was the last 100 mgs that gave me trouble. I had headaches and dizziness and realized I needed to get off this drug completely. Gabapentin is water soluble so I broke the capsule (100 mgs) open and mixed it with 100 mls of water and did a taper. That seemed to fix things. I had virtually no trouble tapering off.

 

From time to time I resume my 100 mg dose thinking it might help my neuropathic pain condition in my foot, and it helps for a bit, then stops. Then I water taper off it again.

 

Hope this helps you. It really wasn't as hard as a benzo taper -- not even in the same league.

 

Katz

Thank you!! And you got of Gabapentin after the benzo, correct? I worry that my central nervous system is sensitized from the benzo taper but am hopefully worrying myself sick for nothing.

Hey katie,

I wonder what sx you felt from withdrawing from benzos

Where you on gabapetin before comming off or you started it to mask symptoms post jump ?

 

Oneday i will have to do that aswell, im on 300 mg of lyrica

 

Go slow, I think that you can do a liquid taper if you want,  there is a topic on this subject,  i will find and post here,

  Good luck

 

 

Yes, Katie, I tapered off my valium, tapered off my Ambien, and then tackled the gabapentin. As I said, the first part of the reduction was easy -- from 2300 to 900. Then I reduced to 100 and as I approached 100 I started to feel headachy and dizzy. But that's all I felt. No horrid s/x like the benzo taper. It was bad, but bearable. And then it was over, and I felt okay pretty quickly thereafter.

 

When I feel I need to use it again, as I do off and on, for neuropathic pain, it's pretty easy to get off it.

 

Anyhow, that was my experience with it. Hope this helps you. Not as bad as benzos; not as bad as my Ambien withdrawal.

 

Katz

I am so grateful for this post.  I jump off a 4-year dual benzo taper in a few days, and have recently added gabapentin.  I am using it off-label for sleep, as sleep deprivation has nearly finished me off a few times. 

 

I will bridge with the gaba for a few months and then taper off it too.  I am so grateful to hear from others who have experience with it.  Oregonkatz....  I am especially grateful to hear that it made you feel headachy and dizzy because that is what is happening to me on the 50mg/night.    It is such a small amount - but I feel like crap on it.... and the dizzy and headache are with me most of the day.  It is a sad bargain for sleep. 

 

Once I clear the hurdle of my jump I will be so glad to be done with it...

Good luck, janice. And remember, you can do a water taper.

 

 

Best,

 

Katz

The first time I quit gabapentin I basically ct on 4200mg per day(please don't do what I did). I didn't do too badly. And I had brain surgery a month after I stopped! It was no where near bad as benzo wd.  But the second time I came off of gabap it was horrific. Benzo wd were a walk in the park compared to the second time coming off of gabap.

 

There's no reason to think you will be in the worse category. A most people have mild  wd for a month or two. But once you are off you probably don't ever want to take it again. The second time is sooooo much worse. (Lyrica is gabap on steroids, so IMO stay away from both of them.

 

I'll let you know some things that I have learned.

 

Taper slowly.

 

When someone finally comes off of gabap after tapering it usually runs the same course. That is if you are in the minority and have moderate to bad wd.

 

The first two weeks are horrible but one has to push through it. It may not feel like you can but you have to because it gets better. The third week is a relief. Difficult but so much better, a lot of windows. The symptoms lessen. Each week after that gets a little better. At six months it is a lot better, about 80% and about 8 months you feel like yourself. It seems most people have the same timeline.

 

So push through the first two weeks and it gets better. You probably won't have that hard of a time.

 

One good thing is that the majority of people don't have too hard a time coming off of it. Like the first time I stopped gabap. The second time coming off of it most people have a really bad time.

Yes, Katie, I tapered off my valium, tapered off my Ambien, and then tackled the gabapentin. As I said, the first part of the reduction was easy -- from 2300 to 900. Then I reduced to 100 and as I approached 100 I started to feel headachy and dizzy. But that's all I felt. No horrid s/x like the benzo taper. It was bad, but bearable. And then it was over, and I felt okay pretty quickly thereafter.

 

When I feel I need to use it again, as I do off and on, for neuropathic pain, it's pretty easy to get off it.

 

Anyhow, that was my experience with it. Hope this helps you. Not as bad as benzos; not as bad as my Ambien withdrawal.

 

 

Katz

 

Please be very careful. The second time I came off of gabap it was horrific. The first time easy. I was on 4200mg for 4 years. The second time I was on it for 10 days at 200mg. A lot of people have horrible wd the second time around. I had to go into the psych ward at  the VA to get help getting off the 200mg. I ended up in the psych ward for 4 months because the anxiety and depression were so bad. In this case benzo wd was EASY compared to gabapentin wd. I came off of gabap before I tapered v.

 

Hello!

 

I've been off benzo for 4.5 years and now need to get off a high dose of gabapentin. As with all of us, the benzo taper was hell and I am scared to death of going through that again with gabapentin. Can someone please tell me that a gabapentin taper won't be as bad? Thanks friends!

 

I tapered off a high dose ( given for benzodiazepine withdrawal)  I was on 1800 mg and tapered to 600. I cut about 75 mg every three weeks and experience no symptoms. however this july after a trip to the emergency room I was once again put on 1800 mg and this time around isn't as easy. Just go slowly. you will do fine. I don't think the majority of people have difficulty tapering. My mistake this time around was doing more than my 1800 mg for 10 days and now I can't stabilize on the 1800 so I increased to 2100. just make sure you are stable on your dose before you start.

How are you doing benzos-r-cruel are you stable again ?