Gabapentin (Neurontin) Withdrawl Support Group

What does anyone think of using baclofen to help ease withdrawal? It eases my anxiety. Any thoughts? ThNks!

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I am always wondering about whether or not adding more psychoactive meds is potentially worse than just suffering through.  I have no experience with baclofen, though.

 

I think in retrospect I should have tried to avoid gabapentin.  But, we do the best we can in the moment while struggling with difficult decisions that have long-term ramifications.

 

What I find interesting is that it is almost impossible to correlate one persons experience to what our own might be.  Individual experiences are all over the map.  Instead, I have learned I have to look at how my body functions and to try and consider any therapy though that matrix, not another person's.

 

All the best.

 

-RST

Well said, thank you.

I've actually tried gabapentin for baclofen withdrawal. I've heard it also works the other way since the gaba b receptors work in a similar way of gabapentins mechanism of action.

I WAS ON 300mg gabapentin bedtime only before xanax w/d. Mayo gave it to me when I came off of HRT for hpt flashes. Do you think this one dose at bedtime is hindering recovery from xanax?

I WAS ON 300mg gabapentin bedtime only before xanax w/d. Mayo gave it to me when I came off of HRT for hpt flashes. Do you think this one dose at bedtime is hindering recovery from xanax?

 

Considering your recovering from what i feel to be one of the strongest benzos, stay on it if you need it. To me gabapentin is one of the easiest things to get off. While it will hinder you because of it's mechanism of action, its probably the best thing you could take for now.

I WAS ON 300mg gabapentin bedtime only before xanax w/d. Mayo gave it to me when I came off of HRT for hpt flashes. Do you think this one dose at bedtime is hindering recovery from xanax?

 

Considering your recovering from what i feel to be one of the strongest benzos, stay on it if you need it. To me gabapentin is one of the easiest things to get off. While it will hinder you because of it's mechanism of action, its probably the best thing you could take for now.

 

I have no idea what happened to my CNS but I was tolerant to Ativan after only 8 or 9 days.  I had no idea about benzodiazepines prior to Ativan use and so had to try and help myself understand what was happening very quickly.  I was put on effexor at the same time I started the Ativan.  The Ativan was to be just for a couple of weeks to help with insomnia.  I stopped at 11 days and had horific withdrawal.  I resumed ativan as I felt I was having a siezure  / heart attack, etcetera while trying to convince my doctor something was wrong.  Nevertheless, I had to remain on Ativan for a total of 3 weeks and then crossed over to valium for a 4 week taper.  I was wrecked by this and then provided gabapentin as something that was not hard to taper and would not cause dependence.  I started tapering after only 9 days of gabapentin use.  600mg was reduced over time with a few severe difficulties.  Eventually, my taper started to slow as I had episodes of acute withdrawal that caused me to hold and stabilize.  Subsequently, I could not taper at the same pace.  Now, nearly ten months after starting Gabapentin, I'm down to 150mg taken in three 50mg doses daily.  I'm feeling stuck.  I made it down to 100mg and was in such horrific burning pain that I eventually updosed to 180mgs.  It's taken me since November 11th to go from 180mg down to 150mg (about 16-17%).

 

Some people have no difficulty with Gabapentin.  A few small number of us have a terrible time with it.  I don't know if it is affected in some way by the effexor (SNRI), or what is happening.  All I know is this:  Now, when I reduce gabapentin I'm in some significant withdrawal and holding takes a long time to provide me any relief.  I'd say proceed cautiously with gabapentin.  It does a variety of things; new studies are showing gabapentin acts in multiple ways and can stop the formation of new neurons.  Also, gabapentin influences voltage gated calcium channels and Ca+ ions are purported to play an important role in neuroplasticity, so this is concerning.

 

Again, proceed cautiously.  I hope you have no problems with it.  You probably won't have the difficulties I am experiencing.

 

All the best,

 

-RST

 

I WAS ON 300mg gabapentin bedtime only before xanax w/d. Mayo gave it to me when I came off of HRT for hpt flashes. Do you think this one dose at bedtime is hindering recovery from xanax?

 

Considering your recovering from what i feel to be one of the strongest benzos, stay on it if you need it. To me gabapentin is one of the easiest things to get off. While it will hinder you because of it's mechanism of action, its probably the best thing you could take for now.

 

I agree.  Quick tolerance usually = Quick withdrawal.    Gabapentin is a great drug for relieving my benzo S/X but too bad it only works for 5 or 6 days and then becomes useless.

 

I do believe Gabapentin has healing qualities for protracted people if used no more than 2 times a week in a fairly high dose.  I always seem to reach a new level of healing 3 days after a dose of Gabapentin dose.  I wish I could explain it but I can't find any research on it as a brain healing drug.  My gut feeling is there is something too this, I feel it healing me faster but only in short high doses with 3 or 4 day breaks in between.

I WAS ON 300mg gabapentin bedtime only before xanax w/d. Mayo gave it to me when I came off of HRT for hpt flashes. Do you think this one dose at bedtime is hindering recovery from xanax?

 

Considering your recovering from what i feel to be one of the strongest benzos, stay on it if you need it. To me gabapentin is one of the easiest things to get off. While it will hinder you because of it's mechanism of action, its probably the best thing you could take for now.

 

I agree.  Quick tolerance usually = Quick withdrawal.    Gabapentin is a great drug for relieving my benzo S/X but too bad it only works for 5 or 6 days and then becomes useless.

 

I do believe Gabapentin has healing qualities for protracted people if used no more than 2 times a week in a fairly high dose.  I always seem to reach a new level of healing 3 days after a dose of Gabapentin dose.  I wish I could explain it but I can't find any research on it as a brain healing drug.  My gut feeling is there is something too this, I feel it healing me faster but only in short high doses with 3 or 4 day breaks in between.

I found it to be a brain destroying drug - especially after years of use. See signature. Gabapentin caused amnesia, stroke-like symptoms, bizarre and terrifying thoughts, akasthesia, parasthesia, suicidal ideation and horrible insomnia, all of which intensified as I tried to withdrawal. For some it seems a benign drug, but for many it is a terrible trap

I WAS ON 300mg gabapentin bedtime only before xanax w/d. Mayo gave it to me when I came off of HRT for hpt flashes. Do you think this one dose at bedtime is hindering recovery from xanax?

 

Considering your recovering from what i feel to be one of the strongest benzos, stay on it if you need it. To me gabapentin is one of the easiest things to get off. While it will hinder you because of it's mechanism of action, its probably the best thing you could take for now.

 

I agree.  Quick tolerance usually = Quick withdrawal.    Gabapentin is a great drug for relieving my benzo S/X but too bad it only works for 5 or 6 days and then becomes useless.

 

I do believe Gabapentin has healing qualities for protracted people if used no more than 2 times a week in a fairly high dose.  I always seem to reach a new level of healing 3 days after a dose of Gabapentin dose.  I wish I could explain it but I can't find any research on it as a brain healing drug.  My gut feeling is there is something too this, I feel it healing me faster but only in short high doses with 3 or 4 day breaks in between.

I found it to be a brain destroying drug - especially after years of use. See signature. Gabapentin caused amnesia, stroke-like symptoms, bizarre and terrifying thoughts, akasthesia, parasthesia, suicidal ideation and horrible insomnia, all of which intensified as I tried to withdrawal. For some it seems a benign drug, but for many it is a terrible trap

 

I am so sorry to hear that :'( 

I took it daily for a month and had similar feelings.  I would never take it daily again but for the reason I stated, its just useless for daily use. Fast tolerance!!!

 

I wish you speedy healing. 

I WAS ON 300mg gabapentin bedtime only before xanax w/d. Mayo gave it to me when I came off of HRT for hpt flashes. Do you think this one dose at bedtime is hindering recovery from xanax?

 

Considering your recovering from what i feel to be one of the strongest benzos, stay on it if you need it. To me gabapentin is one of the easiest things to get off. While it will hinder you because of it's mechanism of action, its probably the best thing you could take for now.

 

I agree.  Quick tolerance usually = Quick withdrawal.    Gabapentin is a great drug for relieving my benzo S/X but too bad it only works for 5 or 6 days and then becomes useless.

 

I do believe Gabapentin has healing qualities for protracted people if used no more than 2 times a week in a fairly high dose.  I always seem to reach a new level of healing 3 days after a dose of Gabapentin dose.  I wish I could explain it but I can't find any research on it as a brain healing drug.  My gut feeling is there is something too this, I feel it healing me faster but only in short high doses with 3 or 4 day breaks in between.

.

Wouldn't the alternation of high doses and breaks form it also cause the instability, as well? I would think it may be necessary to do a quick taper before completely stopping since it leaves the system so quickly.

I have been taking gabapentin 300 mg 3x a day for 2 weeks.. last night I took one extra because I could not sleep with this intense nerve pain in my right arm.. I see what is happening. 3 times a day becomes 4 times a day then from 300mg to 400mg 4x a times etc...

  Having taking it for such a short period can I just stop or taper like 3x today 2x a day for a few days and then 1x then none.. or would I be better just stopping?? Thank you so much !!

I have been taking gabapentin 300 mg 3x a day for 2 weeks.. last night I took one extra because I could not sleep with this intense nerve pain in my right arm.. I see what is happening. 3 times a day becomes 4 times a day then from 300mg to 400mg 4x a times etc...

  Having taking it for such a short period can I just stop or taper like 3x today 2x a day for a few days and then 1x then none.. or would I be better just stopping?? Thank you so much !!

 

Just my opinion,  I would think you could do a very rapid taper after such a short period. Your idea for a rapid taper sounds good.

 

How I use gabapentin is I take 200mg + 200mg + 300mg every day. (I had autoimmune nerve pain before this started.) My doctor OK-ed me to take up to 1,200 at night on occasion for pain that kept me from sleeping. Used occasionally, gabapentin can be very sedating. She told me I could take that much 3 nights in a row without worrying about habituating to that level, but then I must go back to my low doses.

 

I do also have a neurologist that would like to see me up all my doses but I won't do it. Eventually you habituate and then need more and then need more. I said this to her and she said, yes, that's what happens. And when you reach the top you are just out of luck. So I use large doses for short-term emergencies only.

 

I know the nerve pain is awful and scary, but most buddies who get it also see it go away eventually. It just seems like eternity when it is happening. I was in a terrible place with nerve pain several years ago, but it is much more tolerable now.

 

For coping with chronic pain, I highly recommend the audiobook You Are Not Your Pain. The narrator has a wonderful voice which is just nice to listen to plus she and her co-author suffer from incurable chronic pain. I took longer than the book said to get through it, and I skipped a section that I found didn't really apply to me, but it was still the most helpful thing I ever read on pain. Plus, it changed my way of thinking and coping with all kinds of life stress. I am a much stronger person for what I learned and applied to my life from that book.

 

Hold onto hope. Every day is one day closer to healing.

 

Gard

I started out on 400mg. per day of gabapentin four and a half years ago.  I got up to taking as much as 3000 mg. a day.  I decided I wanted off and tapered way too fast.  All hell broke loose and it felt like acute benzo withdrawal.  I upped my dose but it took a couple weeks to stabilize.  Now I am tapering by 100 mg. a month and I'm down to 1200 mg.  It will take me another year to get off of it, but this method has been relatively painless.

Thank you so much guys! I just want you to know that you have an angel to protect you. You will be free soon from whatever holds your heart hostage.

Hi scrabblegirl.  I saw that you responded to my gabpentin post on the "other medications" board but now it has disappeared.  Not sure why it disappeared  but I do want to thank you for responding.  I wanted to post it here originally but I couldn't remember where this thread was until now. 

 

 

Anyway, I wanted to repost my message here so that perhaps someone else who is going through a gabapentin taper may be able to offer some advice.

 

 

I've been on 1200mg gabapentin since May 2015 when I went into a detox clinic to get me off of 1mg klonopin (daily).

 

 

My dosage was 300mg morning, 300mg afternoon and 600 mg at night.

 

 

Started tapering my afternoon.

6-20-17, 300 mg down to 200 mg. no noticable w/d sfx (all other doses remained the same)

8-14-17, 200 mg down to 100 mg. no noticable w/d sfx (all other doses remained the same)

9-07-17, 100 mg down to 0 mg.  moderate sfx from day 6 to day 10.

 

 

Due to a stressful life event five months ago I put my taper on hold. 

I finally decided to restart my taper so on Saturday night I cut my 600 mg night time dose by 100 mg.  I woke up Sunday feeling what I can only describe as akathisia.  Also I was feeling a lot of burning on my hands and feet and couldn't stay warm.  Has anyone else experienced the akathisia type symptoms when tapering gabapentin.  I'm worried that it might get worse and become debilitating.  I've been on gabapentin for almost three years.  I would have started tapering it sooner but I haven't felt well enough.  Any comments are welcome.

 

 

Thanks.

Dave

 

 

 

 

 

Hi scrabblegirl.  I saw that you responded to my gabpentin post on the "other medications" board but now it has disappeared.  Not sure why it disappeared  but I do want to thank you for responding.  I wanted to post it here originally but I couldn't remember where this thread was until now. 

 

 

Anyway, I wanted to repost my message here so that perhaps someone else who is going through a gabapentin taper may be able to offer some advice.

 

 

I've been on 1200mg gabapentin since May 2015 when I went into a detox clinic to get me off of 1mg klonopin (daily).

 

 

My dosage was 300mg morning, 300mg afternoon and 600 mg at night.

 

 

Started tapering my afternoon.

6-20-17, 300 mg down to 200 mg. no noticable w/d sfx (all other doses remained the same)

8-14-17, 200 mg down to 100 mg. no noticable w/d sfx (all other doses remained the same)

9-07-17, 100 mg down to 0 mg.  moderate sfx from day 6 to day 10.

 

 

Due to a stressful life event five months ago I put my taper on hold. 

I finally decided to restart my taper so on Saturday night I cut my 600 mg night time dose by 100 mg.  I woke up Sunday feeling what I can only describe as akathisia.  Also I was feeling a lot of burning on my hands and feet and couldn't stay warm.  Has anyone else experienced the akathisia type symptoms when tapering gabapentin.  I'm worried that it might get worse and become debilitating.  I've been on gabapentin for almost three years.  I would have started tapering it sooner but I haven't felt well enough.  Any comments are welcome.

 

 

Thanks.

Dave

 

Hey Dave.

 

I haven't really had many issues with akathisia.  However, I have had many with burning and cold hands and feet.  My burning sensations have been the most debilitating and have really messed with my taper.

 

I will say that I had some burning before starting the gabapentin, due to benzo withdrawals from a fast taper and prior CT.  Still, the reality is no matter what caused it, when I taper gabapentin now, I surely get a return of severe burning.  It impacts my chest, arms, feet and shin/calf area primarily.  I've never had it on my trunk (apart from my chest) or my thighs, nor my 'gluteas maximus' region!!!  I also find that my lips and mouth sometimes burn, as though I've eaten something I'm allergic to.

 

I guess I'd say just taper as much as you can but try to set a pace that doesn't cause too many symptoms.  Gabapentin is a strange drug in that more and more evidence is suggesting it may act on multiple pathways and not just on the conformation of the alpha-2-delta subunit.

 

All the best,

 

-RST

 

 

Hi scrabblegirl.  I saw that you responded to my gabpentin post on the "other medications" board but now it has disappeared.  Not sure why it disappeared  but I do want to thank you for responding.  I wanted to post it here originally but I couldn't remember where this thread was until now. 

 

 

Anyway, I wanted to repost my message here so that perhaps someone else who is going through a gabapentin taper may be able to offer some advice.

 

 

I've been on 1200mg gabapentin since May 2015 when I went into a detox clinic to get me off of 1mg klonopin (daily).

 

 

My dosage was 300mg morning, 300mg afternoon and 600 mg at night.

 

 

Started tapering my afternoon.

6-20-17, 300 mg down to 200 mg. no noticable w/d sfx (all other doses remained the same)

8-14-17, 200 mg down to 100 mg. no noticable w/d sfx (all other doses remained the same)

9-07-17, 100 mg down to 0 mg.  moderate sfx from day 6 to day 10.

 

 

Due to a stressful life event five months ago I put my taper on hold. 

I finally decided to restart my taper so on Saturday night I cut my 600 mg night time dose by 100 mg.  I woke up Sunday feeling what I can only describe as akathisia.  Also I was feeling a lot of burning on my hands and feet and couldn't stay warm.  Has anyone else experienced the akathisia type symptoms when tapering gabapentin.  I'm worried that it might get worse and become debilitating.  I've been on gabapentin for almost three years.  I would have started tapering it sooner but I haven't felt well enough.  Any comments are welcome.

 

 

Thanks.

Dave

 

I was on a larger dose of Gabapentin for at least a year longer than you, and when I reduced at the lower levels (for me below 1200 a day) I had extreme akasthesia with each reduction. I would pace, get up and down from a chair, not be able to still my hands, had spikes of BP, and a total inability to stop moving some part of my body at each drop. It would resolve eventually each time

Thanks for the response, realslimtaper.  I am also having the burning sfx but for me it's mainly on the tops of my hands and feet and a little on my face.  It hasn't been as bad as it was when I was in rehab.  Hopefully it won't get any worse than it is now.  It's my third day since my cut and each day feels different.  Today I'm feeling very tired and foggy headed.  My nerves feel twitchy and I feel like I could use a lot of sleep although my adrenaline levels wouldn't let me even if I tried.  The akathisia has slacked off some but my nerves still feel like they're "sick" and the feeling is uncomfortable.  I've felt this way before but I can't remember when.  My memory seemed to get a lot worse after I got out of rehab and I think part of it is the gagapentin.  How big are your cuts?

 

 

CallyDex, I'm sorry to hear you had such a hard time with your gabapentin taper.  Can you tell me how long the akathisia would last after a cut?  Also, how much would each cut be when you reduced?  My last cut of 100 mg was a little high so I'll probably do a lower cut next time.

 

 

Thanks.

Dave

Hi, I'm new in the gabapentin forum so this is my fort post in here. Well I have burning in my hands and fingers, I do not know what is causing it but maybe benzo withdrawal. My doctor proposed me to start gabapentin treatment because of the burning but now I'm confused because I saw posts that withdrawing from gabapentin is not easy and causes burning as well. So I'm wondering is it wise to even start taking gabapentin as I might drive me even bigger trouble. Any advices? So go or no go with gabapentin?  T.

Hi All,

 

I'm almost 7 months off Benzos and doing so much better because of it. Unfortunately when I'm in a wave I'm thinking of trying anything that will help. I tried Gabapentin when I was on Benzos and I found that it helped sometimes and other times nothing. I only took it on an as needed basis, 200mg twice per day at the most. I've read the reviews on Drugs.com and most are positive. Perhaps I'm not taking it correctly and I need to take it regularly every day. If so, I don't thnk I will do it as I'm trying to get off everything. I'm currently taking effexor and trazadone.

 

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Hi, I'm new in the gabapentin forum so this is my fort post in here. Well I have burning in my hands and fingers, I do not know what is causing it but maybe benzo withdrawal. My doctor proposed me to start gabapentin treatment because of the burning but now I'm confused because I saw posts that withdrawing from gabapentin is not easy and causes burning as well. So I'm wondering is it wise to even start taking gabapentin as I might drive me even bigger trouble. Any advices? So go or no go with gabapentin?  T.

Since it is so hard to predict what your withdrawal will be like, I would avoid it at all costs. Some people have no trouble, but if you do it can be really bad, and even after short time use

 

CallyDex, I'm sorry to hear you had such a hard time with your gabapentin taper.  Can you tell me how long the akathisia would last after a cut?  Also, how much would each cut be when you reduced?  My last cut of 100 mg was a little high so I'll probably do a lower cut next time.

 

 

Thanks.

Dave

 

For at least a week I would say. And I was cutting about 100 mg - I think. It is a bit hazy at this point

Hi All,

 

I'm almost 7 months off Benzos and doing so much better because of it. Unfortunately when I'm in a wave I'm thinking of trying anything that will help. I tried Gabapentin when I was on Benzos and I found that it helped sometimes and other times nothing. I only took it on an as needed basis, 200mg twice per day at the most. I've read the reviews on Drugs.com and most are positive. Perhaps I'm not taking it correctly and I need to take it regularly every day. If so, I don't thnk I will do it as I'm trying to get off everything. I'm currently taking effexor and trazadone.

 

Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

 

If you're trying to get off of everything then I would highly suggest you steer clear of gabapentin.  Like CalyDex says, "Since it is so hard to predict what your withdrawal will be like, I would avoid it all costs."  Personally, I wish the detox doctors had never put me on gabapentin.  It wasn't my choice and once I was on it and in the middle of a terrible klonopin c/t, I didn't have a choice but to stay on it until I stabilized, which in my case, has been a very long time.  I can't say it helped me (maybe it did) because I don't know what detox would have been like without it.  You've made it this far without it.

 

 

Good luck with your recovery.