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Gardener 99: if you don’t mind me asking do you know how gabapentine works on your brain. It’s not like a benzo right?

Tulip.

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Gardener 99: if you don’t mind me asking do you know how gabapentine works on your brain. It’s not like a benzo right?

Tulip.

 

It acts on your Gaba in a similar way to benzos. Once your body gets use to it your body stops making its own.

When you stop...well it's not good. You are going to be tossed into a withdrawal very similar to benzos. SOME people heal from this quickly, but a lot of us are left with damage to heal from over a long period of time. Pretty much everyone I've talked to and read about do heal from it. I've never found anyone that didn't heal from gabapentin use no matter how long they used it. I've talk to people that took a little over 3 years to heal from larger doses than I was taking, but the average seems to be around 1 to 2 years.

 

You can read more about my story if you want from my blog linked in my sig...it might help you? It stole my life from me, but keep in mind that everyone is different..

 

 

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Galakar: sorry you had a bad ex with gabapentine but I just came off of a benzo and hoping to heal from it  I will eventually taper the gabapentine. I’m on 500mg. Garden 99 healed from a benzo while being on the gabapentine. I’m sure it’s hard to come off too. When I do decide to taper how do you taper ? 

Tulip

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Galakar: sorry you had a bad ex with gabapentine but I just came off of a benzo and hoping to heal from it  I will eventually taper the gabapentine. I’m on 500mg. Garden 99 healed from a benzo while being on the gabapentine. I’m sure it’s hard to come off too. When I do decide to taper how do you taper ? 

Tulip

 

I haven't even started to taper yet. I'm still getting stable, but plan to start soon.. What seems to be the best way if you look a few pages back is to mix the capsules with water and do it that way..They explain it much better than I could. I hope you have an easy time with it and I'm sure you'll come out of this healed, but please don't do big drops...slow a steady..

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Galakar.  Shouldn’t I heal from the benzo before I start my gabapentine taper. And yes slow and steady. Good luck with your taper

Tulip

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Yeah I mean I definitely wouldn't do both.. I don't think that'd be a good idea, but I think you'd be able to get off the benzos while on gaba. 
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Gardener 99: if you don’t mind me asking do you know how gabapentine works on your brain. It’s not like a benzo right?

Tulip.

 

It mimics gaba's effects directly without acting on the gaba receptors as benzos do.

 

I believe you have jumped from your benzo but are still feeling effects from that? I would say give it more time before upsetting your nervous system with another change.

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Garden 99. Thanks for the explanation. If you healed from benzo while on gabapentine then we all can.  How long did you heal from benzo withdrawals

Tulip

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Tulip, about this:

 

Shouldn’t I heal from the benzo before I start my gabapentine taper.

 

imo yes. Not just because I did it that way (well, I'd  tapered off my benzo . . . I wouldn't say I was "healed" . . . I felt a lot better) but because it just plain makes sense. Why taper two drugs at once? If you have bad s/x you won't know which one is causing them.

 

And in answer to a previous question, it was only a couple of months after tapering gaba that I felt an enormous difference in my wellness. BUT I had already tapered my benzo.

 

I don't "get" why you are even considering tapering them both together.

 

Anyhow, best wishes,

 

Katz

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Katz. Thank you for responding to me. You give me more hope in this healing process. You are right I will only taper one med at a time. I’m already in hell coming off of lorazepam.

Happy to hear you are doing well

Tulip

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I'm doing well, tulip. Thank you. So glad to hear you're going to do one drug at a time. Gabapentin has its own nasty w/d profile -- why add it to your Loraz hell?

 

Hope you feel better soon.

 

Best wishes,

 

Katz

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Hello everyone,

 

I got scared about being on gabapentin after reading many stories of people suffering so horribly from being on this drug and trying to get off it. I decided that the sooner I was off of it the better so I did an 11 day taper. From 900 to 0.

 

Today is day 6 of being completely off. It seems most people prefer a 10% taper however I read that the bioavailability of gabapentin is more as you go down so that did not seem like it would be a smooth taper.

 

I looked online (WebMD and some addiction center websites)  that said a taper could be done over a period of one week. I took a little longer because the last three days -when I was at 100 -the withdrawals were uncomfortable to the point of scary.

 

The first night I got three hours of sleep. Last night I got six. I am not back to “normal” but I am not suffering. I’m very tired sleepy. A vague sense of nausea. I could lay on the couch all day. I don’t want to do anything -this is just plain lethargy.

 

The withdrawal symptom that I cannot stand is the crawling- jolting -burning skin and I have not had that in 7 days. I have read that withdrawals will slam you as far out as two weeks. So I’m just waiting to see if I am truly done.

I plan to come back in a few days with an update on how this is going.

 

I did not check with my doctor about getting off gp or about tapering. I do not have a lot of faith in doctors when it comes to drugs. I have been burned twice and I’m not sure it’s their fault so much as they have been “ educated” By pharmaceutical companies. Of course I am grateful that there are drugs for pain and infection but when it comes to mental health -not so much!

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Hello everyone,

 

I got scared about being on gabapentin after reading many stories of people suffering so horribly from being on this drug and trying to get off it. I decided that the sooner I was off of it the better so I did an 11 day taper. From 900 to 0.

 

Today is day 6 of being completely off. It seems most people prefer a 10% taper however I read that the bioavailability of gabapentin is more as you go down so that did not seem like it would be a smooth taper.

 

I looked online (WebMD and some addiction center websites)  that said a taper could be done over a period of one week. I took a little longer because the last three days -when I was at 100 -the withdrawals were uncomfortable to the point of scary.

 

The first night I got three hours of sleep. Last night I got six. I am not back to “normal” but I am not suffering. I’m very tired sleepy. A vague sense of nausea. I could lay on the couch all day. I don’t want to do anything -this is just plain lethargy.

 

The withdrawal symptom that I cannot stand is the crawling- jolting -burning skin and I have not had that in 7 days. I have read that withdrawals will slam you as far out as two weeks. So I’m just waiting to see if I am truly done.

I plan to come back in a few days with an update on how this is going.

 

I did not check with my doctor about getting off gp or about tapering. I do not have a lot of faith in doctors when it comes to drugs. I have been burned twice and I’m not sure it’s their fault so much as they have been “ educated” By pharmaceutical companies. Of course I am grateful that there are drugs for pain and infection but when it comes to mental health -not so much!

 

Good to hear! Congratulations! :D

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Ego trapped:  when you were on gabapentine did it help with your benzo withdrawals?  I’m still on it 500mg and afraid to come off I’m still experiencing a lot of benzo withdrawals so I want to wait to taper it off

Happy that you are coming off

Tulip

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Ego trapped:  when you were on gabapentine did it help with your benzo withdrawals?  I’m still on it 500mg and afraid to come off I’m still experiencing a lot of benzo withdrawals so I want to wait to taper it off

Happy that you are coming off

Tulip

Hi Tulip,

I withdrew from benzos six years ago and did not use gabapentin for the WD.

I was put on gabapentin last October for something else. And it was the same story of me not asking the doctor  if it causes dependence.

Anyway the benzo withdrawal took 19 months and it was a pretty horrific 19 months. When it was over I had another year of recovery – – I just could not see going through all that for being on gabapentin for four months. Some people withdrawal longer than the time they were on the drug and I just could not see that. So I took a chance and tapered quickly.

The bioavailability of gabapentin is not consistent so I could not understand how a slow taper would work like it did with the Klonopin. I crossed over to Valium when I tapered off the Klonopin. It  was an even step down and gabapentin is not because as you go down the Bio availability becomes greater. Anyway I’m done! Now it’s just dealing with the post withdrawal symptoms and so far they are tolerable. The first night I only slept three hours and last night – day 6-  I slept seven hours. Insomnia was one of the worst symptoms so as long as I can sleep I can manage the daytime crap

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I’m happy that you came off the gabapentine and doing well with your sleep.

I’m on gabapentine to help with my WD. I’m just afraid it will delay my healing. But I’ve spoke. To others that said they were ok and were healing even being on the gabapentine.

I’m suffering every second day with severe inner restlessness torture. It a very painful feeling. My body cannot rest and I feel like I’m going crazy.

I’m 5 months off. Hope I see more improvements.

Tulip

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  • 3 weeks later...

It has been 26 days since I took the last dose of gp. I rapid tapered off in 11 days.

It has been wave after wave after wave, insomnia, anxiety, muscle pain. My usually low cholesterol was up over 200. My blood pressure was high enough to require medication. My heart rate was irregular and would shoot up.

Then yesterday, like magic, I felt like my old self. Not one symptom all day. Last night I slept eight hours. I woke up this morning still feeling fine. Is it over? Do I have more waves to go through?

Well, if the waves come back then I have hope there will be breaks like I got yesterday.

On a side note last Wed I tried to drink some beer in hopes the alcohol would damp down the anxiety. What happened was that I could not stand the taste ( I have always loved the taste of beer). Something has happened to my ability to taste and drink alcohol. This is not a bad thing it’s just interesting.

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Is it over? Do I have more waves to go through?

 

It might be over, ego. I tapered gradually to zero over 6 months and just felt medium cruddy afterwards -- headaches, dizziness. You were certainly braver than I was.

 

If you remain s/x -- free that will be interesting. Maybe others can follow where you led! Maybe ppl don't necessarily need a long taper! Ego, how long were you on gaba?

 

Best to you.

 

Katz

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  • 1 month later...
I have been in a horrendous wave for over seven months now and have landed myself back in hospital and extremely misunderstood. I don’t know if I’m experiencing inter-dose withdrawal or am in tolerance on Gabapentin now or what, but am beyond sick. I haven’t been able to eat anything without reacting to it and am too sick to budge on tapering Gabapentin, but there are times where I don’t react well to it, yet my body calls for it. It’s really messed up. I am curious to know  if anyone has had ECT being in a similar situation? I don’t suffer from depression; just depression due to withdrawal. I don’t tolerate other medications well at all due to extreme sensitivities, so am at a loss as to what to do and am grasping at straws here. I am not sure what to do about Gabapentin as it seems to be a nightmare for me as I don’t get any relief and have the feeling of electricity running through my body.  I am wondering if having ECT would maybe reset things for me? I know they have to give meds to put me under, and that will set me off I’m sure. I just don’t know what else to do and not sure if I’m posting this in the right place, so I apologize to have cross posted. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
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I have been in a horrendous wave for over seven months now and have landed myself back in hospital and extremely misunderstood. I don’t know if I’m experiencing inter-dose withdrawal or am in tolerance on Gabapentin now or what, but am beyond sick. I haven’t been able to eat anything without reacting to it and am too sick to budge on tapering Gabapentin, but there are times where I don’t react well to it, yet my body calls for it. It’s really messed up. I am curious to know  if anyone has had ECT being in a similar situation? I don’t suffer from depression; just depression due to withdrawal. I don’t tolerate other medications well at all due to extreme sensitivities, so am at a loss as to what to do and am grasping at straws here. I am not sure what to do about Gabapentin as it seems to be a nightmare for me as I don’t get any relief and have the feeling of electricity running through my body.  I am wondering if having ECT would maybe reset things for me? I know they have to give meds to put me under, and that will set me off I’m sure. I just don’t know what else to do and not sure if I’m posting this in the right place, so I apologize to have cross posted. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

I suggest you try the site Surviving Antidepressants. They deal with polydrugging. They might have insights into this.

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I’m at a total loss as to what to do. I’m in the worst wave of my life which was worse than acute for me after tapering from a benzo. I feel as though I am in severe withdrawal. I am kindled and it’s to the point I can’t eat anything without having a reaction and have been unable to shower. I was in the hospital back in December and am back here again and am only worse. In some ways when I take my Gabapentin dose, it helps some symptoms and in other ways, it makes me feel horrible. I cannot get stable to taper Gabapentin. I really am at a loss as to what to do. They don’t understand here and recommended a few options for me with them being ECT, TMS, IV Ketamine and the medication that was recommended was Ritalin and Vyvanse as my levels of dopamine are low along with serotonin and norepinephrine. I had gene testing done and that was determined along with the MTHFR gene mutation, so l-methylfolate was recommended. I can’t take anything without my system overreacting. I am kindled a few times now and my dosing schedule for Gabapentin has been all over the place because I feel I reached tolerance and some days I end up taking more than I normally do. I wish I could just be placed into a medically induced coma and taken off my meds because I don’t know how I’m going to get through this being in this condition. I want to get off of this med, but have no idea how to do so at this point anymore. I was titrating in water and reducing that way, but I am totally stalled out as I’m not functioning. Things are totally unbearable and beyond uncomfortable. I’m losing hope every passing day. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

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I’m at a total loss as to what to do. I’m in the worst wave of my life which was worse than acute for me after tapering from a benzo. I feel as though I am in severe withdrawal. I am kindled and it’s to the point I can’t eat anything without having a reaction and have been unable to shower. I was in the hospital back in December and am back here again and am only worse. In some ways when I take my Gabapentin dose, it helps some symptoms and in other ways, it makes me feel horrible. I cannot get stable to taper Gabapentin. I really am at a loss as to what to do. They don’t understand here and recommended a few options for me with them being ECT, TMS, IV Ketamine and the medication that was recommended was Ritalin and Vyvanse as my levels of dopamine are low along with serotonin and norepinephrine. I had gene testing done and that was determined along with the MTHFR gene mutation, so l-methylfolate was recommended. I can’t take anything without my system overreacting. I am kindled a few times now and my dosing schedule for Gabapentin has been all over the place because I feel I reached tolerance and some days I end up taking more than I normally do. I wish I could just be placed into a medically induced coma and taken off my meds because I don’t know how I’m going to get through this being in this condition. I want to get off of this med, but have no idea how to do so at this point anymore. I was titrating in water and reducing that way, but I am totally stalled out as I’m not functioning. Things are totally unbearable and beyond uncomfortable. I’m losing hope every passing day. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

I'm sorry, I've already given you the best idea I have. You are being poly-drugged, and you have questions about many drugs and treatments. The site Surviving Antidepressants is the best place I know for help with poly-druging. (The name is a misnomer. It's not just about antidepressants.)

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