blue comet
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2015
- Messages
- 253
I had a four year benzo/z-drug habit (20mg valium equivalent, 20mg ambien) which I ended cold turkey in August 2014. I went through the usual withdrawal (extreme fatigue, severe insomnia, cog fog, etc) but was feeling functionable enough after 3 months. After 5 months I got a new job and began taking gabapentin to deal with lingering insomnia and some anxiety. The insomnia was the main problem; I would be awake for 1-2 nights at a time. So I took gabapentin at doses of 1200mg-2100mg per day. It immediately caused severe problems and it was painful to get off of, but I had to get off of it ASAP due to severe depression and suicidal thoughts.
I went through hell getting off that stuff. Major psychological issues (paranoia, derealization, irrational fears, constant depression over my past) and physical issues (intense shakiness, heart palpitations, nerve pain, hair loss). It has gotten better but I still have a ways to go, mainly with my severe anxiety and hair loss.
Anyway, since I have gotten off gabapentin almost 8 months ago, I have not really been able to drink alcohol. If I drink beer too fast, I will develop shakiness and heart palpitations. If I only have 4 beers, I will not be able to fall asleep because my shakiness, heart palpitations, and nerve pain will come back and be very intense. If I get drunk, I will be able to sleep but will have a terrible hangover and will have heightened nerve pain/anxiety for several days afterword.
How has there been no change to this after 8 months? What did this gabapentin due to my brain that I can not handle this? I was able to drink beers without problem when I first got off benzos, now I can't even have one with dinner. It drives me insane how many problems gabapentin has caused me, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.
Is it feasible that these high doses of gabapentin could have permanently damages/destroyed me GABA receptors? Does this even make sense, does alcohol affect the same portion of the brain as gabapentin?
Just looking to see if anyone has any insight or experience with this.
I went through hell getting off that stuff. Major psychological issues (paranoia, derealization, irrational fears, constant depression over my past) and physical issues (intense shakiness, heart palpitations, nerve pain, hair loss). It has gotten better but I still have a ways to go, mainly with my severe anxiety and hair loss.
Anyway, since I have gotten off gabapentin almost 8 months ago, I have not really been able to drink alcohol. If I drink beer too fast, I will develop shakiness and heart palpitations. If I only have 4 beers, I will not be able to fall asleep because my shakiness, heart palpitations, and nerve pain will come back and be very intense. If I get drunk, I will be able to sleep but will have a terrible hangover and will have heightened nerve pain/anxiety for several days afterword.
How has there been no change to this after 8 months? What did this gabapentin due to my brain that I can not handle this? I was able to drink beers without problem when I first got off benzos, now I can't even have one with dinner. It drives me insane how many problems gabapentin has caused me, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.
Is it feasible that these high doses of gabapentin could have permanently damages/destroyed me GABA receptors? Does this even make sense, does alcohol affect the same portion of the brain as gabapentin?
Just looking to see if anyone has any insight or experience with this.