Misc Can taking Gabapentin 4-5 times cause withdrawal?

[Ringo88]

This is my 4th or 5th time taking it in a span of about 3 or 4 weeks. I've taken 900mg each time. I don't even know why I'm asking this, maybe because I have a phobia of things causing addiction since I'm dependent on benzos. I took 900mg a little while ago along with my Valium. As long as I do it every once in a while, should be gravy?

 

[HeadHigh]

No.

 

[Ringo88]

Great! Thanks HeadHigh! Also, can Gabapentin cause dangerous respiratory depression when mixed with Benzos, like Opiates can? Doesn't seem to, just thought I'd ask. It's a really subtle drug, but just kind of puts you in a stupor. I had a bad reaction to an asthma inhaler today, so had to take my albuterol, but it's making me relax.

 

[sm0kestack]

Nah you shouldn't have to worry about withdrawal from gabapentin, as 900mg is not really a high dose, and it generally took me a few months of 2400mg+ to get dependent on gabapentin. And as for the respiratory thing, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be an issue either. As I take 2400mg gabapentin a day, and I am currently on heroin and subs switching on and off from both. If that was an issue, I should be dead I think ... Lol.

 

[Znegative]

Gabapentin takes a long time to become physically dependent on, I've taken high dosages every day for periods extending six months and then stopped with no problem.

 

[chrisincville]

I've taken gabapentin for years every day as long as I have it, and when I don't have it, I can't sleep well, don't have an appetite, lose motivation, energy, focus, happiness, social skills, and my nerve pain resurfaces along with other pain..muscles mostly.

I'm highly dependent on it.

But if you only take it Little here and there, you won't even notice it if you're off it. Especially if you're taking other drugs with it.

 

[cj]

it takes a month or two of constant dosing to get a noticeable dependence. It has a shitty withdrawal once you are dependent though

 

[Znegative]

Great! Thanks HeadHigh! Also, can Gabapentin cause dangerous respiratory depression when mixed with Benzos, like Opiates can? Doesn't seem to, just thought I'd ask. It's a really subtle drug, but just kind of puts you in a stupor. I had a bad reaction to an asthma inhaler today, so had to take my albuterol, but it's making me relax.

Hm, that's a good question, I would say that yes, it will increase CNS depression if combined with benzodiazepines or opiates, but I don't think it's nearly as dangerous as combining say, benzodiazepines and opiates. It also depends on the dose of gabapentin you take, and what opiate or benzo you were to mix it with, and then, what dose of that benzo or opiate. I don't know if Gabapentin is technically a CNS depressant in the same sense that Opiates and benzos are, but I'm going to look into that.

EDIT/
well I found this out, which was kind of interesting:

These reports demonstrated that subjects may exhibit psychophysical indicators of a central nervous system depressant (e.g., horizontal gaze nystagmus, poor performance on standardized field sobriety tests) with clinical indicators (e.g., dilated pupils, low body temperature, and elevated pulse and blood pressure) that are not consistent with a depressant.
-source​

Also found out some other interesting information, be careful combining morphine and gabapentin, as morphine can increase the bioavailiblity of Gabapentin.

The same source, states that there are reports of deaths in people taking Pregabalyn(Lyrica) with other CNS depressants, I imagine the same would then be possible, though less likely with Gabapentin, as Gabapentin's bioavailibility is not dose proportional (i.e. increasing the dose past 900mg has show to decrease the BA, with 900mg having a 60% oral BA, 1200mg 47%, 2400mg 34%, 3600mg 33%, and 4800mg 27%. source).