Misc Gabapentin withdrawal. How long does this shit last?

[blue comet]

A quick back story; I took klonopin & ambien for about 4 years, getting off via detox in August 2014. Went through the usual withdrawals (fatigue, cog fog, major anxiety & insomnia, etc) but started to feel a little better at around 2-3 months off and was slowly getting better from there. By month 4 I was able to do a lot of driving again, was socializing without any problem, but still had a long way to go. Mainly, I had extreme insomnia and some lingering bad anxiety both of which were disruptive.

When I started a new job at 5 months off, I had a difficult time due to the severe insomnia and lingering anxiety. My outpatient doctor suggested taking gabapentin, which I agreed to. I originally took 1200mg per day. It helped me sleep but quickly it started to give me other problems, such as depression, suicidal thoughts, and a lack of caring. I thought it might have been just rebound benzo withdrawal and didn't think a lot of it. Then physical symptoms started; shakiness, pins & needles, alcohol intolerance, nerve pain. Very intense stuff. By this point my doctor raised my dose to 2100mg per day. After a little over a month I was a total mess, suffering from interdose withdrawals and intense physical and psychological pains. After 9 ER visits, a one-week inpatient psych stay, and lots of pain, I finally just stopped the medication.

I have been a mess ever since I stopped it. I suffered from intense psychological problems (irrational thoughts, derealization, irrational fears, major anxiety, cognitive impairment, social deterioration & ineptitude, speech issues) and horrible physical problems (shakiness, pins & needles, nerve pain, hair loss, can't drive, alcohol intolerance, heart palpitations, hand tremors).

These were very intense the first three months off but I slowly started to get better (VERY SLOWLY). Began driving again (very limited), socializing again. Some things reduced, like the pins & needles and nerve pain. But many of these things are still here, and here strongly. I do not feel like myself at all and have not since I stopped taking gabapentin. I felt 100x better in comparision to the month before I started taking the gabapentin. I can't even go out and enjoy a beer or get a coffee without going into shakes or causing heart palpitations and nerve pain. I can't drive my car. This has cost me about $10k in lost wages and medical bills, and I have yet to receive even an "I'm sorry" from my doctor for all of this.

My question is, how long can this possibly last? What can I do to alleviate this? I can't stand this anymore and it is ruining my life.

 

[speedballs_over]

Damn, dude or dudette - I feel for you. I wish I had answers for you, I don't, just a couple thoughts based upon previous posts about this issue. It's not uncommon based upon self-reporting here, but that's not scientific it's anecdotal.

I think you're suffering a combo of withdrawals all GABA related. Obvious, 'eh? I wouldn't expect an apology from a physician, it's not likely. Too much liability, too much ego, or something like that.

Some people find relief in returning to a low dose benzo, considering the immense impact this is having on your life is that something you'd consider? You do know the issues with benzo w/ds so it might be a lifetime commitment. The only benzo I'm aware of that has some record of very long term efficacy is clonazepam (Klonopin in the US.)

I don't endorse this approach but if I were where you are I'd consider it. No... I'd try it, for certain. That's my opinion on what I'd do, I'm not a physician, so please don't take that as qualified advice.

Otherwise, staying off GABA drugs and supplements and time is all I'm aware of that will resolve your symptoms - time... and possibly some will never fully resolve. The other obvious aspects are your other activities - are you fit? Do you exercise regularly and vigorously (swimming is great for those with pain issues, if you're having nerve pain, etc...), eat well, sleep as best as possible as have a trusted therapist? Those all help me in times of great anxiety.

It appears this is one of the major problems with long term use, and improper (e.g. too quick) benzo/GABA drug withdrawal.

Maybe going back on an effective dose of benzo and doing a long Ashton Manual taper would work if your original benzo taper was faster than the Ashton would have been if you didn't use it that first time you tapered. If you did, I'm surprised you're having this trouble, but it's not unheard of around these parts. Try searching other posts about benzo w/d and gabapentin / Lyrica.

I feel for you. I wish you the best. People here can give you good advice, or there's plenty here already... poke around.

 

[jammin83]

Was just thinking about you blue. Still not any better?

Me neither really...been sick for 13 months now.

Hang in there.

 

[blue comet]

Hey Jammin. Sorry to hear that you're still suffering.

Unfortunately I have not seen any significant progress. October was a rough month and I felt worse than I did in a few months. I still can't drive, tolerate alcohol, or socialize like I used to.

Thanks for the suggestions Speedballs, but I don't think going on would be a good option for me. I think I messed up my CNS with gabapentin and adding another benzo or gaba drug would make me much worse and extend recovery. Not sure if there is anything I can do to be honest

 

[EnlightenedOne1]

I have years of experience with Gabapentin and was prescribed 3,200mgs right off the bat and stayed on it for 2 years...I did a 4-5 month taper and it was only really bad for 1-2 weeks after complete cessation. Have you gotten bloodworm, physical, etc. ?

 

[blue comet]

When I was going through interdose withdrawal and its major side effects (depression, weight gain, bloatedness, shakiness, heart palps, insomnia, nerve pain,etc), I went to the ER 9 times and a five day inpatient stay to see WTF was wrong with me. All couldn't conclude what was wrong with me. I had a bunch of bloodwork and a CT scan during this.

When I got off of it and was dealing with the horrible withdrawals, I went to a cardiologist, endocrinologist, internist, neurologist, psychologist, and back to the ER. Everybody tells me that there is nothing wrong with me that they see. When I mention the gabapentin and the hell I was going through, all said "well, maybe that's it" but nothing definitive.

I filed a complaint with the outpatient center I went to, and after a "careful" review, they "determined that gabapentin did not cause" these problems. Getting that letter in the mail sent me up a wall. I hate them so much.

 

[blue comet]

Will this ever stop? Am I stuck with this forever?

What caused this? Was my CNS sensitive from the benzo withdrawal and getting on this just screwed everything else up further?

 

[jammin83]

You're gonna kill yourself with those questions blue. Even if you knew, would it make you feel any better?

Could get easier with time, might not. You will probably make small improvements over time, but most people recover at some point. I don't know if we are in those numbers or not but it's possible.

Protacted withdrawal isn't very well understood and afaik nobody is taking up the initiative to research these types of issus. We both kinda fell through the cracks and got humpty dumpty'd.

You can always notify the fda, but not sure if it would really mean anything.

I know it sucks man, I really do. I've been experimenting with small doses of iboga TA to see if that will help. I'll keep you updated.

Keep your head up man and don't kill yourself.

 

[EnlightenedOne1]

Not to downsize your situation, but you seem like an extreme hypochondriac....do you exercise?

 

[blue comet]

Yes. Go to the gym 3x per week (1 hour cardio)

 

[chrisincville]

It doesn't sound to me like you have been taking gabapentin all that long..more that it came near the tail end of tapering off the benzo and zolpidem...did I read that properly?

Also, did you ween off it at all, or just stop taking it abruptly? Sounds like the latter.

It's a medication that's meant to be titrated and weened accordingly, in order for side effects to be minimal.

I've been prescribed 3600mg/day for several years..believe me, I know it can be difficult to stop taking.

 

[cj]

4 years of daily benzo use is quite a long time. How long did you taper for?

 

[blue comet]

After failing every taper I had attempted, and not knowing which one to taper first, I detoxed from the benzo and ambien in August 2014. 5 day detox using Librium.

Went through strong acute for like seven weeks then started to slowly feel better.

Begain taking gabapentin in the beginning of Feb 2015 to adjust to a new job and to deal with extreme insomnia and lingering anxiety. Been in hell ever since.

 

[speedballs_over]

And so I return to my previous suggestion - go back on a low dose benzo - diazepam is generally prefered and do a long, slow proper taper. I think this should be more widely considered in these cases. I have no proof or even anecdotal evidence this would help and maybe it would make things worse, but if it were me that's what I would try.

Benzo w/d done too quickly, as you did, can certainly cause your symptoms. Consider it at least. Trying a couple days of dizepam to see if it releieves the symptoms, just don't go overboard, or too long unless it works very well.

Or wait it out. Those are the only options I see.

Edit: some evidence that going back on might help: see OP 1st post in thread titled "My self experiment gone wrong..." it's from today.

 

[stillkickin]

Hey blue, based on all of your symptoms, it sounds almost exactly like my long drawn out recovery from benzos. It was 4 months after I had stopped taking xanax and I still couldn't have more than 1 drink. If I forced myself to have 4+, I would almost go back into full benzo w/d's for about 1-2 weeks (symptoms you listed above). Definitely sounds like your GABA stuff is still fairly out of whack. I take gabapentin here and there, never for extended amounts of time, so I can't really comment on what that's exactly like coming off a dependence. My sister did come off a fairly high dose for years within about 6 weeks and didn't have too much difficulty but everyone is different. That's what leads me to think it still may lingering recovery from the Klonopin and z-drugs (ambien).

All that said, I came off benzos a year ago this month and I don't really notice any side effects that were so prevalent just 6 months ago. Can drink normally again now (if I'm behaving myself in other parts of my life ). Benzo w/d can be a long, agonizing, 2 steps forward 1 step back process. I hope you feel better very soon!

 

[doctordetox]

good luck

 

[blue comet]

Thanks for all the replies and words of encouragement guys.

In terms of reinstating a benzo; I'm VERY scared about doing that. I think part of my problem is that I aggravated my CNS with the gabapentin, and my body wouldn't be able to handle coming off of another round of benzos.

three months ago I took 100mg of gabapentin to see if it would alleviate anything. It didn't do anything much, and launched me into horrible painful withdrawals a few days later that left me housebound.

I'm not even sure if I have any options. Going back on would cause me problems, being off of it causes me problems, other medications cause me problem. I used to take Percocet for the nerve pain this was causing and it would launch me into intense derealization and leave me in pain from 48-96 hours after my last dose.

 

[Epiper888]

I'm In your same situation man. When I first was trying to take a break from gabapentin I was coming off a week of Tramadol use. Let me just say it was one of the worst feelings I've ever had even just being a week.

This week i was just coming off of gabapentin and though it was going to be hell.

I was wrong there was very little withdrawal maybe some rebound anxiety and depression but it wasn't as bad as I though. Took some melatonin to sleep and that worked pretty well. Honestly I think it shouldnt last longer than a week tops. I was and still on 1200mg a day.
Honestly I realized it wasn't bad, I came to this conclusion because I basically get high everyday on gabapentin. I missed the high a lot, it wasn't the withdrawal that made me feel like shit

Good luck

 

[cj]

After failing every taper I had attempted, and not knowing which one to taper first, I detoxed from the benzo and ambien in August 2014. 5 day detox using Librium.

Went through strong acute for like seven weeks then started to slowly feel better.

Begain taking gabapentin in the beginning of Feb 2015 to adjust to a new job and to deal with extreme insomnia and lingering anxiety. Been in hell ever since.

I think that is where you went wrong. 5 days isn't a taper despite what drug detox places may tell you.

 

[chrisincville]

I would think getting on a benzo to taper off gabapentin would be digging the hole deeper.