Misc Gralise (film coated gabapentin) - very effective?

[drewbocop]

Hey guys,

After a long battle with kick-back obsessed SSRI pushing doctors and others that just seem to want to throw me hydroxyzine and get me out in one minute, I've finally found a compassionate doctor who listened to ME, my history, and understood that my anxiety I've dealt with most my life requires treatment. I had just moved back to Michigan from NC and I ended up going to jail and had to cold turkey 30mg diazepam (more like 50-70 some days), 3 grams gabapentin, alcohol, end kratom. An event that will be burned into my memory forever. It was the single most horrid and traumatizing experience of my life and had me thrown into full-blown hallucinations, shakes, and absolute delerium.

Well, I was in there for 37 days. The first half of I hardly remember much true reality. Insane fabrications of my mind. I would have breaks back into normality for stretches of time. Anyways. I finally came out of it... okay, I guess. But I've still been dealing with my usual insurmountable anxiety and I work in the public, life sucks, blah blah blah.

Anyways, enough back story.

So, I told this new doctor about my situation and how I came to need these medications to treat my G.A.D./S.A. and musuloskeletal pain (from car and motorcycle accidents) She prescribed 20mg diazepam as needed and a version of gabapentin I'd not yet heard of (which is surprising.) It's called Gralise. You take one single upward-titrating dose with your evening meal, up to 1800mg. I haven't read too much information about it because it's mostly just generic drug information web sites.

I went to sleep taking only 600mg (and 300 when I first got home), a tiny dose compared to what I'm used to and certainly more than I'd take at one dose. I usually split mine up as low as 100mg, 6 - 8 times a day as of late. (I've been getting them from a roommate who doesn't use them.) I woke to a serious gabapentin buzz similar to as if I'd taken a couple two grams appropriately (multiple small doses at least an hour apart, small meal, etc).

So, my question is: Is there any real information through your guys' personal experiences?

Anyone noticed this powerful reaction to a smaller dose that I did?

I suppose it's going to be super expensive, which I don't know is worth it since generic Neurontin is pretty cheap with insurance.

Lyrica is also an option, anybody ever compared Gralise and lyrica?

I'd also like to add that this is a brand-name Gralise starter pack. I read in another thread that brand names and generic forms of gabapentin can vary. Don't know the truth to this, but a reputable poster said brand-name Neurontin fucked him up versus generic which I assume he meant did not much.

Thanks

 

[drewbocop]

Don't mean to bump, but I am damnit.

No one has experience with this version of gabapentin?

 

[crzydiamond]

Sorry, not familiar with those. But reading your back story, is it possible you experienced those as stronger due to your time away from gabapentin? As in your tolerance went down from your detox and being off them for over a month?

Or have you done gabapentin since your release other than this prescribed film?

 

[drewbocop]

Sorry, not familiar with those. But reading your back story, is it possible you experienced those as stronger due to your time away from gabapentin? As in your tolerance went down from your detox and being off them for over a month?

Or have you done gabapentin since your release other than this prescribed film?

I still use gabapentin intermittently and just recently while in Kratom withdrawal. Now usually I have to take 300mgs 6-8 times throughout the day to achieve the buzz I got off my first day dose of 300mg followed by 600mg. And that's taking it in small doses throughout the day before I feel it. Not to mention it kicked in far, far faster than Neurontin ever did. It was bizarre how high I felt. It felt as if I'd bombed a bunch of Lyrica at once.

I just don't see how a minor time-release formula would change the effects that much. However, it is brand-name and in the past I've always had generic Neurontin.

 

[Kittycat5]

Your first post made good sense as Gralise's kinetics give it a much longer time to max concentration (and slightly higher, too.) But then you said it kicked in faster, which is a bit odd. 600mg Gralise is roughly the same as 200mg three times a day, but as I said the time to max concentration is roughly 4 times that of Neurontin/gabapentin.

If you are worried about cost and live in US, they have savings cards through the manufacturer.

 

[drewbocop]

Your first post made good sense as Gralise's kinetics give it a much longer time to max concentration (and slightly higher, too.) But then you said it kicked in faster, which is a bit odd. 600mg Gralise is roughly the same as 200mg three times a day, but as I said the time to max concentration is roughly 4 times that of Neurontin/gabapentin.

If you are worried about cost and live in US, they have savings cards through the manufacturer.

Yes, my doc said she would be able to give me some sort of thing to keep the price very low. I also have a prescription savings card for, well, poor people. Strange I haven;t heard much about this, even though many science articles are clear back in 2012.

Thanks for you help, but I swear that stuff feels STRONG. I still think it may have something to do with the brand-name though it's common belief that there is no difference between generic and brand-name. Though all of my pharmaceutil drug use, I'm beginning to think there's some merit to that.

 

[Kittycat5]

I never like to tell people to take brand over generic or vice versa as I want them to take whatever makes them feel better and be compliant. That being said there are very few examples where brands are in any way superior to generics (Wellbutrin SR and Dilantin come to mind).

It is a non-issue in this case anyway because Gralise in an ER form of gabapentin that is not equivalent to Neurontin.

 

[drewbocop]

It is a non-issue in this case anyway because Gralise in an ER form of gabapentin that is not equivalent to Neurontin.

That is how I feel too. But I swear, these things are potent compared to other versions of the same dose of gabapentin and they're supposedly time release!

Anyways, we're repeating a lot of the same stuff, so if anyone has any personal experience instead of debate over other things in this thread, do respond!

 

[DeejSweet]

I have a starter pack of gralise.. took my last piece of suboxone maybe 7 hrs ago? (can't find more til who knows when) But also took a couple Nuvigil and been up for two days. Would LOVE information on gralise, I have been debating on trying one to see if there is any high, or if it will even help my anxiety? I'm desperate for answers, even if you have tried Gabapentin and know any information, would love some help!