Gabapentinoids (Gabapentin) withdrawal, any advice?

[issokay]

When I was tapering Pregabalin and was combating withdrawals I had some use of a combination of Mulungu tea (for me, this acts like a weak BZD, and there is literature on it having anxiolytic effects in animal models), L-theanine, Valerian, supercritical CO2 extracts of Kava Kava, and Melissa officinalis tea. Sometimes when the going got rough, low doses of Pyrazolam helped out as well, but I tried to stay away from straight BZD:s overall.

I prefer benzos as nothing weaker works for me. My psychiatrist has told me, & I've found it to be true in my personal experience, that for people who have used hard drugs, as I used to do, typically it's the higher doses of the more powerful meds/drugs that need to be used in order for there to be any therapeutic effects to occur. Which is why I was on 2mg of Ativan (lorazepam) 4x's/day for almost 10 years before the fucking stupid psychiatrist discontinued the rx cold turkey, sending me into another horrible several weeks of withdrawals.

 

[Predecessor]

So what does this alleged high feel like? (Not that I'm even considering thinking about trying it, but I'm curious why anyone would take the stuff if they don't have to.) Is it comparable to an upper, downer, muscle relaxer, benzo, a mix of some of them? Do tell…

like taking 2mg of xanax, 10mg amphetamine salt combo (adderall), and 3 beers... make me very calm and social ! I'm sure its different for everyone..

 

[issokay]

like taking 2mg of xanax, 10mg amphetamine salt combo (adderall), and 3 beers... make me very calm and social ! I'm sure its different for everyone..

Oh. Personally I would just go for taking benzos, as that combination of those would make me feel like I was coming down from meth while hungover. I also did so much meth in my life that I got sick of it, something I never thought could happen. The same with alcohol, but not before I went through the difficult process of quitting. I have yet to have the same effect on my body from opiates, though I would welcome it.

 

[Toz]

The only way to combat gabapentin/pregabalin withdrawal is to taper SLOWLY. Nothing in the world eases the discomfort from these withdrawals so don't even bother. If you do bother, NMDA antagonists/magnesium are your best bet. Even then the relief is minimal.

 

[Predecessor]

Oh. Personally I would just go for taking benzos, as that combination of those would make me feel like I was coming down from meth while hungover. I also did so much meth in my life that I got sick of it, something I never thought could happen. The same with alcohol, but not before I went through the difficult process of quitting. I have yet to have the same effect on my body from opiates, though I would welcome it.

Problem is that it's hard to only do benzos recreationally (physical / mental crave) and in all honesty I really enjoy not waking up the next day with no recollection of how that giant fist hole appeared on my wall and why my friends hate me ! But that's just me (;

 

[issokay]

Problem is that it's hard to only do benzos recreationally (physical / mental crave) and in all honesty I really enjoy not waking up the next day with no recollection of how that giant fist hole appeared on my wall and why my friends hate me ! But that's just me (;

Well I can't say that I've never abused my benzos, I actually have suffered serious injury twice while abusing drugs. Once was from benzos & alcohol. That was when I quit drinking save for a few times in the last 5 or 6 years that I can count using one hand. Since I have been prescribed 2mg 4x/day I wouldn't have really needed to abuse it if I wanted to. I haven't had a great deal of cravings for it mentally, but my doctor took me off of it at that high dose cold turkey. It was absurdly irresponsible of him to do that. I don't recommend taking it if you don't need it because my going through that was the worst longest withdrawal I've ever experienced. I was too afraid to run out of those to abuse them.

 

[LegendInMyOwnMind]

Fuck gabapentin. Been stuck on it going for a year now, from 1800mg a day, now down to 800....over 5 months...any faster and I'd be sick as a fucking dog....worse then methadone detox. Magnesium, Agmatine, DXM, baclofen and Phenibut definitely help... also if you can go atleast 2 days without gabapentin, I notice tolerance rapidly drops - thus allowing you to easily drop your dosage.

 

[Snake_Eyes]

Well I can't say that I've never abused my benzos, I actually have suffered serious injury twice while abusing drugs. Once was from benzos & alcohol. That was when I quit drinking save for a few times in the last 5 or 6 years that I can count using one hand. Since I have been prescribed 2mg 4x/day I wouldn't have really needed to abuse it if I wanted to. I haven't had a great deal of cravings for it mentally, but my doctor took me off of it at that high dose cold turkey. It was absurdly irresponsible of him to do that. I don't recommend taking it if you don't need it because my going through that was the worst longest withdrawal I've ever experienced. I was too afraid to run out of those to abuse them.

I'm this way with my temazepam I only take half (or less) of what I'm prescribed. I want to make damn sure that if I lose my doctor or get cut off I have enough built up to keep me comfortable for a really slow taper. I'm doing similar with my pregabalin as well.

 

[issokay]

I'm this way with my temazepam I only take half (or less) of what I'm prescribed. I want to make damn sure that if I lose my doctor or get cut off I have enough built up to keep me comfortable for a really slow taper. I'm doing similar with my pregabalin as well.

I wish I had been able to do that, my doctor was actually under prescribing me because I was on it for almost ten years and I had worked up to 2mg 4x/day (of Ativan/lorazepam) which is 8mg/day total. Or 240mg/month. It still shocks me that my doctor did that & that I didn't suffer a major seizure. Even my PCP told me it was irresponsible or my psychiatrist to do that, & the doctors I go to usually don't comment on other doctors’ decisions like that. My RN told me that she would have been pissed and would've been so pissed she’d have fired him. I am now considering firing him because of his poor management of my care with that issue & overall. He just puts me on new medications every time I see him & doesn't do what we know works: the lorazepam. Just because I failed one drug test after 14 years. My PCP put me back on MS Contin & hydrocodone. I am still unsure if how to handle it. I do want to fire him & just let my PCP handle everything, but I don't like confrontation. I feel like my psychiatrist greatly endangered my safety with that. But then it would put my PCP in an awkward situation if I did decide to stop seeing my psychiatrist because they all work at the same Family practice clinic, in the same clinic, in the same building, though on different floors. I very much like my PCP though, & I don't want to make him uncomfortable in that situation.
Temazepam isn't too commonly prescribed here. It's usually Xanax, (alprazolam), Valium (diazepam), Klonopin (clonazapam), Ativan (lorazepam), or occasionally Librium. I've taken all of these at some point.
Yeah a slow taper is necessary for that, but I can't imagine trying to taper both a benzo & gabapentin coinstantaneously. Have you noticed any memory problems? Specifically short-term memory…

 

[Snake_Eyes]

Between the pregabalin, temazepam and weed my short term memory is really bad but at my current place in life it not like it really matters much. I don't know exactly how dependent on temazepam I am because I don't take them every day. I currently take 7.5-15mg (usually the latter) 3-5 night a week and I have a decent amount stockpiled for the future.

With Lyrica I'm on the patient assistance program so I have to apply once a year. I still have at least a full year of meds coming to me before I have to possibly worry about tapering off. This last year I was on 150mg (give or take) daily for 6 months and I was forced to drop down to 50mg overnight to keep from running out. Other than a never ending headache for the first week and maybe some anxiety I can't recall any other withdrawal symptoms and I stayed on 50mg for a month. I do remember my head being a lot clearer on the lower amount though. I now take 150-300mg a day depending on how I'm feeling. In a week or two I might try coming off for a week to lower my tolerance and see how bad the w/d is.

 

[issokay]

Between the pregabalin, temazepam and weed my short term memory is really bad but at my current place in life it not like it really matters much. I don't know exactly how dependent on temazepam I am because I don't take them every day. I currently take 7.5-15mg (usually the latter) 3-5 night a week and I have a decent amount stockpiled for the future.

With Lyrica I'm on the patient assistance program so I have to apply once a year. I still have at least a full year of meds coming to me before I have to possibly worry about tapering off. This last year I was on 150mg (give or take) daily for 6 months and I was forced to drop down to 50mg overnight to keep from running out. Other than a never ending headache for the first week and maybe some anxiety I can't recall any other withdrawal symptoms and I stayed on 50mg for a month. I do remember my head being a lot clearer on the lower amount though. I now take 150-300mg a day depending on how I'm feeling. In a week or two I might try coming off for a week to lower my tolerance and see how bad the w/d is.

Some people seem to say that going off of Pregabalin can lower your seizure threshhold so I don't really know, but I'm new to Pregabalin, and I only take it when I'm in severe pain. I don't want to worry about seizures, I've gone through enough lately.

 

[benzoman12345]

I have heard that Pregabalin W/D is worse than Xanax and Clonazepam W/D, so FUCK THAT !

I am being seen at a pain clinic who have me on Gabapentin and when I tell them that it is not working I have a funny feeling they will put me on Pregabalin, they try to avoid Opioids if they can, I will go along with it but after stuttering my words from Gabapentin and other side effects no way will I be taking it, I will let them think they have me on the highest dose then tell them that's not working till I finally get a decent pain killer !

1 thing I will say good about Gabapentin is that it has helped muscle cramps in my shins that I have suffered with for years and that's at 300mg 3x per day, any more = side effects and still does absolutely zero for my back pain or anxiety , I wonder how people can get prescribed this for anxiety with success.

 

[Toz]

Does gabapentin withdrawal work like benzos, I mean can taking more pills once the withdrawal is gone risk rekindling withdrawal symptoms instantly? And could I reinstate after a whole year without having to reinstate the whole whooping 3600mg dose?

So fucking tired of feeling like hell but I don't want almost 2 years of withdrawal to have been for nothing, I want to reinstate now but I don't want to have suffered all for nothing. If I could just get by on a lower dose untill I feel better it would be great...

 

[Factin]

Have you feel itchiness? Trouble going to sleep? Maybe you consult your doctor.

 

[Toz]

Have you feel itchiness? Trouble going to sleep? Maybe you consult your doctor.

Yes but those problems are gone thank god. Unfortunately my main problems that persist are visual disturbances and the dizzyness and headaches that result because of those. Nothing can really fix this except more fucking gabapentin. Sigh.

 

[Gabasux]

I'm currently on 3600 mgs of gabapentin and desperately want off. When I try and wean down I feel like I'm coming out of my skin and don't want to do shit. I've detoxes from opiates, alcohol, etc. and this is the worst. I'd do a heavy oxy withdrawal rather than this shit. Anyone use any supplements to help other than magnesium? I use magnesium and it helps but not enough. Thanks

 

[Predecessor]

I'm currently on 3600 mgs of gabapentin and desperately want off. When I try and wean down I feel like I'm coming out of my skin and don't want to do shit. I've detoxes from opiates, alcohol, etc. and this is the worst. I'd do a heavy oxy withdrawal rather than this shit. Anyone use any supplements to help other than magnesium? I use magnesium and it helps but not enough. Thanks

No lie but I hear mXe helps out a lot.

 

[benzoman12345]

I've quit Gabapentin now, my back pain is MUCH better (did not realise it was making it fuckin worse the whole time), my memory has bounced back and other stuff, it bloats me up and makes the glands in my stomach swollen and pains at semi-high doses, it is a horrible drug, only thing it is maybe good for is a really bad hangover !!

In the long term this drug will fuck you up even if you think it is helping pain/anxiety or whatever to start off, in the W/D I had pains in my knees, unreal shaking and just pure uncomfortable in every way possible, but I get 25mgs Valium per day scripted and that's all I had, I cold turkeyed 1800mgs per day, and I didn't take a seizure, so as long as you have benzos you will not take a seizure withdrawing from this shit, I know because I am highly prone to them and I did it !

 

[Zwanya]

The range of people's reactions to this drug is amazing. I've been rx'd gabapentin for almost a year now. It was originally prescribed for anxiety and insomnia due to marijuana (yes, marijuana) withdrawal. Injesting herb for 15 years, most of it rx'd medicinal grade, makes it hard to just stop cold turkey. Anyway, the gabapentin worked great for those issues--rls, insomnia, anxiety; all of these symptoms were ameliorated. For day to day anxiety it works well for me, too. I don't tolerate benzos well (they knock me out) so gabapentin is a good choice for me.

I'm on a fairly high dose-600mg 3x daily. I am often surprised and even concerned when I read people's accounts of intense withdrawal symptoms. I have never had withdrawal issues. Not once.

 

[siouxsiebecks]

Oh dear Lord..I have just read all(well the majority) of the posts and it would be fair to say that I am now terrified. My neurolgist put me on these 3 X 300mg of Neurontin per day plus 50mg of amitriptyline and told me to just stop them after 6 weeks but with the tablets I have I have decided to cut down to 600mg per day for a week and then 300mg per day for a week and that will have used them all up. I will also be reducing the Amitrip to zero so from 50 to zero in the space of 2 weeks..

I will def be trying the Magnesium and Epsom Salts. 1 thing I am terrified of is having panic attacks and bad trips. So am already working myself into a panic (..I really didn't think there would be anything to worry about. Oh the doc has me on this for a relapse in MS.