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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Drugs for alcohol withdrawal (GABA?)

B

blackstorm

Bluelighter
Joined
Aug 19, 2006
Messages
89
Hey,

I will be going on alcohol withdrawal soon and I need some help.

I know what withdrawal is and I have ALWAYS had to resort back to alcohol because it has been too much to handle.

Can anyone recommend anything to help with this?
Doctors...complete waste of time.

I have campral, that's all.

I know alcohol works on GABA, campral too, but really... Campral won't help (I have tried a few times)

Can anyone help with suggestions?

I'm in the UK so don't know what is an option here
 
Talk to your doctor about pregabalin/gabapentin with baclofen. Combining these two is the most effective way to eliminate most if not all alcohol withdrawals.
 
Too bad the Campral didn't help, it sounded promising due to it's mechanisms of action.

Generally around here long-acting benzodiazepines, or less frequently, gabapentin or pregabalin are used to treat alcohol withdrawals. You would want to taper off them and not use them for too long to avoid/minimize withdrawals from them. You need to find a doctor experienced in treating alcohol dependence.
 
Baclofen/benzos, don't bother with pregabalin gabapentin their relief from alcohol withdrawal is not worth the horrible time getting of them.
 
^ Not in the short time that would be required for alcohol withdrawal. Truth is alcohol/ghb withdrawal causes apoptosis and excitotoxiciy, two things that can only be treated with gabapentin/pregabalin.
 
Swimmingdancer said:
You think gabapentin has worse withdrawals than benzos??
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Yes absolutely, I think it has worse withdrawals than anything. I've suffered now for 7 months gabapentin withdrawal, benzos I quit cold turkey after using for years and eventually the problems stopped (after like 4 months). This has yet to go away. Methadone withdrawal is easier too in my oppinion.

I took gabapentin for 4 weeks only. 3600mg/day for withdrawal, worst decision I've made in my entire life since deciding to IV heroin. I regret both equally. I got to hear it was less addicting than benzos since I had just been through benzo withdrawal earlier and was now gonna take on the opiate addiction but did not want to risk falling back to the benzos instead. Well, it all went to fucking hell of course, could I take it all back, both the heavy addicition to benzos and opiates, instead of this withdrawal from the neurontin that never ends, I would not hesitate for a second.

I know that everyone is different, but unfortunately there are more people out there with similiar stories to mine. If I can dissuade anyone from risking to go through what I've been through, I must at least try.
 
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Toz said:
Yes absolutely, I think it has worse withdrawals than anything. I've suffered now for 7 months gabapentin withdrawal, benzos I quit cold turkey after using for years and eventually the problems stopped (after like 4 months). This has yet to go away. Methadone withdrawal is easier too in my oppinion.

I took gabapentin for 4 weeks only. 3600mg/day for withdrawal, worst decision I've made in my entire life since deciding to IV heroin. I regret both equally. I got to hear it was less addicting than benzos since I had just been through benzo withdrawal earlier and was now gonna take on the opiate addiction but did not want to risk falling back to the benzos instead. Well, it all went to fucking hell of course, could I take it all back, both the heavy addicition to benzos and opiates, instead of this withdrawal from the neurontin that never ends, I would not hesitate for a second.

I know that everyone is different, but unfortunately there are more people out there with similiar stories to mine. If I can dissuade anyone from risking to go through what I've been through, I must at least try.
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Wow, that seems really unusual. Mind if I make a new thread with questions about this? As someone taking gabapentin I am interested, but don't want to totally derail the thread. Although I guess it's useful info for the OP too. I have noticed no problems if I don't take it for a few days.
 
Sure go ahead, I made a thread explaining the symptoms and ranting about how bad it was/is in the dark side long ago (months) and things haven't improved much. Symptoms took a week to develop totally after quitting. Since then they never went away, it gets better, but it's taking so long time I'm beginning to think it might as well take 5 more years if it ever gets better even.

I suffer allodynia since then. Never had pain before.

I am happy if you don't get symtoms, it seems highly individual. I took 900mg 4x daily if you're interested. If you can go without it a few days, consider yourself lucky not being one of those that gets addicted. Yea I've seen these people to on the 'net. Not all get the withdrawal symptoms, but most who do, will probably agree with me that this med is never worth it unless you suffer unendurable pain.
 
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I will check out your TDS post and I'm going to start a thread with my questions about gabapentin; I'll post a link to it here when I do.

There isn't really reason to think I'm just one of those people who is immune from WDs from it, maybe I just haven't taken enough of it for long enough yet (or gone without it long enough). This is why I'm so interested, it doesn't help enough with my pain to warrant a serious physical dependence and long-lasting PAWs. But all the Drs I've talked to are convinced it has a very low dependence profile so I'm trying to get people's personal experiences.

If you were using it for opioid WDs how do you know your symptoms aren't opioid PAWS that were just being masked while you were taking the gabapentin?

I wouldn't assume you won't feel better for 5 years; don't give up hope!
 
GABA is odd though. I never got a day of withdrawals from alcohol self medicating almost a bottle of gin every day for close on two years for serious PTSD paranoia. I moved over to paxil after seeking help and ceased alcohol due to warnings of interaction, not sure if that did anything. Phenibut also treated me well in this regard.

What helped though to stay off the daily booze was when i realized that the daily hangover made everything else, including anxiety so so so much fuking worse, its a perpetual cycle of doom. Im sure the paxil did something but anxiety issues after ending alcohol usage reduced to so drastically it made life livable again.

Good luck OP, its worth it.
 
Swimmingdancer said:
I will check out your TDS post and I'm going to start a thread with my questions about gabapentin; I'll post a link to it here when I do.

There isn't really reason to think I'm just one of those people who is immune from WDs from it, maybe I just haven't taken enough of it for long enough yet (or gone without it long enough). This is why I'm so interested, it doesn't help enough with my pain to warrant a serious physical dependence and long-lasting PAWs. But all the Drs I've talked to are convinced it has a very low dependence profile so I'm trying to get people's personal experiences.

If you were using it for opioid WDs how do you know your symptoms aren't opioid PAWS that were just being masked while you were taking the gabapentin?

I wouldn't assume you won't feel better for 5 years; don't give up hope!
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Simple: PAWS = annoyance. This = hell. I've tried resuming both benzos and opiates with no relief other than a slight reduction in anxiety from the benzos and the opiates kill physical pain but still leaves me feeling emotionally wrong. And there are the other symptoms such as vision problems caused by it. Been through withdrawal of benzos and opiates many times, I know how they feel. They don't make me feel this wrong.

I feel like we're hijacking the thread going off topic though.
 
Toz said:
Simple: PAWS = annoyance. This = hell. I've tried resuming both benzos and opiates with no relief other than a slight reduction in anxiety from the benzos and the opiates kill physical pain but still leaves me feeling emotionally wrong. And there are the other symptoms such as vision problems caused by it. Been through withdrawal of benzos and opiates many times, I know how they feel. They don't make me feel this wrong.

I feel like we're hijacking the thread going off topic though.
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I made a thread for my questions about gabapentin here: Gabapentin: withdrawals? mechanism of action? benzo cross-tolerance/dependence?

I'd appreciate your input. Then if the OP is interested in reading about it they can check out that thread, as opposed to us high-jacking his/her thread :)
 
Valium is the gold standard when it comes to alcohol withdrawal, however, some prefer to use baclofen (though I have no experience from withdrawing from alcohol nor baclofen). From all the literature that I've read these are the two most commonly used to fight withdrawal off and taper correctly. I'd also look into using Antabuse if you're keen to get off and really take it every morning

I really don't suggest starting on gabapentin or pregabalin. Both of those drugs are nightmares and when you use high doses of them they are even more hellish than benzos to come off from. It's just pure evil how they are marketed as non addictive and non dependency forming drugs.
 
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synthetix said:
I really don't suggest starting on gabapentin or pregabalin. Both of those drugs are nightmares and when you use high doses of them they are even more hellish than benzos to come off from. It's just pure evil how they are marketed as non addictive and non dependency forming drugs.
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This can not be stressed enough. Take it from someone who took pregabalin 2 weeks straight and quit cold turkey because he didn't expect any withdrawal. What followed was 5 days of extreme withdrawal. It took me quite some time to figure out what was happening to me, felt as the flu initially but grew to something much much worse.

I have estimated that I took on average 700 mg pregabalin per day those two weeks. The withdrawal from my 2 week binge on alprazolam was nothing in comparison.
 
So annoyed...Doctor has cancelled a second appointment now, I was meant to go yesterday.

Thanks for all replies :)

Trying to get something so I can stop, tried to stop myself a few times now but I'm getting it pretty bad.

GABA is odd though.
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I think it is 1 of the main things alcohol effects and Campral works on that.. apparently ;)

I never got a day of withdrawals from alcohol self medicating almost a bottle of gin every day for close on two years for serious PTSD paranoia
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You are very lucky, I wish I was the same.
I was drinking for quite a while, stopped completely because I was training in the fire service and was really fit, got my jaw broke (Attacked by some people...) and it was wired shut for 3 months and had 4 operations, lost my position, girlfriend, income and flat..so started to hit the bottle.
Anyway... All in the past :)


10 Day valium taper from the doctor, set it up.
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So hard to get valium here (Northern Ireland), I got librium once and that was just 2 days worth.

Then if the OP is interested in reading about it they can check out that thread, as opposed to us high-jacking his/her thread
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Thanks for the link, going to have a look now :) I don't want to go on something that is going to cause more problems than it's worth really.

I really don't suggest starting on gabapentin or pregabalin. Both of those drugs are nightmares and when you use high doses of them they are even more hellish than benzos to come off from. It's just pure evil how they are marketed as non addictive and non dependency forming drugs.
Click to expand...

From the little I have read so far, they don't seem the best choice..

Valium is the gold standard when it comes to alcohol withdrawal, however, some prefer to use baclofen (though I have no experience from withdrawing from alcohol nor baclofen). From all the literature that I've read these are the two most commonly used to fight withdrawal off and taper correctly. I'd also look into using Antabuse if you're keen to get off and really take it every morning
Click to expand...

I have to read up on baclofen, I have never heard of that here.
I have thought about Antabuse but my only worry is about the withdrawal and if I do need a drink just to stop the really bad side of withdrawals, the doctor seems to be getting worse, I wish I could say it is only from appointments but since the last 2 are cancelled I can't even say that.
I think it is time to get a new doctor..But again, it is really difficult to get a doctor here.

This can not be stressed enough. Take it from someone who took pregabalin 2 weeks straight and quit cold turkey because he didn't expect any withdrawal. What followed was 5 days of extreme withdrawal. It took me quite some time to figure out what was happening to me, felt as the flu initially but grew to something much much worse.
Click to expand...

The more I hear, the less I want.

Thanks again for the replies, really appreciate the help :)
 
In regards to alcohol withdrawal i went through that when i finally managed to stop drinking maybe 10 years ago now. These days i do have the occasional pint of stout or ale but i only drink it for the taste and i don't drink more the a few pints. I had been a alcoholic for years and was drinking atleast 12 beers or drinks a day which didn't even get me drunk. It got to the point where i could drink a 26oz bottle of whiskey or rum and not even look very drunk at all. I began to feel like a alcoholic when i stopped drinking to get drunk and instead drank to feel normal :\

I made more then a few attempts to stop on my own with no success. The DT's where just to hellish to go through without medical help. After seeing a doctor and giving him my history with alcohol he actually wanted me to go inpatient because he was worried that i might develop serious complications from withdrawal among which are tonic-clonic seizures, Status epilepticus which is a life threatening condition where you don't come out of a seizure and of course suicide. I refused to go inpatient so he gave me 40mg's of Valium a day which did wonders for withdrawals. I also went to see a script happy doctor i knew and got abunch of temazepam capsules for the insomnia as well as oxycodone instant release pills to help me on the road to sobriety. Though opiates are contradicted during alcohol withdrawals as they can lower the seizure threshold.

Here they usually give you a long acting benzodiazepine such as Valium or sometimes clonazepam or even Librium (Chlordiazepoxide). Some doctors especially older ones still prescribe phenobarbital for alcohol withdrawals but that is getting rarer and rarer. One thing to be prepared for is the post acute withdrawal syndrome after quitting alcohol. It was atleast a year before i felt normal again and the only way i got through it was exercising like crazy.

Good luck on giving up the booze :)
 
Even though i'm a sufferer of pregabalin withdrawal myself, the positives outweigh the benefits when it comes to gabaergic withdrawal. Nothing can halt excitotoxicity and apoptosis in ethanol/ghb/benzodiazepine withdrawal except calcium-channel-blockers which inhibit glutamergic activity such as gabapentin or pregabalin. Especially due to ethanol and ghbs' effect on GABA-B, benzodiazepines alone are not sufficient. Heavy ethanol/ghb addicts are almost always resistant the effect of benzodiazepines.

Pregabalin or gabapentin with a baclofen taper is the safest way to go during alcohol/ghb withdrawal. Even baclofen alone would be a much better option than a benzodiazepine, despite current outdated practices.
 
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