blue comet
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2015
- Messages
- 253
So I quit a four year benzo habit in September 2014 cold turkey. Went through all the usual bullshit of stopping benzos cold turkey (extreme fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, insomnia, housebound, etc). In January 2015 I had finally gotten my life back on track; got a new job, was socializing again, was driving again, and felt like I was making some nice (but slow) progress.
During this entire time, if I ever went out with friends or was at family events, I could have a beer (or two or four) without any problem. If I ever got really drunk, I would have some miserable hangovers.
In February 2015, to deal with some lingering anxiety and insomnia and depression which were making functioning at my new job hard (especially the insomnia), my doctor gave me gabapentin. I was on it for 7 weeks at doses ranging from 1200mg-2100mg per day. It immediately started causing problems which I didn't associate with the medication until like week 4. It caused severe physical symptoms (shakiness, pins & needles, divided feeling in body, heart palpitations) and psychological symptoms (derealization, irrational fears, weird thoughts, bad cog fog, etc). I finally stopped it cold turkey due to it causing borderline suicidal depression and what followed was months of horrible withdrawal. The abovementioned physical symptoms and psychological symptoms were tortorous and still are, but they have reduced themselves signficantly.
Since I got off this medication, I have not been able to drink a few beers without revving up my physical symptoms, mainly nerve pain and pins & needles in my right side (right arm, foot, leg, hand, etc) and a big increase in my rapid heart beat. I also suffer some derealization from it. It is unique in that if I get drunk, I will sleep fine, have a rough hangover day, and then these symptoms were emerged when I try to go to bed the following night. If I have two or three beers, I will have these symptoms rev up and be way too uncomfortable to fall asleep.
I hate this so fucking much!!! It makes me so goddamn depressed that I can't go to the bar with my friends and watch a baseball game while drinking a few beers without enduring these horrible symptoms. It kills me so much!!! I just want this to end and I want to be able to have a beer without issue!!!
I took a 100mg pill of gabapentin one month ago in an attempt to see if it alleviate any of my symptoms (it did not) and I believe it made me worse. My hair began falling out a lot more (it was still falling out steady prior) and then I developed this physical and psychological problem the night after drinking. I hate this.
I don't know if what I said made a whole lot of sense. Please ask any questions for clarification.
What should I do? Is there any way I can avoid these symptoms? Will this ever go away?
During this entire time, if I ever went out with friends or was at family events, I could have a beer (or two or four) without any problem. If I ever got really drunk, I would have some miserable hangovers.
In February 2015, to deal with some lingering anxiety and insomnia and depression which were making functioning at my new job hard (especially the insomnia), my doctor gave me gabapentin. I was on it for 7 weeks at doses ranging from 1200mg-2100mg per day. It immediately started causing problems which I didn't associate with the medication until like week 4. It caused severe physical symptoms (shakiness, pins & needles, divided feeling in body, heart palpitations) and psychological symptoms (derealization, irrational fears, weird thoughts, bad cog fog, etc). I finally stopped it cold turkey due to it causing borderline suicidal depression and what followed was months of horrible withdrawal. The abovementioned physical symptoms and psychological symptoms were tortorous and still are, but they have reduced themselves signficantly.
Since I got off this medication, I have not been able to drink a few beers without revving up my physical symptoms, mainly nerve pain and pins & needles in my right side (right arm, foot, leg, hand, etc) and a big increase in my rapid heart beat. I also suffer some derealization from it. It is unique in that if I get drunk, I will sleep fine, have a rough hangover day, and then these symptoms were emerged when I try to go to bed the following night. If I have two or three beers, I will have these symptoms rev up and be way too uncomfortable to fall asleep.
I hate this so fucking much!!! It makes me so goddamn depressed that I can't go to the bar with my friends and watch a baseball game while drinking a few beers without enduring these horrible symptoms. It kills me so much!!! I just want this to end and I want to be able to have a beer without issue!!!
I took a 100mg pill of gabapentin one month ago in an attempt to see if it alleviate any of my symptoms (it did not) and I believe it made me worse. My hair began falling out a lot more (it was still falling out steady prior) and then I developed this physical and psychological problem the night after drinking. I hate this.
I don't know if what I said made a whole lot of sense. Please ask any questions for clarification.
What should I do? Is there any way I can avoid these symptoms? Will this ever go away?