Gabapentin dependency issues?

[retard]

Hey,

I am finally off the medication clonazepam after 2 years. Hell. I took it for general anxiety/social anxiety.

The anxiety is worse then before. I should go back on Duloxetine for anxiety again. Only AD that worked for anxiety but its not enough on its own. Klonopin+dexedrine was the golden combo for social anxiety but I don't have a prescription for klonopin.

I tried some hydroxyzine today and I like it. Also took some Gabapentin. I'm just looking for some non benzo solutions for anxiety.

The problem is now I don't want to experience such a thing as klonopin WD again but apparently Gabapentin has the same problems?

Everyone's talking about how gabapentin is not addicting but is it could just be as worse like alcohol or benzo WD according to Wikipedia. So what is the truth?8(

 

[shpongle1987]

I took gabapentin for about 2 years after a doc. gave me a script to come down of xanax a few years back. I was taking up too 20 300mg pills a day of gaba and NEVER had withdrawls from it, even when i stopped abruptly. And even if there was WD from gaba, it will be not even CLOSE to benzo WD wich for me was the worst WD of my life. I also was prescribed that hydroxyzine stuff as a replacement for the benzo's but it would only help for sleep.

 

[DementiaSavantPlus]

I have never been on a benzodiazepine, and though I had experienced classic anxiety symptoms for many years, I didn't start treating it until about 3 years ago with gabapentin. I have read that only a very small percentage of people have the initial experience with this drug I did, which is one of euphoria, extremely heightened physical sensation, extremely heightened visual sensation of color, closed-eye visuals, and a disappearance of my depression and anxiety. I was convinced that it was some kind of miracle, and I would equate it to what I had experienced with ecstasy, but more potent, cleaner, and with no crash whatsoever. There was an underlying aspect to the experience however that was of kind of scary: I felt like my personality had taken a 180 degree turn, and felt like almost a totally different person with all of the "adjustments" the medication had made. However, since the adjustments were 100% in my favor, I didn't ponder this too much.

My reaction may be rare, but I thought I would inform you that I did build up a sort of resistance to gabapentin over the course of about 2 years. It happened so gradually that I only realized it months after the fact. My doctor called it a "tolerance" but it was to me as if the effects of the drug slowly changed. In other words, if I up my intake far past the recommended dose, I will not achieve the initial effects, but will only not be able to resist falling asleep.

I originally got gabapentin from a friend in the form of Neurontin. When I got a prescription, I started at 300mg and now take 1500mg. It still helps with anxiety, but I have considered going off of it permanently.

 

[DementiaSavantPlus]

I must add that I have never been off of gabapentin for more than a day, but when I have, I experienced no withdrawal symptoms at all.

 

[nAON]

I must add that I have never been off of gabapentin for more than a day, but when I have, I experienced no withdrawal symptoms at all.

.. could you rephrase that?

I am finally off the medication clonazepam after 2 years. Hell. I took it for general anxiety/social anxiety. The anxiety is worse then before.(

Would also like to note that this is going to happen regardless of whether a medication will cause physical dependence or not. Whenever you rely on a drug for such things, you psychologically become accustomed to it and so when you don't have it, if the original problems of anxiety are there, it's just gonna be worse that you don't have your crutch.

Have you tried other stuff like counselling or CBT for your anxiety?

 

[Ninae]

The WD can be as bad as benzos but shorter (approax 10 days).

 

[TheTwighlight]

As far as dependence goes, the craving for the stuff is not like most other drugs. I would feel it wearing off and take it again (I'm scripted 800mg 4x/day). It has no active metabolite so when it wears off it wears off fast. I get the good feeling from it; it has no real negative side effects other than short-term memory issues which I've always had, so it doesn't really bother me. I've been on it for 8 years, and although it doesn't have "classical" addictive traits, I DO have to have it.

Gabapentin caused me some of the worst w/d I have ever felt from anything, and that says a lot coming from my ex-junkie ass. It was like Suboxone; except it wouldn't end. After a month Sub w/d got significantly better. After a month of gabapentin w/d, it had not eased one bit (take in mind I had been on 2400-3600mg/day for 8 years). I was plagued with agoraphobic anxiety, cold sweats and chills that were as bad as any opioid w/d I'd ever had if not worse, inability to find words and worse short-term memory problems than when I was on it, pretty severe depression, lack of energy, and flu-like muscle pain. Like I said, it wasn't any better after 30 days. I gave in and have been on it since. (I've probably gone into w/d from it ~5 times over the years).

I will note that simultaneous alprazolam/clonazepam w/d was the worst experience of my whole life, which is saying quite a lot. It actually nearly killed me. But bupe, tramadol, and gabapentin are also very high up on that list.

 

[retard]

Thanks for the replies guys. I will later reply more because I'm short on time.

I quickly read some replies and sad to hear this stuff has still dependency issues, but again mixed opinions. I'm always been weird. Started talking at age 5-6 which is pretty uncommon (they first thought I was deaf lol).

I have spoken with a psycholist many times but it didn't work out. I never had the balls to do CBT (always making up excuses) . They are going to test if I'm slightly autistic or something which I doubt because I'm already 23 (they would have know that already right if that was the case?) . I know my anxiety is not rational. 23 and zero friends/ general anxiety / impulsive/ social anxiety/ lack of pleasure to do things. Tried over 100 +- supplements never did something good. I still take magnesium, omega3 fish oil.

My family was worrying because I was laying the whole day in bed last summer. They called my PDOC and prescribed me dextro amphetamine for bedridden depression. I don't know if I have ADHD although my attention span is ****. Social phobia is something I was diagnosed with ( like I didn't know that yet) . I'm not that ultra sensitive to benzodiazepines either (some people black out if they take 0.5 mg of their mighty xanax but I can take 4-8 mg of xanax/klonopin before I feel something.

EDIT: took 600 mg gabapentin, hydroxyzine 50 mg and clonidine and i feel good.

 

[Psychedelic Jay]

I take the more potent cousin, Lyrica...

I have never had any WD...

The WD you feel is your initial anxiety coming back. That is all.

I would run out and not be able to afford any for weeks. It was very manageable. I just felt like I wasn't on lyrica...

So I can't even imagine any damn thing from gabapentin... Seems some of you guys are playing a psychological trick on yourselves.

I would say that getting rid of anxiety is very addicting for some. As feeling all that stress melt away is beyond awesome.

 

[nAON]

Dude, go do CBT. That should have been the first thing you did. I know here, you won't even get prescribed anxiolytic drugs unless it has shown that CBT hasn't helped much. Stop doing drugs to cover up your problems, it's just going to make shit worse for you in the long term, if you're actually serious about treating your anxiety.
Right now you're basically like a morbidly obese person refusing to change their diet and start exercising, but instead asking about which statins are best to use.

 

[Psychedelic Jay]

Dude, go do CBT. That should have been the first thing you did. I know here, you won't even get prescribed anxiolytic drugs unless it has shown that CBT hasn't helped much. Stop doing drugs to cover up your problems, it's just going to make shit worse for you in the long term, if you're actually serious about treating your anxiety.
Right now you're basically like a morbidly obese person refusing to change their diet and start exercising, but instead asking about which statins are best to use.

I don't know where you are, but what if he is on meds because he cannot afford therapy?

Hell even my expensive ass medication is still way cheaper than going to a therapist....

It's the right answer, but you have no background on this person...

 

[nAON]

^ good point, but he mentioned..

I have spoken with a psycholist many times but it didn't work out. I never had the balls to do CBT (always making up excuses) .

 

[Psychedelic Jay]

Then ya... LOL Sorry bro.


Hell therapy is the ultimate answer. Hell even stay on the meds and do the therapy... You can do both.

 

[TheTwighlight]

I take the more potent cousin, Lyrica...

I have never had any WD...

The WD you feel is your initial anxiety coming back. That is all.

I would run out and not be able to afford any for weeks. It was very manageable. I just felt like I wasn't on lyrica...

So I can't even imagine any damn thing from gabapentin... Seems some of you guys are playing a psychological trick on yourselves.

I would say that getting rid of anxiety is very addicting for some. As feeling all that stress melt away is beyond awesome.

I think you're right that some of these guys are being psyched out, but not all.

I have never had w/d from pregabalin, even after ~6 months of high dose daily therapy. Although I realize how similar pregabalin & gabapentin are, they are still very different in one respect: I have no w/d from pregabalin, but some of the worst I've ever had from gabapentin. Most definitely not, at least in my case, a psychological trick. It's horrific.

But one thing is for sure, and that's the fact that when anxiety comes back it sucks, but when it goes away it rocks.

 

[retard]

(well I'm high this post is a bit stupid sorry).
It's weird that some people have no trouble with WD from Pregablin but Gabapentin seems to give WD for some persons but in most cases not. I want to research more information on this issue.

So what I want to say is that my cocktail of anti anxiety drugs (gabapentin, hydroxyzine, clonidine) completely removed my anxiety. I wish I took this during klonopin WD. I don't care about taking anti anxiety meds as long they don't give terrible WD.

I'm not anxious right now (just like I was on klonopin) but I'm still not talkative to people. Fuck social anxiety, this is my personality.

Hell I even took some Dexedrine and Weed so I;m a bit high right now. I get new insights how stupid social anxiety actually is. Meds like Dexedrine help me the most because they give me confidence and make me talkative and give me confidence.

I will do CBT once at least. Healthcare is very good in this country I don't pay anything except for buying stuff like klonopin and other addictive meds that I can't obtain from my PDOC.

Not that I expect to be less introverted or so. I'm just quiet boy that doesn't give a shit about having friends or so. The only anxiety that annoys me now is the anxiety that let me prevent car driving.

 

[Matthias_]

Yes its really weirds that most people experience little withdrawal smyptoms - for me (and a lucky, small groupt of people it seems to be a nightmare) getting of pregabalin was really bad. Ambien and valium offered relief with the nausea and the anxiety and also the lack of sleep, but the depression was really destroying me. It took a month to have first positive feelings.

Also - I am not am person that luckly has to deal with anxiety, but after getting off lyrica I really can understand the life that people have to live with GAD. For me (other might negotiate this) it was a combination off both getting of benzos and opiods! Had to get off high dose off tramadol and high dose benzos a year ago, and especially the depression while getting of tramadol (800mg) was really a nightmare. Getting of pregablin came really really close to that, also most symptoms went away after 1 month.

 

[retard]

Yes its really weirds that most people experience little withdrawal smyptoms - for me (and a lucky, small groupt of people it seems to be a nightmare) getting of pregabalin was really bad. Ambien and valium offered relief with the nausea and the anxiety and also the lack of sleep, but the depression was really destroying me. It took a month to have first positive feelings.

Also - I am not am person that luckly has to deal with anxiety, but after getting off lyrica I really can understand the life that people have to live with GAD. For me (other might negotiate this) it was a combination off both getting of benzos and opiods! Had to get off high dose off tramadol and high dose benzos a year ago, and especially the depression while getting of tramadol (800mg) was really a nightmare. Getting of pregablin came really really close to that, also most symptoms went away after 1 month.

What dose pregablin did you take?