• BASIC DRUG
    DISCUSSION
    Welcome to Bluelight!
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Benzo Chart Opioids Chart
    Drug Terms Need Help??
    Drugs 101 Brain & Addiction
    Tired of your habit? Struggling to cope?
    Want to regain control or get sober?
    Visit our Recovery Support Forums
  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Gabapentin Has Earned My Respect

I wish we could get this good LSD info out of the good info on gabapentin thread. :) I have things to say. Maybe I should start a thread in PD. So much good info in threads that may not be apparent. Good LSD info in a gabapentin thread.
 
CharsScars said:
I personally hate gabapentin...

I was prescribed 2,400mg per day, and with no effect whatsoever. However, being told that I could just stop it cold turkey? That was absolutely hell on earth.

3 days of a completely broken brain and nervous system. Hot and cold at the same time, spasms and twitches bordering on full on seizures BEYOND belief, sweating uncontrollably giving way to the inability to sweat, shaking, tremors, terrors, nightmares, symptoms bordering on Tourette's, and oh so much more...

Oh, actually, I did have one noticeable effect while on gabapentin...

Noticeable cognitive decline. My memory and vocabulary were impacted in demonstrable and measurable ways. I would try to reach for a word while speaking or writing, and couldn't quite find it. It's like it was behind a wall in my mind. But I could find it "sideways", as long as I could approach it in an adjacent way, such as a synonym, or something related. As long as I took this approach, I was able to eventually find the word that I was looking for, but never directly. And it was the strangest feeling!

Every time they try to give me the med in a hospital stay, I absolutely refuse it...

Boy do I hate it. As does my significant other, who had uncontrollable nightmares on it as well...
Click to expand...
The above opinion is actually agreeable with mine, mostly! Let me explain why, 12 years ago I was told Tramadol was the safe choice, that it was non-addictive, and not an opioid!

Three different MD's parroted that line of reasoning with me whence they rolled me off of vicoprofen and onto Tramadol. It was the safe alternative they swore, well after thoroughly addicting my ass to the Tramadol, which most fucking certainly is an opioid albeit one cooked up in a lab, those three stooges are long gone, and I was left holding the monkey up on my back!

You see I worked for a decade as a psychiatric technician, I perused the PDR extensively, and was always left stunned by the descriptions behind various potent psych meds methods of action, which I can assure you all was always clearly stated as "unknown!" This was right when Tardive Dyskinesia was becoming a known outcome of long-term therapy with heavy duty psychotropics such as Clorpromazine, Haloperidol, and other major tranq's, all of which had become the front line of fighting against major psychiatric illnesses and disorders. All of them were listed in the PDR as "method of action unknown!"

I saw young adolescents brought in clearly exhibiting symptoms of TD, all of them from long-term treatment with a major tranquilizer, 14, 15, 16 year old kids some of them, and TD is forever. My point is there are a whole lotta unknowns about substances like Gabapentin, which is the primary reason why I refuse to bomb myself with it, I have found that just changing up the dosing from day to day, as in 1 x 3, to 2x 2, back to 1 x 3 daily, seems to work quite well for me.

I have a very well earned distrust for chemical substances where the whole mechanisms of their action remain unknowns, and I have a wealth of clinical experience helping kids whose bodies were permanently disordered via such substances.
 
Direwolf131 said:
I saw young adolescents brought in clearly exhibiting symptoms of TD, all of them from long-term treatment with a major tranquilizer, 14, 15, 16 year old kids some of them, and TD is forever. My point is there are a whole lotta unknowns about substances like Gabapentin, which is the primary reason why I refuse to bomb myself with it, I have found that just changing up the dosing from day to day, as in 1 x 3, to 2x 2, back to 1 x 3 daily, seems to work quite well for me.

I have a very well earned distrust for chemical substances where the whole mechanisms of their action remain unknowns, and I have a wealth of clinical experience helping kids whose bodies were permanently disordered via such substances.
Click to expand...

THIS right here is one of the thoroughly major reasons I also refused Lyrica. I asked "How does it work?"

The answer? "We don't actually know..."

I kept asking. Over...and over....and over, the many times I was offered, by many Pharmacists, MDs, NPs, and oh so many others...

And the answer was the same. The closest to an answer I ever got was "It works like Gabapentin". OK, so how does that work? Well.....we don't actually know....

Yeah, I'm done with those drugs. I was shocked when I started to find out that we don't know how a lot of the "neurotransmitter altering" drugs function at a fundamental level. Heck, even the basics of the serotogenic drugs are bad. Serotonin is a signaling mechanism for SO MANY THINGS. Even something as simple as the magical "Zofran" (don't get me wrong, it's great, generally), is super rough on you long term...even if it is just a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist.
 
CharsScars said:
THIS right here is one of the thoroughly major reasons I also refused Lyrica. I asked "How does it work?"

The answer? "We don't actually know..."

I kept asking. Over...and over....and over, the many times I was offered, by many Pharmacists, MDs, NPs, and oh so many others...

And the answer was the same. The closest to an answer I ever got was "It works like Gabapentin". OK, so how does that work? Well.....we don't actually know....

Yeah, I'm done with those drugs. I was shocked when I started to find out that we don't know how a lot of the "neurotransmitter altering" drugs function at a fundamental level. Heck, even the basics of the serotogenic drugs are bad. Serotonin is a signaling mechanism for SO MANY THINGS. Even something as simple as the magical "Zofran" (don't get me wrong, it's great, generally), is super rough on you long term...even if it is just a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist.
Click to expand...
There is an inherent characteristic in modern humans to trust the doctor, that they know all of what they do, I am here to absolutely assure such souls that they most definitely do not know! There is always payback at some level with these substances, its one thing to take 100 mg of gabapentin x 3 daily, and quite another to bomb your body with as much as 4800 mg of it a day, and have no idea as to how its doing what it does. The list is long indeed folks, of such substances people place trust, when in truth we may not know how or why they do what they do to us, or the long-term consequences of them doing so!
 
Does one develop a tolerance as rapidly as with lyrica?

Are withdrawals after frequent use as bad as lyrica?
 
9Bar_of_Jenkem said:
Does one develop a tolerance as rapidly as with lyrica?

Are withdrawals after frequent use as bad as lyrica?
Click to expand...
I have no intention of finding out, my dosing will remain as explained above, which is extremely low compared with the norm... As for tolerance, one of the primary reasons I break up my dosing pattern from day to day is to help confuse that issue with my body! As for wd syndrome, well think about things, there is not supposed to be any at all, that has long been the medical spin, but there is!

Just remember Tramadol folks, I do, as I was told repeatedly by three different md's that Tramadol was a non-opioid medication, that it was non-addicting, both statements patently erroneous nonsense! Gabapentin seems to be relatively safe, but I have absolutely no intention of consuming such beyond a single months time, I would never even consider taking such long-term...
 
9Bar_of_Jenkem said:
Does one develop a tolerance as rapidly as with lyrica?

Are withdrawals after frequent use as bad as lyrica?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is.

I've had family and friends on Lyrica and it's "just as awful".

The one thing is that they generally don't dose it as high, because the effects come from much lower dosages. However, when they do ramp it up to the "daily dose", you will suffer badly.

I highly don't recommend ever staring any of these medications unless they truly are the last resort for you and your pain.
 
CharsScars said:
Yes, it is.

I've had family and friends on Lyrica and it's "just as awful".

The one thing is that they generally don't dose it as high, because the effects come from much lower dosages. However, when they do ramp it up to the "daily dose", you will suffer badly.

I highly don't recommend ever staring any of these medications unless they truly are the last resort for you and your pain.
Click to expand...
Absolutely agree I've taken gabap for years and it sneaks up on yo ass more then u think
 
We know to some degree, your doctor was just not literate enough to spell voltage-dependent-calcium-channel that are spread over body. Also, they affect some enzyme and increase amount of gaba in system (in reserve and action, it just ramps up production)

We don't know everything but we have a pretty good understanding.
 
Here's an update, I am unable to sleep, even in the face of exhaustion, seriously, not more than a 20-30 minutes a night if even that! Well what do you know, one of the lesser known, but very real side effects of Gabapentin is difficulty sleeping!
 
I don't know man, the stuff feels pretty good if used occasionally. ;) (great name Direwolf!)

But because of the BL threads when it was prescribed to me in 2016 I took it for 2 weeks for shingles and then after that did not touch if for a few months until I read on staggering. Then I have made an occasional use work for me. I almost use it as a trip night. A special night just for me.

I agree with most though, unless you have a real need for pregabalin or gabapentin everyday I would think twice on taking these meds daily. Saying that I feel they are safer than a lot of other drugs. But who knows. About 8 years ago we thought gabapentin would be scheduled. But not only did that not happen docs are still giving out like candy. And I feel people should read every thread on BL about a med before taking that med daily.

The thing that irritates me is ignorant doctors. I'll be honest, I am glad my parents did not take diazepam everyday they were prescribed. Just on occasion. But I think docs give that out like candy too in the US. (I mean one bottle has 2 refills, a few hundred already) But yeah, I know 3 other people prescribed diazepam lately. I hope they have the facts.
 
I have not slept a since early August, and the only common denominator is the freaking Gabapentin, which sedates the absolute shit out of me, but which also keeps my mind totally blocked from shutdown, let alone REM sleep! As soon as I saw it listed, I knew it was the culprit, I have always suspected it, but thought it counter-intuitive in the face of its sedating effects, no more, the shit is all going down the crapper! I am royally pissed, that fucking doctor literally threw me to the gutter, he should have known, and obviously his dumb ass did not know!
 
Direwolf131 said:
I have not slept a since early August, and the only common denominator is the freaking Gabapentin, which sedates the absolute shit out of me, but which also keeps my mind totally blocked from shutdown, let alone REM sleep! As soon as I saw it listed, I knew it was the culprit, I have always suspected it, but thought it counter-intuitive in the face of its sedating effects, no more, the shit is all going down the crapper! I am royally pissed, that fucking doctor literally threw me to the gutter, he should have known, and obviously his dumb ass did not know!
Click to expand...
Keep in mind a lot of threads here from years ago thought gabapentin was the culprit in some serious issues but was later found to be something different. For sure worth reading all of them. A few came back and said it was not the gabapentin. That happened a few times, recently with the PVC issue of DeathIndustrial88. So glad he updated. We need facts. So keep at it Direwolf, keep posting the issues. I will read them

In the meantime get some sleep! Lay in bed, feal the word EASE wash over your body, When you lay in bed, that moment you lay down and go "AHH" in that comfort, extend the moment. Wash Ease over your body, Feel it, use the mind. I have fallen asleep by doing that.
 
CharsScars said:
And the answer was the same. The closest to an answer I ever got was "It works like Gabapentin". OK, so how does that work? Well.....we don't actually know....
Click to expand...
those two drugs effects are majorly mediated via voltage gated calcium channels, with increases the amount of gaba downstream.
 
JackARoe said:
Keep in mind a lot of threads here from years ago thought gabapentin was the culprit in some serious issues but was later found to be something different. For sure worth reading all of them. A few came back and said it was not the gabapentin. That happened a few times, recently with the PVC issue of DeathIndustrial88. So glad he updated. We need facts. So keep at it Direwolf, keep posting the issues. I will read them

In the meantime get some sleep! Lay in bed, feal the word EASE wash over your body, When you lay in bed, that moment you lay down and go "AHH" in that comfort, extend the moment. Wash Ease over your body, Feel it, use the mind. I have fallen asleep by doing that.
Click to expand...
There just is no other suspect, its the one constant, its the Gabapentin, its certainly not 1.5 grams of kratom x 3, all of which is last dosed at 6:00 pm, its the Gabapentin!
 
I can say 1.5 g of Kratom would not even make me sneeze if I snorted it. Meaning it takes me at least 7+ orally.

Yeah, I totally suggest by all means for you to keep looking into this and see just how and when the gabapentin is contributing. And keep yourself well, you’ll get through this..
 
Direwolf131 said:
Here's an update, I am unable to sleep, even in the face of exhaustion, seriously, not more than a 20-30 minutes a night if even that! Well what do you know, one of the lesser known, but very real side effects of Gabapentin is difficulty sleeping!
Click to expand...
I’m so sorry. I would highly recommend titration off of gabapentin.

I’ll never do it again.
 
JackARoe said:
Not sure I understand the original post but gabapentin (and now the stronger older brother pregabalin) are a new class of drugs as far as I am concerned. Gabapentin has been around for years as neurontin and just about always given to my neighbor along with his 120 mgs of oxycontin a day. (1998-2003) He would get that monthly. (give me 50 of the 20's because he liked the NYC street heroin better and back then was great) But the gabapentin was thrown aside by just about everyone back then as useless. How it became useful in time is still a mystery to me. I mean the effects didn't just come about after 2010. They had to always be there yet unnoticed until recently? It really is its own class. Can't wait to find a plant that does the same.


Not sure what it is. I am prescribed gabapentin but take it so sparingly. Something like 1500 mgs 3 times a month to make a night of music and guitar. It seems to take less and less. I can feel 300 mgs. What astounded me was reading posts of some people actually taking 6000 mgs a day. (someone said they took 15,000 mgs but could be BS) Some said they were prescribed that but I think they (doctors) lowered the daily amount.

Never took it daily ever. Actually saving some for when I stop kratom.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top