Misc I really want a G*ddamn beer (gabapentin withdrawal)

[blue comet]

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?

 

[cj]

Damn I just got prescribed this drug on Saturday. I was already hesitaant to take it. I think I'm gonna not take it now. Thanks for the warning. I wish I had so e advice for your situation but I a, sure someone will.

 

[deos68]

Damn I just got prescribed this drug on Saturday. I was already hesitaant to take it. I think I'm gonna not take it now. Thanks for the warning. I wish I had so e advice for your situation but I a, sure someone will.

well it shouldnt drive you away from it
depending on what you got it for gabapentin does actually works but when you start abusing is which clearly the op stated doing
then it can be troublesome that is actually quite a dose the op was taking
in the end its no different from taking excess of any medication
def try it and see how you respond if not toss it
i tookk 300mg once for anxiety and it worked good

 

[blue comet]

I did not abuse it. Was originally prescribed 1200mg per day, which went up to 2100mg per day after my symptoms got worse. Finally stopped it after 7 ER visits (including an inpatient stay) and all doctors telling me they dont know what the hell is wrong with me.

 

[deos68]

I did not abuse it. Was originally prescribed 1200mg per day, which went up to 2100mg per day after my symptoms got worse. Finally stopped it after 7 ER visits (including an inpatient stay) and all doctors telling me they dont know what the hell is wrong with me.

if such a high dose wasnt doing anything you shouldve told your doc what was going on
i know if i need 100 mg of valium for me to feel something for example then i should know valium isnt for me
doc sometimes throw random shit on you but its your job to know if something is working or not just because they gave you a prescription for you doesnt mean itll work
sorry to hear your situation wasnt trying to be an ass about anything

 

[blue comet]

I was sort of in a fragile state back then. I assumed a lot of my problems were just benzo withdrawal sticking its ugly head out. When I finally realized it was the gabapentin I couldn't just stop and it took me three weeks begging for medical help to get off of it. I still can't believe this all happened; I'd be good right now if it wasn't for the gabapentin.

 

[cj]

I do t think his dose was excessive medically. My doc started me out at 900mg a day saying we will up the dose in2 visits if it works.

 

[eye dew Things]

Man sorry to hear youre having problems with such an innocent med. but apparently DOES NOT work with you...since feb 2015 you started the Gabapentin...not too long ago..taper off and try to get things back to normal.
I wish you the best Blue Comet

 

[eye dew Things]

I do t think his dose was excessive medically. My doc started me out at 900mg a day saying we will up the dose in2 visits if it works.

Sorry if I missed his daily dose...excuse me..i take about 400-800 mg a day

 

[I B Profane]

I've been on Gabapentin at 900mg/day for a while now, and I've noticed that if I drink (especially in large amounts) then I will inevitably wake up in the middle of the night and sometimes have problems getting back to bed.

Alcohol is a meh drug anyway. I'm able to tolerate a few beers, which is basically as intoxicated as I care to get these days off of alcohol. I think benzodiazepines are a far superior drug to alcohol in every way, at least they don't wake me up in the middle of the night (the long lasting ones, anyway.)

 

[blue comet]

To clarify...

I have been off gabapentin for five months. I took it for seven weeks (feb-late March 2015).

Ever since I got off it, aside from a ton of other problems, I can't really tolerate alcohol. As I said, one or two beers will rev up my symptoms of nerve pain and rapid heart rate and keep me up all night due to these symptoms. It can also sometimes cause some derealization the next day. I also can not tolerate any other drugs (opiates, weed). They usually rev up symptoms as well and then I get smacked with horrible anxiety, de realization, and heart palps a few days later.

I want to put my old doctor into the ground for giving me misinformation about this drug. Told me it was safe and harmless.

 

[varimix]

I think yours is a rare case. I was taking 3200mg plus for 3-4 months and when I stopped I felt like complete shit but alcohol was the only thing that helped the shitty feeling.

The withdrawals lasted a solid week maybe lingering a few more days its hard to say.. I hear some horror stories and can't believe it could cause that long of symptoms but I guess it is unless there is some other issue that is not known.

Anyway I'm going back to get my script because I like the drug but I think you can only take it for 2 days then take 2 days off or tolerance and withdrawal will set in....

 

[blue comet]

I've read exactly that; there is either no withdrawal or withdrawal lasts forever.

Either way, this sucks. What has this stuff done to my body?

 

[SluttyPeach]

I think yours is a rare case. I was taking 3200mg plus for 3-4 months and when I stopped I felt like complete shit but alcohol was the only thing that helped the shitty feeling.

The withdrawals lasted a solid week maybe lingering a few more days its hard to say.. I hear some horror stories and can't believe it could cause that long of symptoms but I guess it is unless there is some other issue that is not known.

Anyway I'm going back to get my script because I like the drug but I think you can only take it for 2 days then take 2 days off or tolerance and withdrawal will set in....

True, I've never heard of it causing problems like OP mentioned unless he was taking it for neuropathy or something similar, but since he isn't that is strange. I take 3g or more a day of gabapentin and have no issues thus far although it does make it harder to tolerate alcohol, I can get pretty tipsy off just one 40oz since taking it..

Maybe it will just take more time for your body to level out, we all have seen cases on here where people have problems long after stopping this med.