Quitting opiates. Gabapentin delay WD?

[KongMing]

Hello everyone. Just a quick background. Been on either hydro or oxy for the past 7 years. First couple of years was dosing maybe once a month. Been on hydro daily since 2013 anywhere from 30mg to 180mg.

I tapered from 150mg to 20mg within 3 weeks and I am now day 13 since last dose. I started taking Gabapentin 300mg 3x a day and it has helped tremendously along with Imodium. I thought the acute phase of W/Ds would be over by now so I stopped taking the Gabapentin last night. I woke up this morning feeling really really crappy. Sinuses clogged, hot/cold flashes, irritability, major stomach cramps, and the biggest one... Dripping hands and feet from sweat. It feels like I'm on day 2 of a CT W/D.
Is the Gabapentin prolonging the W/D phase? Or am I still going through hydrocodone W/D? Or am I withdrawing from Gabapentin?

This is the longest I've gone clean so far and I want to keep it up. Even got offered some norcos yesterday which I turned down.

 

[neversickanymore]

Hey Kong and welcome to BL.

The imodium can delay onset of withdrawal symptoms as its an opiate. Many people are able to switch over from their opiate to the lope and then are able to taper off the lope as it really causes no "high"

Did you taper off the gaba?

Congratulations on getting off the opiates.. stick with it it gets better pretty quick.

 

[KongMing]

Thanks for the response.

I started the withdrawal with a daily dose of 4mg lope and anywhere from 900-1500mg Gabapentin. Around day 7 I dropped the doses to 2mg lope and 600-900mg gaba. Ran out of Gabapentin on day 11 and have been feeling pretty crappy since (physically).

So you're saying the lope being an opiate, is what's prolonging the W/Ds? The only thing I can't stand is the constant runs and sweats.

I went ahead and ordered a refill for my Gabapentin. So even just 2 weeks of Gabapentin use will require a taper to get off it?

My apologies if these questions have already been asked. I don't have much experience with forums and stuff.

 

[Monchhichi]

I don't care what anyone says; I had about the same withdrawal from gabapentin that I did when I stopped Norco 10's back in the day. My doctor told me I was just imagining things when I told him gabapentin most DEFINITELY had withdrawal effects. I'm curious to see what you find but I can almost guarantee you will feel worlds better when you pop a couple of gaba's.

 

[pinpoint]

Gabapentin indeed has a withdrawal profile. However it does not prolong opioid withdrawal as it has no known interaction with the opioid system. Do not confuse prolongation with relief of symptoms. In other words, gabapentin is excellent at masking symptoms of opioid withdrawal and upon cessation of gabapentin the mask is stripped away and you feel uncomfortable. It won't make your opioid withdrawal any longer or shorter. Use it as a tool for the acute stage but don't continue using it or you'll be very sorry if you get a physical dependence to gabapentin.

As mentioned above, the loperamide will prolong opioid withdrawal indefinitely. Not to mention it is now being learned that it's quite toxic to your cardiovascular system in large doses.

 

[CosmicG]

Gabapentin will mess you up. I got put on 2400 mgs a day for two weeks, then tried to quit cold turkey and literally thought I was dying. I was given it to get off of benzos, well three months later I am tapering from Gabapentin and using benzos to help deal with the withdraw and intense discomfort I feel without them.

Gabapentin is a drug straight from the depths of hell. Look around the forums and you will find tons of threads about the horrible effects when withdrawing and taking for long periods of time. Check out Blue Comet's thread there is a lot of info in it.

I'm down to 600 mgs and am cutting down to 300 mgs this week. Not looking forward to experiencing this withdraw as I feel it bad for about a week every time I cut 300 mgs.

These doctors are a bunch of quacks, they know nothing about the drugs they are giving people, or if they do they will not admit to the effects, and it's sickening.

 

[neversickanymore]

Could just be your sick.. not dope sick.

 

[Monchhichi]

Gabapentin will mess you up. I got put on 2400 mgs a day for two weeks, then tried to quit cold turkey and literally thought I was dying. I was given it to get off of benzos, well three months later I am tapering from Gabapentin and using benzos to help deal with the withdraw and intense discomfort I feel without them.

Gabapentin is a drug straight from the depths of hell. Look around the forums and you will find tons of threads about the horrible effects when withdrawing and taking for long periods of time. Check out Blue Comet's thread there is a lot of info in it.

I'm down to 600 mgs and am cutting down to 300 mgs this week. Not looking forward to experiencing this withdraw as I feel it bad for about a week every time I cut 300 mgs.

These doctors are a bunch of quacks, they know nothing about the drugs they are giving people, or if they do they will not admit to the effects, and it's sickening.

Cosmic, that is so true. I was stealing gabapentin from my friend who had a script for 360 a month that he barely used. He usually gave them to his wife who had a script for 360 herself! I started taking them to help with dope withdrawal. I used them with Kratom and felt so much better. But, when he was cut off from his script, I went through LITERAL HELL. I thought it was from the dope but realized I had been clean for almost a month! Taking benzos was the only thing that got me through it.