Which withdrawal was worse Gabapentin or Baclofen?

[Outsider31]

Hi guys, I'm currently withdrawing from both Gabapentin and Baclofen after using both for 4 months to help me with my heavy opana er use for a year and a half. I must say that they both did wonders for opana withdrawals, I cold turkeyed the opana er and after the first week of hell I couldn't take it anymore so I used Baclofen and Gabapentin. I used high doses of both, and staggered my doses throughout the day. I used them much longer than I wanted to and got myself into this mess by trading one addiction for the other.

My question for all of you guys is, which withdrawal was worse for you, Gabapentin or Baclofen? With the way I'm feeling I'm not sure if my jittery, nervous all the time feeling is because of the Baclofen, Gabapentin or both perhaps.

I must say the difference in withdrawals between Opana and the Baclofen/Gabapentin combo is quite different. For opana it was crippling depression and all the physical symptoms such as RLS, flu like symptoms, no sleep, legs feeling 150lbs a piece. For Baclofen/Gabapentin it's that I'm feeling extremely nervous/anxious all the time and also feeling jittery and wired although I'm managing to at least get some sleep during the night.

Thanks for your help guys, I'm guessing this is for anyone who has experienced both Gabapentin and BACLOFEN withdrawals and on separate occasions. Or if anyone just has an opinion....thanks!

 

[Jabberwocky]

My guess would be that Baclofen withdrawal would be more intense than gabapentin withdrawal considering that the drug seem to have stronger effects than gabapentin, as the gabapentin has a kind of ceiling effect (your body can only metabolize so much gabapentin at once, where as as the dose of Baclofen increases its effects ten to increase in a linear fashion IME).

Both drugs have a nasty withdrawal if you have been taking enough of them long enough. If you taper off then properly I imagine the withdrawal would be manageable though, certainly no more difficult than opioid withdrawal and probably a bit easier than benzodiazepine withdrawal.

How are you feeling btw, in terms of any symptoms of PAWS for you opioid habit? Are you experiencing any effects of gabaergic withdrawal?

 

[aihfl]

I was also on both medications for alcoholism. I think baclofen withdrawal is worse. It might be up there with benzo withdrawals. The mental confusion I experienced was pretty off-the-charts and like benzos, it also carries a seizure risk coming off of it. Eventually I tapered down decreasing 20mg each week.

 

[Outsider31]

I haven't noticed any PAWS from the Opana Er. I cold turkeyed off it on July 19th, was on it a year n a half and the last 6 months of it I was on 160mg orally per day. Not sure if taking the Gabapentin and Baclofen is why I haven't seemed to feel any PAWS from the Opana.

The only effects I have been feeling since I stopped the Gabapentin and Baclofen has been that I have been extremely nervous and feel kind of like it's been 1 long panic attack. I've never experienced this before. I even wake up in the morning like this. Also I've been feeling kind of jittery and wired at times. Basically I feel alright physically, it's just mentally has definitely been most challenging.

 

[Outsider31]

Aihfl did you go through baclofen and gabapentin withdrawal separately? If so how long did you taper baclofen and when you finally stopped the baclofen did you have any withdrawal symptoms after that or did the taper leave you without symptoms?

 

[Moreaux]

Outoder31 - have you ever been addicted to benzos or alcohol or any other GABAergic? Also, when did you quit the gabapentin and baclofen? I really think a tpwrnwpuld be in your best interest, seriously consider implanting aihfl's suggestion of a 20mg/week decrease. If you are feeling like you are in a continuous panic attack speak to a doctor about possibly getting a script for Inderal (propranolol) as it stops the adrenaline reaction. It's not addictive and is a beta blocker. It was a life saver for me when I was going through benzo withdrawal.

 

[Outsider31]

Moreau, never had an alcohol, benzo or gabaergic addiction. I have been using the gabapentin and baclofen for 4 months. I only used them 2 or 3 times a week, and never had issues stopping but for 1 week in October I used everyday and when I stopped, that's when I felt all these symptoms.

 

[aihfl]

Outsider, I am still taking gabapentin. Even when I've cold turkeyed off them (usually accompanied by opiate and/or alcohol withdrawal), I never felt any worse than I would have just coming off opiates or booze. But baclofen was a very different story. I would say that's the closest I've ever come to experiencing the disorientation of hardcore DT-esque alcohol withdrawal. I remember trying to read my laptop screen and not being able to follow the lines of type. I've detoxed off so much shit in my using lifetime I can't say that it was THE worst withdrawal I've had, but it was easily in the top 2-3.

 

[aihfl]

I guess I should add that my pdoc wanted me to taper off the baclofen. He basically prescribed it experimentally, at my request, because it was supposed to be the next big thing in alcoholism treatment, and when that didn't happen for me, he wanted me off of it because it wasn't having the desired effect and he didn't want me taking just to take it.

 

[Outsider31]

Aihfl, I was taking both Gabapentin and baclofen together for 4 months. Not sure if one of these meds is causing more of the withdrawal symptoms than the other. For the first time ever I'm going to try a taper with both of these meds. I'm currently on day 2. I'm taking 900mg gabapentin and 20mg baclofen per day for a week. Then will try 600 n 15 for week 2.

I've cold turkeyed these meds a couple weeks ago and by day 3 I was having such terrible anxiety and started up the meds again. I guess by tomorrow I will see how my body reacts. I was taking such larger doses of my meds previously. I figured I would start at 900mg and 20mg bc that's what I was prescribed.

Tired of dealing with these meds and the continued withdrawal feelings. In July I cold turkeyed off 160mg Opana per day and that was a nightmare but this is pretty damn close! The anxiety from these meds easily beats the opana. I had alot of physical symptoms from opana, rls, flu like, legs felt 500lbs each. I don't really have physical symptoms with gabapentin and baclofen, mainly it's the crippling anxiety.