Gabapentinoids (Gabapentin) withdrawal, any advice?

[dth103]

Currently about 7 days into a 3600mg/day for 3 years withdrawal. Symptoms don't seem to be getting better. I truly hope I'm not one of the people that has a year protracted withdrawal from this fucking med

 

[LGV9000]

Currently about 7 days into a 3600mg/day for 3 years withdrawal. Symptoms don't seem to be getting better. I truly hope I'm not one of the people that has a year protracted withdrawal from this fucking med

How's your withdrawal going? I'm trying to quit as well. I've been on Gaba 3.2g/day since 2014. I became dependent on it pretty quickly and when I would run out, I would be fine until 2 days later. For some weird reason, I feel okay the day after I run out, but then the day after that is when the hell begins.

I wake up and don't feel like myself. I get very depressed, restless, no appetite, my voice gets really quiet. People talk to me and I have to ask them to repeat what they said because my mind gets so distracted and wanders off to worry about implausible catastrophes. I literally feel retarded. I can't verbally articulate myself when I'm going through withdrawal. Also, my skin starts getting really sensitive and the slightest touch or even a fan blowing on me becomes painful.

Sometimes I fall into a panic attack because my mind is just being so negative and won't shut up. Especially when I'm trying to get to sleep. I can't smoke a cig or pace around to distract myself when I'm laying down and trying to get to sleep. It takes me about 2 or 3 hours to finally become unconscious, just to wake up often because of tears running down my cheeks from PTSD-induced nightmares. When I wake up from a nightmare that bad, the last thing I wanna do is go back to sleep. So, I've been getting 2-4 hours of sleep on average for years now.

I've had diarrhea for 5 months now. I've ruled many things out as the culprit, but when I have time to sit down on the toilet and think about it (which is quite often), I've noticed that my stool starts to normalize if I go for so many days without Gabapentin. Nevertheless, I'm in the process of getting my guts checked out. I have to send in some stool samples, do some blood work, and have a colonoscopy all by April 3rd.

The longest I've gone without Gabapentin since 2014 is about a week and the withdrawal wasn't showing signs of slowing down. The withdrawal is mostly mental, but I was shaking, losing a lot of weight, felt retarded, like a huge part of my brain had turned off, I couldn't enjoy anything. The day before I got my refill, I kept throwing up from panic attacks.

My psychiatrist ordered only 7-day supplies at a time after they finally found out that I was abusing it. I didn't like the 7-day thing in the beginning, but it has kept me from getting too far into the withdrawal.

I'm afraid that I won't feel like myself and I'll be retarded for the rest of my life if I quit, but that's probably just my addiction talking. I hope my withdrawal is just the acute version and I don't run into PAWS.

I hope you're feeling a little better by now. It would be nice to hear an update from you and maybe some advice for when it's my turn to walk the plank.

 

[Voiceoffear]

Hows your withdrawals? Its been a while now, any better?

 

[Hezman94]

passion fower and valerian root
ask doctors for bacllofen

 

[Doxepin Dream]

Just wanted to update you all since it's been a while since Gabapentin. As you all have discussed I think you are right and it wasn't Gabapentin. Turns out I started having this thing called 'histamine intolerance' towards specific histamine things. Well, Gabapentin among a couple of other drugs are Diamine oxidase blockers. Before Gaba i was on like an antidepressant made for GERD and stomach issues. That one was like a severe DAO blocker so I wonder if it all just piled up and set off this shit. I can only abuse intuitiv (guanfancine) at the moment :/ some bullshit. Gaba was a fun high. If you're not a sensitive person with hella food intolerances and allergies and overall don't have any histamine intolerance I'd say you're fine, but if you have symptoms of HI I'd stay away from this one and try benzos instead? But yeah, this drug's safe as far as everything else is concerned. Just weird that it would like clockwork give me panic attacks about 3-4 hours after taking it after a while. STill a really nice high for about 2 months on the lowest doses (300, then 600, then 900). Enjoy!
P.S. Also discovereed hydroxizine. Super fun mild antihistamine but it knocks me the fuck out :D

 

[Ne0]

If I take gabapentin 3 days row on 1,5g dose/day and have 3-4 days break, is it enough not to get physically depended on it ? Going to use it for wd from opioids, but not wanting to get addicted to gabas, I use benzos on these 3-4 day breaks. Does pregabalin make you much faster physically dependable than gabapentis, so it's better to use gabas than pregs for wd's?

 

[Sam Stone]

Only got through about 8 pages of this thread but wanted to share my experience with gabapentin. Was prescribed gaba to help with opiod detox. Took it in various amounts for 6 months as it helped with paws. Got tired of not feeling all that well so scored some oxy. Felt fantastic on the oxy and stopped the gaba...zero wd from the gaba. This is a real life data point- I am not discrediting anyone that has had different experiences.

Now on day 11 of oxy detox. Was hoping to be feeling fine by now but thats not the case. Took oxy for 7 months straight so its a tough detox. Just popped 2 more gabas for relief from severe paws. Wondering how much gaba i should be taking. Not trying to take more than I need but need it to work. Have been taking 600 mg 3x per day but think i need to up that. Been going to work but can barely function. Came home and had a sorta attack and started smashing things and screaming. Should I go to 900 mg 3x per day? Hoping to hear from the experts on gaba dose for opiod wd paws. TIA!

PS: looking if theres a better thread to post my question also...

 

[Sam Stone]

If I take gabapentin 3 days row on 1,5g dose/day and have 3-4 days break, is it enough not to get physically depended on it ? Going to use it for wd from opioids, but not wanting to get addicted to gabas, I use benzos on these 3-4 day breaks. Does pregabalin make you much faster physically dependable than gabapentis, so it's better to use gabas than pregs for wd's?

My detox center/doctors precribe gaba as much as you want. But they do prescribe benzos. Benzos are way more addictive. Its like comparing grapefruits and cherries... stick to the cherries.

 

[Sam Stone]

My detox center/doctors precribe gaba as much as you want. But they do prescribe benzos. Benzos are way more addictive. Its like comparing grapefruits and cherries... stick to the cherries.

Oops...do NOT prescribe benzos!

 

[Ne0]

My detox center/doctors precribe gaba as much as you want. But they do prescribe benzos. Benzos are way more addictive. Its like comparing grapefruits and cherries... stick to the cherries.

Well I've never got anything serious dependency or addiction from benzos and been using them on and off for 15 years they don't even feel great, but gabapinoinds are totally different, pregabalin, phenibut and gabapentin give very strong and euphoric high for me that last for long time, pregabalin give grazy WD's even worse than opioid WD's and in very short time like 5-15 day daily use of 1g. Gabapentins don't seem to be that harsh, I can use the for one week with no problem doses 3,3g, but they use they're nice effects after 2 days so pointles to use longer, but they still work for opioid WD's.

 

[AlphaOdure]

I typically would go through my monthly script in 3 weeks, take a week off prior to mymhy refill, & have minimal side effects (at least compared to a horrid GABAergic dependency- barbiturates, benzos, carbonated, & MASSIVE amounts of 2m2b/TAA which gave me 2 weeks of the worst delirium & seizures from delirium tremens I've ever experienced. Ultmately it took 3-5 months before my cognitive capabilitirs returned.)

But gabapentin (2400mg/day) has been a life saver in my life long struggle witb GABAergics during my post-dope/opioid abusing days.

& yes that energetic euphoria in the first 2-3 days does subside, but i find gabapentin still indisputably effective beyond that for PAWS created from my GABAergic dependency.

But staggering 3 weeks on & 1 week off seems to keep that magical period of euphoria in tact.

However, i do usually double my buprenorphine dosage during that week off.

 

[LGV9000]

I get worried that if my insurance ever cuts off that I'll be without Gaba and I'll start to go retarded and feel empty inside. I wonder if the personality change is permanent or if it's just part of the detox.

I'm still taking 1.8g/day but every two months my friend sells me 540 of the 800mg for $40 (which she could sell on the street for $1k). When the 540 Gaba come in, I go overboard. I get terrible diarrhea and the diminishing returns for the Gaba are insane. My tolerance goes up so high I end up taking 30g/day just to feel normal. When I use them all up, I experience what you wrote. I thought I was the only one that got the skin sensitivity. Good to know I'm not alone.

 

[Juliya83]

I was on 300mg gabapentin 3 times a day. (900mg a day total) for 7 days. Then went too 600mg a day for 7 days, then 300mg a day for 7 days, then stopped. I have t taken gabapentin since September 18th. The withdrawal is ridiculously horrible! It’s been 44 days and no relief. I had to be put on Metoprolol for the tachycardia and frequent PVCS that is caused. My blood sugars are extremely high.... this is the worst drug EVER!

 

[PDXman]

You're right, if you didn't experience gabapentin withdrawals, no one else in the world ever will.

I guess the five days of not sleeping for one single second, horrid panic attacks, severe restlessness and depression that I felt when I quit gaba was all placebo.

Maybe I've been lucky like Saucy...I've been on Lyrica for years, at 900 mg/day. Because my insurance copay for Lyrica is almost $100 a month, I've run out 2 or 3 days before payday, several times, and (knock on wood) haven't experienced any withdrawals, so far. I've kicked heroin too many times, so maybe I'm expecting worse. I have the option to switch to gabapentin, for a fraction of the cost per month compared to Lyrica, but now I'm not sure if it's worth it.
Peace.
PDXman

 

[likeakite]

I quit alcohol cold turkey after more than ten years of a liter a day of gin, or whiskey, or whatever was in the house. No withdrawals.
Does than mean everyone who did the same and saw pink elephants or had seizures was full of shit?

Probably not. More likely is that I am an exception and it would be irresponsible to try and convince the average Joe that he can just quit a habit like that. People die from alcohol wds. I was just lucky.

Send and Opoidergic - Your experiences are really interesting, and they should give hope to those trying to quit. HOWEVER....... people do get really sick during gabapentin withdrawl. Not everyone of course. But some folks get withdrawls from Tylenol, coffee, or even sugar.
You were very lucky.

No way, impossible not to have withdrawal from that much alcohol

 

[likeakite]

People need to stop making shitt up. One person said Gabapentin withdrawal is Worse than heroin and alcohol withdrawal combined. These posts that lie should be deleted.

 

[Squeaky]

No way, impossible not to have withdrawal from that much alcohol

If I was going to lie, I wouldn’t have admitted how much I had been drinking. I lied to my Dr, my parents, my boss, etc. But not on Bl.