Mental Health does gabapentin have harsh rebound effects?

[hydroazuanacaine]

i’ve had multiple psychs recommend it instead of benzos. is its anxiolytic effect to rebound anxiety ratio any better? i’d use it prn.

thanks.

 

[Cheshire_Kat]

It's very individual based.

I was prescribed it for reasons other than anxiety. I would be fine while awake, but had severe and chaotic nightmares if I dared fall asleep.

This lasted days after stopping 300 mg x3 a day for several months. Prescription was for sciatic pain for what it's worth.

 

[negrogesic]

Rebound anxiety from gabapentin is less than it is with benzos. The rebound anxiety is more physical than benzo rebound anxiety. The rebound insomnia it produces is pretty strong however, in some ways worse than benzos. Still I'd rather take gabapentin rebound over benzo rebound any day.

As far as an anxiolytic alternative to benzos, pregabalin is far superior to gabapentin.

 

[SKL]

I found it to have pretty significant rebound anxiety, and of a different character than that of benzos. It is difficult to articulate but it reminded me more of the rebound you get with GHB although nowhere near as harsh. One thing I can say is that the rebound from gabapentin felt more somatic than the benzos did.

I second what negro said about pregabalin, it's a superior drug to the extent that people should probably stop prescribing gabapentin in most situations (pregabalin is a controlled substance though, schedule IV or V I think, but still.)

 

[Flynnal]

For what it's worth, my psychiatrist prescribed pregabalin. I took it for a few days, 3 x 25mg per day. Guess what happened? Last Monday morning I sudden came down with some weird tinnitus/sound distortion, but it later went away after a few days, but it scared the fucking bejesus out of me. Guess what happened then? I looked it up and sure enough, IT'S OTOTOXIC and quite toxic in that regard, so I fucked it off and won't ever touch it again.

The same goes for SSRIs, which is a right fucking shame because they offer so much relief for anxiety, but they cause tinnitus and sexual dysfunction, among a few of their many side effects.

You just can't win, can you?

 

[Tramalala]

For what it's worth, my psychiatrist prescribed pregabalin. I took it for a few days, 3 x 25mg per day. Guess what happened? Last Monday morning I sudden came down with some weird tinnitus/sound distortion, but it later went away after a few days, but it scared the fucking bejesus out of me. Guess what happened then? I looked it up and sure enough, IT'S OTOTOXIC and quite toxic in that regard, so I fucked it off and won't ever touch it again.

The same goes for SSRIs, which is a right fucking shame because they offer so much relief for anxiety, but they cause tinnitus and sexual dysfunction, among a few of their many side effects.

You just can't win, can you?

You sure you took gabapentin? 25mg doses seem very low. Gabapentin usually comes in capsules of 300mg.

I've found the rebound anxiety of gabapentin horrible. Comparable to phenibut (which I've used too much) and GHB (which I've used waaay too much). I get really weird headaches (feels like high blood pressure?) from phenibut and gabapentin while stopping but somehow also while using if I use multiple days in a row. Never again.

 

[n3ophy7e]

You sure you took gabapentin? 25mg doses seem very low. Gabapentin usually comes in capsules of 300mg.

They said pregabalin, not gabapentin 25mg x 3 or 4 times a day could be a starting dose.

 

[Tramalala]

They said pregabalin, not gabapentin 25mg x 3 or 4 times a day could be a starting dose.

Lol, my bad. Those are obviously different chems with different dosages.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

It's not the same as benzos. I don't think it can cause seizures in withdrawal. But it still merits a taper. It's likely superior to pregabalin as there is a sort of anti-abuse mechanism at play. They otherwise are quite similar.

Most uses are for drug dependence or for some select symptoms of bipolar disorder--anxiety, insomnia, perhaps more. Though it's not a mood stabilizer. But a good 85% of all gabapentin prescriptions are for off-label uses, not just for neuropathic pain.