Misc Is medium term use of gabapentin as a taper aid a bad idea?

[Speed King]

I think its right on up there with benzos in the worst shit ever department. yikes. not too bad after short term use and it takes a few weeks to gain a dependency to it but after you do, youre fucked.

I think people with a history of benzo/gabaergic drugs should avoid gabapentin. seems like the people that get fucked up withdrawals from gaba have abused benzos in the past. not sure if its causal or not, but ive def noticed a correlation.

Great reply. I can stand by this. In the end, ymmv.

 

[ErgicMergic]

Gabapentin or Lyrica is fantastic if used as a taper aid to come off of low doses of benzos (<1mg alprazolam) or moderate doses of opiates.

Keep in mind that they also produce dependence, and if your benzo/GABA dependence is too high it might not hold you so don't cold turkey off of huge doses of GABAergics by switching. Rather, taper down to a comfortable level, then switch for a few days.

 

[Solipsis]

The gabapentinoids don't have the GABAb agonism of phenibut afaik, but seem like they are at least as strong as VDCC blockers. So tapering with gabapentin may serve as a crutch to withdraw from part of the phenibut effects, but eventually as far as VDCC blocking goes, for that part how is it not just postponement? If that is the only relevant part, then you'd actually be switching to a stronger drug even, perhaps. Well pregabalin mostly, gabapentin I don't know.