Gabapentin Withdrawals (Page 13) (Top voted first)

I'm being taken off of Neurontin/Gabapentin after seven years. I'm now crying, anxious, and itching all over! I have tried antihistamines and cortisone creams but with no relief.

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I don't think that is a bad thing. Even though it is an off label use it does work for that. I think they did that because so many people are having a hard time with it. This drug you have to go up and up and up in order to achieve the same affect. Well, after one goes up so far a doctor will stop going up and the patient usually does it themselves causing them to run out early thus needing a trip to the e.r. or back to the dr for an early refill. Thus making it look like it is abused.

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Yea that's called PAWS - post acute withdrawal syndrome....6 to 9 months...

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Good afternoon,

Interesting to read your comments. My wife is suffering from very nasty withdrawals. Could you tell me the dosage of the magnesium you took? Many thanks (UK)

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Been on gabapentin 3 weeks 300mg 3x day .doctor said take 2 for 2 days and 1 for 2 days then stop. Will i have bad withdrawals?

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I take 200 twice a day and 300 at night. Did you have any withdrawals? Interested to know. I don't know how people take such high doses. 200 mg makes me feel drunk.

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Will Buspirone help with Gabapentin withdrawal? I have been on the medication for around a year for nerve damage. I have recently been prescribed Buspirone for anxiety, but would this help with Gabapentin withdrawal as well? I want to stop the drug as it's making me so forgetful and tired.

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Re: Keisha (# 7)

Do you mean to say: "Does Gabapentin have a narcotic or narcotics in it?"
Gabapentin is a molecule, itself. It is composed of atoms bound to make the compound. It is a compound, itself, and not a mix of different compounds. Therefore it does not have other drugs "in it".

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Re: gabyist (# 16)

How soon after you take your gaba dose can you take the mag. I was told two hours after the gaba dose?

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I my self tried to stop taking Gabapentin I was itching all over it felt like needles poking me.i was on lalozepam over 30 years.and they put me on Gabaentin for the shakes. And plus they have me on other stuff too.i feel better since I started taking it.i just can't take it during the day it sucks the life out of me.but I guess I do need them.

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Re: gabyist (# 10)

Hi. I have been on Gabapentin for almost 10 years... I also have RSL..but I think its due to this medicine, that's what I'm told that this medicine can cause your legs to hurt.. I seriously got pain in my legs, muscle pain, like I'm constantly rubbing them or putting a heating pad of them EVERY SINGLE NIGHT!!! I cant seem to stand in one spot too long or my legs are hurting with pain all the way from my feet feeling like needles are in them to pain when I sleep, like the muscles hurt but I don't feel any sort of leg cramps. It's just my leg muscles hurt so bad on the inside where I can't stop moving my legs.....now moving around it gets better, not so bad but once I stop I feel pain in my feet up to my legs!!! What is this? Please help me with this question. My doctor said he thinks it's neuropathy but he hasn't ran any tests on me. He just gave me Gabapentin which I had already taken Gabapentin for my anxiety through my primary care doctor anyway.

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Had Shingles breakout 2 years ago, affected Upper V1 Branch of Trigeminal Nerve, burning, itching, stabbing pains, developed into PHN post herpetic neuralgia. Sought MD advice Rx'd Lidoderm Lidocaine patch, temporary relief yet phn condition continued. As of these past 6 days used only Calamine Lotion, it seems to be healing. Thank God.

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I was on Gabapentin 1800mg a day for 2 years. I tapered down and still have a feeling like I've been kicked in the groin, with stomach pain and no appetite. I was going blind on it. I was taking it for peripheral neuropathy of the feet but it did nothing to help at all. This stuff is poison. Will I get better?

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Re: Shannon (# 256)

I have been weaning myself off Gabapentin and I had really horrible leg pain when I went from 400 mgs to 300 mgs at night (I have been on only 600 mgs at night for a few years). It felt almost like the leg pain you would get from coming off opiates, but it was worse because it hurt to walk. I was worried that I had hurt my lower back.
Anyway, I took 500 mg Magnesium and it went away. Like 100% gone. I don’t know if it was withdrawals from Gabapentin or my spine messing with me (because it does sometimes) but either way, Magnesium helped so much I think I’m going to keep on it for awhile. I am down to 100 mgs Gabapentin at night now and my legs don’t hurt anymore.

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Re: Maggie (# 259)

Maggie - how is your withdrawal going now. I’m down to about 15 mg per day. I take a 100 mg capsule and dissolve it in a 100 ml of water in a graduated cylinder. I tried going back to very little over the last week, but I had bad withdrawal symptoms yesterday and today. I’m taking magnesium chloride also.

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Re: Luke (# 260)

How did you begin weaning off? I take 900 mg daily for about 6 months. Is going down to 800 every other day too fast? I'd like to avoid withdrawal symptoms if possible.

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Re: Pokey (# 262)

wow I didn't know it was going to be that hard. Where do you get this schedule? Is it somewhere online?

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Re: Katy (# 263)

There might be something online...not sure though. I just jotted it down on a piece of paper...reducing every 4 days by a small set amount. I tried to be pretty consistent and I think dissolving the gabapentin in water allows you to be pretty consistent with the dose...at least it worked well for me that way. I always tried to really mix up the dissolved gabapentin/water solution with a straw to ensure it was well mixed before taking.

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Re: gabyist (# 10)

I am on gabapentin and Percocet 4 post shingles pain pos post shingles pain post-herpetic neuralgia for 5 months now I started out on 300 mg at bedtimeIt than 300 mg 3 times a day and then 600 mg 3 times a day so I am taking 180 600 mg three times a day so I am taking 1800 mg Around the Clock for excruciating pain from the shingles although the blisters are hers now gone I don't know how long I will have to take this medication and what I'm hearing from the people on this page is getting me worried it may be months or years it's already been 5 months so I am also taking Percocet which I take only if the pain gets very very severe also worried about that medication because it is an medication because it is an opiate I am 80 years old and this pain is depressing me keeps me down I was a very active senior until this happened to me

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Some people need a really slow taper of 10% or less safe tapering protocols. Please ask your Doctor if he can support you with 10% or less drops if not that to support you to go as slow as you need. He can prescribe liquid Gabapentin to help control the drops or you can use a water titration method to help. There is a Lyrica water titration video on YouTube for a visual. I hope that helps get you some resources. Acute Gabapentin withdrawals mimic acute Benzodiazepines withdrawals. Both are GABA medications and the 10% or less reduction percentage for Benzodiazepines apply. Also 10% safe tapering guidelines is also becoming used for SSRIs, z-drugs, Cymbalta ect...

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Re: gabyist (# 26)


Hey Gabyist...not sure if you are still monitoring these blogs or not...but I’m working on coming off of Gabapentin. I’ve been taking ReMag for the last couple of weeks, but I’ve gotten a bit overzealous and was taking some pretty high amounts thinking it would work quicker. I was taking about 1 teaspoon 3-4 times per day in water with sea salt. What was the best concentration of ReMag that worked for you. I get bad headaches which seems to be the biggest issue. I get headaches from the Gabapentin during withdrawal everyday...I know when I’m ready for another dose. I am down to 18 mg of Gabapentin 3 times per day. I space the doses out to about 7-8 hours between doses. How did you taper once you got down into these lower doses. I seem to be very susceptible to dose changes down in these lower concentrations. Thanks for any insight you may offer!

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