Gabapentin Withdrawals (Page 4)

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.

REPLY

REPORT

I think that everybody handles Gabapentin differently and the way that I have been doing is to take it 300 mg every other day and now I'm down to 300mg three times a week and then I'll go down to 300mg twice a week and then once a week and then stop...I have been taking foot baths with Epson salts but I can't say if it helped with the withdrawal or not but it helped with my sore foot...:) I think the best thing to do is hang in there and set up a plan and try to stick to it, it's better to withstand a little pain than keep taking Gabapentin, that is if you can handle it... TXBGSA

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Adding this to my post,
He was taking 2 -300mg Capsules 3 times a day. 600 x 3 = 1800mg every 24 hr period

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I've been on Gabapentin, 800mg 3X/day for over 10 years. I hate it!!! I've begged to get off of it, can't stand the dependency or the side effects. I have neuropathy in my leg, the result of back surgery. I don't know what that would be like without the Gabapentin but I'd sure like to quit the G-word and see.
I'm a little on the forgetful side and missing a dose isn't pleasant, (nor am I). RiteAid once gave me Ibuproffen instead of Gaba, I was on a roller coaster ride with that since I still had the real stuff at home and the wrong stuff in the office.
Has anyone been in the same boat as me?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hello was reading your post I am having problems coming off the gabapentin as well and wanted to ask you what type specifically of magnesium supplement you used ?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

One more week to go and I'm done with Gabapentin, I went from once a day to every other day to three times a week to twice a week to once a week and I feel better at this point but still have some trouble sleeping but not bad. I still take the fish oil, V-D, B-12 and this last week I have been taking Calcium Magnesium but will stop on Sunday and my last 300 mil will be on Wednesday and then I'll wait and see what happens..Nothing I hope...You have to hang in there and get rid of this drug..

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

I don't want to be addicted to anything. I quit hydrocodone cold turkey after being on it 5 years. I developed an allergy to it. I've had problems with chronic pain for years. I take 1800 mg a day gabapentin. That may be why I had no withdrawal from the hydrocodone. Tramadol isn't working. My doctor wants me to see a pain Dr. I used to see one but he seemd to think i just wanted drugs because I increased the dosage on my own. I did not take it to feel high but for literal pain. I found out about gabapenten withdrawel when i ended up in icu a couple weeks ago. The itching about drove me crazy. They gave me benadryl 4 times but it did nothing. As soon as they gave me my gabapenten it went away. I need something better for pain and have no idea what. I dont want to go to a pain dr again. Im 58 and i dont drink or do drugs except for my RX's . No recreational drugs at all. I felt very insulted by him and have no desire to see another one. Is there anything my primary care dr. would feel ok giving me.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I was on 400mg one every night before bed, it was to help with the hot flashes after my hysterectomy.. The last few weeks I started to skip one every other night, until I stopped completely. Unfortunatley, I haven't had a good night sleep in days, I tried melatonin. But that hasn't helped either.. After reading about the magnesium I'm willing to try it hoping that something will help me sleep.. Still have the hot flashes, but I plan on asking my oncologist what I can do.. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

I'm sorry doctors are lying to you and saying gaba isn't a bad drug or has no side effects. i went off it 100mg at a time. thank GOD.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I know this post was a couple of years ago but I just wanted to say please don't every stop taking a drug like this suddenly. You always, always have to go off slowly.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Walnuts were recommended as high in magnesium. It did help. Raw green vegetables and fish also. It took a few weeks before he was better but we saw improvement by the next day after starting this Magnesium diet. Slowly he regained strength and after a few weeks the sudden withdraw effects were gone. He feels so much better now and is on regular diet. Best wishes to anyone dealing with this as it is very difficult to watch someone you love go through this.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

This drug is not a bad drug for everyone. There are many possible side effects. Not everyone experiences these side effects while taking the drug. However going off any drug that alters your brain chemistry can be difficult. It must be done slowly and can still be difficult. As with any drug the benefits must out way the the negatives. This is true when considering any drug. The drug may be wrong for one but a miracle for another.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

After about a week of not taking the gabapentin the side effects stopped.. But I have also been taken off my Tamoxifen and put on Aromison which has curbed my hot flashes.. With the gabapentin it did help me sleep at night, but now I'm back to having problems sleeping like I use too.. After stopping the gabapentin I am not as tired as I use to be through the day.. Going off of the gabapentin was the best thing I did.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

Thank goodness for you all, I must say. I've been taking phenibut and gabapentin, switching from one to the other every few weeks. For those who don't know about phenibut, it acts on the gaba receptors the same way as gabapentin, only quite stronger. I had some wine one night, not even thinking about it and totally overloaded my gaba receptors. Then the phenibut just stopped working overnight. Phenibut is also a dopamine blocker so when I tried to take my next dose it sent me into an extreme anxiety attack, so I stopped taking it. I went for five days in agony and then decided I'd had enough so I started on gabapentin again, which took the withdrawals away completely. Then I read how it may just end up causing more damage and I'd have to withdrawal eventually anyway, so I stopped it altogether. I'd been through gabapentin withdrawal before and thought I'd just sit it out but after 3 days of no sleep I decided to look up other remedies and it's been in my cupboard the whole time! I didn't realize magnesium would help until I read this thread. I have a little bottle of droplets to put in water filled with many trace minerals, including magnesium. After just one glass of water with 10 droplets I've noticed a huge decrease in my withdrawal symptoms after only 20 minutes!! So thank you all for the help and saving me from the torture. I do not plan to ever revisit this nightmare and hope others do the same.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

My doctor is pulling me off of 3 of my med's @ the same time. Neurontin 3600mg a day, Topamax 100mg a day, and Tizanidine 4mg 3x a day. My workers comp insurance is no longer going to pay for them. Please help me by telling me wht the withdrawals r going to b like. I've been on these med's for over 5 yr's

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hi Im just starting to tapper of gabapentin 3000mg a day for bout 2-3 years. I got mine prescribed for anxiey. Thank god for these forms. My question is can rubbing magnesium oil into body work as well? I ask because I have a stomach condition that might get aggravated taking the pills.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hi thank you for this. I'm begging to taper and have a stomach illness so taking pill for of magnesium wouldn't be ideal. Would a magnesium oil work?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

The itching lasted about three +1/2 days for me. The lack of sleep because of the itching about drove me crazy. I used chlorphenirmine, a 4 hr allergy tablet to help the itching. It would only help for 30 minutes or so but any relief was welcome. Don't give up. Many places in The Bible says It came to pass. This helped me. It didn't come to stay, it will pass. I will never take gabapentin again. I read that the makers were sued for using illegal means to get it past the FDA. They lost their suite.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

I have been on 600mg of gabbapentin for sciatic nerve pain for almost a month. I would like to get off of it completely. My pills are 300mg tabs. I take one in the morning and one at night. What is the best way to ween off of this dose with minimal withdrawal? Does the dose and amount of time I have been on this make a difference in how long it will take to get off of it? Thanks

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hi, today is my fourth day that I didn't have my GabaP. I ran out on Thurs and the Dr was unavailable. OMG if I only knew what I was in for!! I feel and have been feeling like the base of my brain is going to explode and my shoulders can barely hold up my head. Why don't these Dr's just give a person automatic refills. It's Rediculous! I have been so close to going to the hospital but I don't want to be admitted I just got out of the hosp for Severe low BP.. Anyone have any advice or words of encouragement? BTW I am Taking GabaP for Epilepsy... :(

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

For 2 months I have been trying to get off Gabapentin and it has been terrible. I was taking 1200 mg two times per day and tapered to zero in about ten days. BIG mistake! A week later I went to the ER because of the withdrawal symptoms. I went back on it and felt better within an hour. I went on 600 mg per day and tapered down to about 350 mg per day. After horrible anxiety, I increased to 600 in the morning and 300 at night. My doctor wants me to go to 300 mg three times per day so I am slowly trying to adjust my dosage schedule. My question is about magnesium - do you take magnesium at the same time as Gabapentin or how should the timing go?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

I've been on Gabapentin for two days, taking 100mg twice. Will I have withdrawals if I stop taking it? ## No, there ...

4 REPLIES

Does gabapentin help at all with opiate withdrawals? Does it make it at all any more comfortable? ## It may help allevia...

8 REPLIES

I have been in pain management for years, lost my doctor along with other patients, and primary won't fill or says s...

299 REPLIES

I have been prescribed oxycodone 30 MG's for about 4 years 1 to 2 a day. I decided on the 11th of this month enough ...

34 REPLIES

My husband has used fentanyl patches for years for chronic pain. He's been on the lowest dosage for at least 2 years...

9 REPLIES

I was on 120 mg of methadone for 8 years straight with no relapse, so I decided to quit it. I got down to 110mg and had ...

6 REPLIES

I was on liquid Methadone for chronic pain for years and while on waiting list to switch to a new Pain center, I was wea...

6 REPLIES

I was taking 2-scripts for oxy and now taking Zubsolv but just ran out after 65 days. I'm miserable not as bad as wi...

5 REPLIES

I had spine surgery on 7/21. I had been taking 900 mgs daily for years. By 7/24 inadequate a hemorrhagic stroke. The hos...

5 REPLIES

I quit taking Chantix a few days ago and I am having a very hard time. I am very very sad and can't stop crying. I t...

5 REPLIES