don't give up it'll be worth it to be free of it. Doctors please quit prescribing this med without checking in on side effects and the potential it 1 Report this post. Gabapentin is dangerous and not a catch all alternative to see if it works. Going off gabapentin was 50 times more difficult. I wish i was never prescribed gabapentin for nerve pain and I wish I did a better research before i took it. I had one Neurologist who did not push pharmaceuticals at me. UGH what a NIGHTmare! Registered number: 10004395 Registered office: Fulford Grange, Micklefield Lane, Rawdon, Leeds, LS19 6BA. Feel free to contact us at [emailprotected] if you have further questions to ask or if theres anything you want to contribute or correct to this article. I feel like I'm completely losing it. Like the person in the article, I started and tried to stop this drug more than once. I was on Tylenol 3 for Pain which when stoped I had no withdrawl just increased Pain. But nothing worked out for me. Does the phrase Gabapentin ruin my life make sense to you now? Do the following if you have missed dose on significant doses; You should consult your doctor on what to do if you dont know what to do. I suppose it's workiing for some of my issues, but I DON'T like taking a drug that is this HORRENDOUS coming off. I don't know what your "withdrawal" symptoms have been, but I had burning, severe bilateral leg pain, nerve shaking and eye pain. I don't know what doctors think or care or even know about the side effects. I am so fortunate to have him as my doctor. Barres noted that he and his colleagues found that gabapentin does not dissolve pre-existing synapses, but only prevents formation of new ones. answered any questions you had concerning this. Hope that helps. There are things you can do to help cope with them: Feeling sleepy, tired or dizzy Feeling sick (nausea) Being sick (vomiting) Diarrhoea Mood changes Swollen arms and legs Blurred vision Dry mouth It is vital to discuss the potential side effects of Gabapentin, as well as any necessary precautions, with the doctor. Another user stated: Gabapentin became my worst nightmare right after I took the first ever dose of this medication. We Can Do All Things Through Christ!!!! Now I don't want to advocate other stuff, but I'm like you regarding the anti-depressants. I suffered from terrible side effects and I had to discontinue the treatment as there was literally no way I could bear that horrible drug., I had been on gabapentin since my teenage years and it did control my seizures well. It comes in the following forms: It is used for epilepsy treatment to prevent partial seizures. I have contemplated trying pot but haven't done it yet, but reading that it helps so many people maybe it's worth it. Nothing painful, just odd. Like I was observing and behaving as best I could. No time for resting on our laurels and assuming Dr knows best/ the Drs hands are tied and most are brainwashed, few share with honesty just how scared they are also. Nobody ever told me I had to gradually taper the dose off and so I suffered from the horrific effects of withdrawal symptoms all on my own. I didn't realize how bad it was when I thought I didn't have any, until the switch just turned. Hi Diane, I did not know about these horror stories from the rest of you and was not aware this was a controlled substance until quite recently. 3) I became depressed & anxiousI feel like I lost weeks of my life I will never get back. Watch out, there will really be a problem when patients or people on the street try to wean themselves off gabapentin. Since I was on gabapentin for 20 years, it did take a long time to feel better. just started coming off gabapentin, was on 700 mg for 1year and ahalf. I often read patients on forums stating they have no problem with gabapentin. It manages the excessive and involuntary movements associated with this condition by controlling the excessive neuronal activity in your brain. Anyway I was on 1800 a day when I started to taper, I was on it for over 20 years. Only take vitamins and herbs. It scares the willies out of me. I'm tired of taking so much medicine I just decided I wasn't going to take it anymore which was my mistake without checking first. How's your mind?? Sleeping last night horrible leg pain. One movement disorder specialist showed me the white spot that looks like a bright cloud, and claimed that was what the hypothalamus gland looks like. Sometimes my computer jumps around because of all the ads and I can't find the message. This forum is where I learned about safe downward titration of this product. Well now I know too. it has been almost 12 years since cold turkey still going through withdrawal symptoms, i think the damages done to my gaba system is permanent still hoping to regain life. I had gabapentin prescription but rarely took it but when I went off of the Percocet I took the gabapentin to ease the withdrawal symptoms. Can Gabapentin ruin your life? Most days it is all I can do to get through the day so that I can sleep and get a break from it all. The . Take gabapentin exactly as directed. It was THAT BAD! I can only tell you what I went through when I was on it!! Youve got this!!! I did the slow tampering off like they said to. The uses of gabapentin in detail include: Gabapentin is used for the prevention and treatment of partial seizures. Your comments are getting lost in this very lengthy one. Gab affects the optic nerve, so there can be blurred vision. Swelling or tenderness in different parts of the body. So now. I don't trust anyone anymore except this forum and the Facebook groups I'm in. Symptoms of gabapentin withdrawal may include nausea, dizziness, headaches, insomnia, and anxiety. UGH Never going to another neurologist again! Gabapentin is specifically a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) analog, which means that it establishes and maintains the balance between nerve cell excitation and nerve cell inhibition. I hope that we both get through this quickly as possible.. prayers to you & god bless. If I wasnt sure.Id take it. Drs dont tell you everything that can happen! Maybe we ought to ALL start a class action suit against the maker of gabapentin for NOT warning us, and add the doctors to it as well. Look up information about tapering off benzoid drugs or the NY Times article about people trying to get off anti-depressants, we're all in the same boat and they're FINALLY realizing that. Hey, sorry I didnt respond, just saw this now when I started researching this drug again. I have a wonderful partner, I travel to Greece for the summers, I have a great life but this black cloud that has moved in and settled in my head just won't go away. My face and arms burn. I also have fibromyalgia, unfortunately Lyrica didn't work for me, but who knows, THAT could have ended up being just as dangerous. Side effects like allergic reaction, fever, nausea, tremors, or double vision, Withdrawal symptoms such as sweating, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, and others. I have been pretty much on my own with this except a few people who have talked to me on this site, and sometimes I don't hear back from anyone. The reason I want to get off this drug is because my memory issues really scared me. To anyone reading these posts, there is a great story called Gabapentin Horror-Mad in America. These include: According to the authors of a 2010 study paper; people with preexisting kidney disease may experience potentially fatal toxicity when taking gabapentin. If I didn't have a cat or live alone, I would go to a rehab place and have it reduced by people who HOPEFULLY know how to get me off of this SAFELY! Though her work was mainly with benzodiazepine users, her methods have been found to be the safest for all psych drugs. I went off because I had horrible side effects! Perhaps, I am wrong, but I think patients on this 'gabapentin problem section' deserve not be judged by people that do not know someone in terms of their country of origin, their injury, medical history or legal situation involved with their medical issues. so finally I went back to the doctor and he put me on 600 more milligram at night. I am a little bit better every week off it, but overall not able to function, work or take part in life. You have choices here and you need to decide what is best for you. I hate taking meds to begin with, but this one really has be freaked. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. The only thing keeping me going is knowing how much I go through each day and I try to tell myself I am one day closer to possibly feeling better. by JosiahI too went through the awful nightmare when I quit gabapentin. Any success goes to all who weened before me who shared their personal experiences and a strong faith in The Good Lord. Some need to go slower. Let me know if you have trouble navigating to find it. The slower the titration down, the better when it comes to gabapentin. I will begin to pray for all to find their way to this forum and spare the violence this mind bending product could perpetuate. I have been an RN for 42 years. Serotonin affects the brain and other body systems. Do you have some good days? No wonder it has recently been changed to being a controlled substance. The irritability is so bad, I can barely get ready to leave the house and go to a meeting. My loved my life and everything about it before this. I did not think my problems were that terrible before I went off the drug. In some cases, individuals who are at risk of or are already displaying severe withdrawal symptoms may require intensive inpatient monitoring and medical withdrawal management if complications arise. I told him about the article, that i mentioned above. I did not have any problems or side effects from taking it except for the weight gain. The elimination of gabapentin through the kidneys can cause local impairment and increase the risk of toxicity. They all come with cautions and potential problems. It helps to read actual articles or medical abstracts that discuss these problems. I hope it's not permanent that would be terrible. i am seeing a neurologist soon for the brain zaps, but i hear it's not uncommon. Coming off any drug abruptly after being on it for 20 years is always going to be hell if not downright dangerous. I am trying these things to slowly wean off of the gabapentin. I was on it for over 20 years and cut down too fast and even went by what my doctor told me to do, which was also too fast. Diane80014 posted the sixth one: Hi Jackie, Why do you want to go off of it?Are you afraid of what could happen long term? These chemicals send signals that tell your body how to work. I will as soon as I can get to my PCP to let him know that I need his support to change my 300mg capsules to 100mg until I can get down to only 600 then we can change those to a lower dose so that I can keep reducing in 100mg increments. Central nervous system (CNS) depressants like alcohol and opioids when taken together with Gabapentin can increase drowsiness and dizziness. When I quit that cold turkey I suffered horrible withdrawals: Diarrhea, vomiting and chills for a week and a little down the next week as well. Hope you feel better soon and are able to get off it with as much ease as possible. <3. Your 1800 (600, 600,600) could be reduced to 500, 600, 500 or 500, 600, 600. I tapered too quickly the first month but since have been reducing between 8-12% per month. I went thru fentanyl withdrawal quite a few times years ago. If you forget to take one or more doses: take your next dose at the usual time and in the average amount. I was on Gabapentin for 7 months overall. In terms of recovery from gabapentin, it can take up to two years if you had a very difficult withdrawal. !thats how we have validation and gain knowledge. I feel destroyed right now and i wish that this passes. The GABA neurotransmitters work by supervising the excitability of the neurons. I'm on day 29 of withdrawals and it feels like it's been a year. It's not possible unless you are quite weathly. I will be praying for help from my Savior for it to be done safely and effectively. This virus remains inactivated, but becomes active either because of compromised immunity or excess stress. Why is Gabapentin (and by association, it's much stronger sister drug Lyrica) withdrawal brutal? I guess Im just wondering why you want to go off! My last reduction was poring out the capsule dividing it leaving half for night. I was given Gabapentin to help with my depression along with my Wellbutrin. Overcoming Pain & Discomfort Understanding the Impact of Craniocervical Instability, Ideal Body Proportions Calculator For Athlete, How to Prepare Yourself for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Why You Should See A Dentist For Jaw Pain. I'm just wondering how you're feeling now?? luckily i live in CA i learned 0.5 mg of a THC edible would really help the symptoms without making me feel stoned. I wish I had known about all of this BEFORE I was perscribed this. In other words, I havent really been able to make myself get started good on a routine of weaning. From what I've read, the symptoms of withdrawal/discontinuation syndrome may last many months for some people. Why is it Cheaper to Use an Insurance Broker? I too had seen this type of post in the other forums and thought, yeah, I don't like the side effects, but how bad can it be? I am 4 weeks off, after a very long and horrendous 4 month taper. I created a schedule and not sure whether withdrawal symptoms are any worse than the side effects, if not I can handle this with HIS help. Looked online. Remember the schedule is flexible and your comfort is important. Those two herbs are for neurological support. I hope you two can weather this storm. Not sure if you meant you are terrified to stay on it!! Once i force myself to get up that subsided but I am left with my face and arms feeling prickly, fuzzy and tingly like my skin is crawling. Posted Some days I feel a bit better, but this long cold winter had been difficult. the burning was pretty intense so I would use Tinactin spray to cool my feet off at night or put them in cold water. What a horror this drug is. Is it any better? SEE: Gabapentin street price. And if you're going up and down, as you start to increase, it's getting hard on your brain and body. Call 911 if these symptoms appear life-threatening. I went into treatment for alcohol at the end of September of this year. It was prescribed for back pain and not one Dr has believed my story. It has a short half life. Nothing much will happen. The healing will come, but it will take longer if it was a sudden or drastic drop. A few years back I was on 60-100 mg oxycontin a day for half a year after a car accident. My shoulder was in excruciating pain. These include: Gabapentin can cause some serious side effects. But maybe that's just me. so I kept thinking neuropathy and I'm not a diabetic. These drugs are often used to treat similar conditions. I also remind myself that I may not have as much of a problem as others do. I am so angry that she threw me on this with out knowing what was really wrong! The safest way to stop using gabapentin is to taper off the medication under the supervision of a doctor. It was 3 days of pure hell a week of anxiety and back to normal and feeling good. This after stopping cold turkey and almost dying I found this thread. Have your boyfriend read testimonials and he will see that people have detoxed from heroin and opiods quicker and easier than this. Had I known about all of this years ago, I would not have ever gone on it to begin with. Healthsoothe is the leading source for trustworthy and timely oral health and medical news and information. The anxiety is new in my life but the depression is overwhelming. I started my ween I 10-17. It may not suit some people, but overall it is considered a very good medication in order to relieve some epileptic symptoms. When I got off I felt 20yrs younger. But until that brain snapped back to "being me", I don't think all of that would have made as much of a difference. i seem to be "some people". The symptoms he had were because of tapering too quickly. At first I referred to myself as 'a dumb blonde' (no offense intended), but then it wasn't funny any more. I am so mad for ever being put on that terrible drug. How Topamax ruined my life - Read what other people said on this. I prayed everyday for God to help me know that it wasnt me, it was my brain recovering. My doctors prescribed me a variety of new and modified versions of newly available anticonvulsants. I can't tell you how happy I am for you!!! When one gets to the lower doses, the drug has more efficacy, so many only taper 5%. 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