Gabapentin (Neurontin) is an anticonvulsant medication in the GABA analog lass that was originally created to help manage epilepsy, but is also utilized to help individuals suffering from neuropathic pain. It has become a first-line treatment option for the relief of neuropathic pain from diabetic neuropathy, central neuropathic pain, as well as post-herpetic neuralgia. This medication also is popular for other, more off-label uses including: treating restless leg syndrome, insomnia, and in some cases, bipolar disorder.
Gabapentin was created with the intention of mimicking the GABA neurotransmitter (gamma-aminobutyric acid), but is not thought to act on the same brain receptors. The way the drug works isn’t well known. Some research suggests that it may interact with various voltage-dependent calcium channels in neurons. It is also thought to reduce the release of mono-amines and decrease the axon excitability in certain areas in the hippocampus.
The half life of Gabapentin is only 5 to 7 hours – meaning this medication has an extremely short time before it is cleared from the body. Half life is important to understand because medications with shorter half lives tend to yield the most severe withdrawal symptoms. This medication can be extremely difficult to withdraw from – so make sure you work with a professional when trying to stop taking it.
Factors that influence Gabapentin withdrawal include
There are various factors that influence withdrawal from any medication and/or powerful drug like Gabapentin. The factors that play the greatest role in determining how quick you recover are: time span (how long you took the drug), the dosage (how much you took), your physiology (some people recover quicker), and how you quit the drug (long taper vs. short taper vs. cold turkey).
1. Time Span
For what length of time were you taking this drug? Did you take it every day for years? Did you take it for just a few months? The shorter the duration of time that you were on this medication, the easier it should be for you to come off of it. The longer that you were taking Gabapentin, the more accustomed your brain and nervous system will become to receiving the drug to help with functioning. Therefore, it may be extremely difficult to withdraw from if you have been on this medication for an extended period of time.
2. Dosage (300 mg to 3000Â mg)
Most doctors start younger people at 300 mg to take 3x per day. So the starting dose is typically around 900 mg per day. The a young adult or teenager may work their way up to 1800 mg per day if that’s what is recommended by the doctor. In some cases, the drug is prescribed in regards to bodyweight. Some doctors will prescribe 10 mg to 15 mg per kilogram (kg) of bodyweight. Anyways, if you are on a higher dosage, it is thought that withdrawal is going to be a lot more difficult compared to someone on a low dose.
3. Physiology
This drug has a noticeable effect on nearly everyone that takes it. The majority of individuals are going to have withdrawal symptoms of some kind. However, your individual physiology will determine how severe these symptoms are. If you tend to not experience many withdrawal effects on medications, you may cope with the withdrawal process just fine. If you are someone who is ultra-sensitive to medications, you may have a very difficult time adjusting to life without Gabapentin.
4. Cold turkey vs. Tapering
It is strongly advised that you always work with your doctor and do a “gradual taper.” This involves slowly reducing your dosage over a period of weeks or months with the intention of finally quitting the drug. The higher the dose you have become accustomed to taking, the more gradual you will need to stop taking this medication. If you quit this medication “cold turkey” it may trigger very dangerous symptoms including seizures. Never quit anything this powerful without slowly tapering off of it.
Gabapentin Withdrawal Symptoms: List of Possibilities
Below are some withdrawal symptoms that you may experience when withdrawing from Gabapentin. Keep in mind that you may not experience everything on the list – everyone will have a different experience. These are a list of symptoms based on what individuals have reported during their withdrawal process.
- Anxiety: Some individuals report feelings of anxiety upon withdrawal. This anxiety may be subtle or severe. It has been documented that some people actually take this medication for treating anxiety. Therefore when coming off of this medication, it is common for people to feel especially anxious.
- Appetite changes: Some people may feel like not eating and will experience a noticeable loss of appetite when quitting Gabapentin. Others may experience an increased appetite – especially if while on the drug their appetite decreased.
- Crying spells: The emotions can run wild when coming off of this medication. You may find yourself crying for no reason or you may experience crying spells as a result of the depression you are experiencing. Just know that the excessive crying will eventually stop.
- Depression: Many people experience feelings of significant depression when they stop taking this medication. Even for people with no prior emotional problems may experience severe depression when they stop taking this drug. There have been cases where individuals take this medication recreationally and experience very tough depression when they have to stop taking it.
- Dizziness: One of the most common symptoms to experience during withdrawal from this medication is dizziness. You may feel so dizzy that you are unable to properly function throughout the day. Just know that this means your brain is trying to reset itself and it will eventually go away. If it doesn’t subside, you could try to taper even more slowly.
- Fatigue: Another common withdrawal symptom that you may experience is that of fatigue, lethargy, or tiredness. You may lack energy to get things done throughout the day. It is common to feel extremely fatigued while coming off of Gabapentin – do your best to cope with it.
- Headaches: Most people don’t talk about the fact that coming off of this medication can result in headaches. Â There have been cases of individuals that go on this medication, and during withdrawal experience migraine headaches. Â As time passes, these are thought to go away.
- Insomnia: Some people experience pretty severe insomnia when they first quit this medication. This may have a profound impact on your sleep patterns, so do your best to cope with the inability to fall asleep. Try to engage in some relaxation exercises if you are too anxious or agitated to fall asleep.
- Irritability: You may notice yourself becoming especially irritable during the acute phases of withdrawal from this drug. Â It may be difficult to cope with, but take a step back and realize that your neurotransmitter levels and brain activity has been temporarily altered. Â You may not be able to control feeling this way, but you can do your best to control how you react because of it.
- Itching: You may experience itching all over your body. This isn’t a very well documented or talked about symptom, but some people may feel as if they are going crazy because their body feels so itchy during the withdrawal process. Just know that if you are experiencing extreme itchiness, you are not alone.
- Muscle pain: If you were taking this medication to help manage symptoms of pain, it is no doubt that the pain is going to return. With that said, it is common to feel pain throughout the body and in various muscles when quitting this drug.
- Nausea: Some people become very nauseated during their withdrawal. This is not an easy symptom to cope with, but do your best to fight through it.
- Restlessness: It’s common to feel restless when coming off of Gabapentin. The restlessness may interfere with your ability to stay focused throughout the day on certain tasks. Take it for what it’s worth – try to push through it and know it will subside.
- Seizures: One of the biggest dangers associated with cold turkey or sudden discontinuation of Gabapentin is that of seizures. There have even been reports of people experiencing seizures from relatively low doses. Make sure that you take the time to taper off of this drug – regardless of your dose.
- Sleep disturbances: You may experience significant difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, and getting a restful night’s sleep. These go hand-in-hand with insomnia, anxiety, and restlessness that you may be experiencing.
- Spasms: Many people experience muscle spasms when trying to quit. If the spasms become unbearable, you may need to conduct a slower taper. In most cases people can deal with an occasional spasm or two.
- Stomach pain: Some individuals have pain in their stomach and/or abdominal area during withdrawal.
- Suicidal thinking: If you are withdrawing from Gabapentin and notice that you are becoming extremely depressed and/or experiencing suicidal thoughts, be sure to get help. These will eventually subside as time passes.
- Sweating: Many people report horrible night sweats to the point that they wake up in the middle of their sleep with beads of sweat dripping off of their body. You may experience excessive sweating throughout the day, but it may be even worse at night.
Note: It is understood that Gabapentin stays in your system for 1-2 days after discontinuation. Â Once the drug has been fully excreted from your body, many of the withdrawal symptoms are likely to emerge.
Suggestion: Magnesium supplements to help ease withdrawal symptoms
Many people have had success easing withdrawal symptoms by supplementing magnesium. Â Gabapentin attaches to the same chemical receptor in your brain as calcium and magnesium. As you begin to taper off of Gabapentin, your body will make use of magnesium supplementation that you supply it, and you’ll have a much easier time coping with withdrawal symptoms. Some people experience very minimal to no withdrawal symptoms while supplementing magnesium during withdrawal.
Gabapentin Withdrawal Duration: How long does it last?
The withdrawal process affects everyone differently, so there is no exact science to say that withdrawal will take a specific amount of time. For some people the process will take a few weeks, for others the effects will linger for months. Many individuals that have withdrawn say that it took them over a year to fully recover once they took their last dose. Give your body and mind time to heal – after all, these medications have a significant impact on your brain chemistry when taken over an extended period of time.
Recognize that the most important thing you can do during any sort of withdrawal is to take good care of yourself. Make sure you are eating healthy foods, getting exercise, and allowing your body to make a full recovery. Talk to close family members and friends about your experience for added social support. If you are feeling especially down or having a difficult time, consider working with a therapist.
If you cannot afford a therapist, various online forums should be able to provide you with some good advice and support. Realize that you are not the only person that has experienced Gabapentin withdrawal – many people have made it through this experience. It does take time, but with good habits, social support, and advice, recovery will only be a matter of time.
Day 4, no gabapentin, down from 300mg 3x a day. The side effects, especially the body discomfort seem to ebb and flow. For awhile today they were pretty much gone, I was outside and walking at the time so maybe mild exercise helps? I felt almost normal. Overall I’d say that side effects are reduced by 30% at this point(?). Seems I’m going to make it; another thought is that the physical side effects are brought on by injestion of certain kinds of food? I know that sounds crazy but can’t think of anything else I did except eat and they started up again.
I don’t know if this site will allow it but I’m going to provide a link to something I found that provides some of the FDA’s own data from trials of gabapentin. One ‘very’ interesting thing I found is that it was classified as ‘frequent’ for pneumonia to develope (Respiratory) as a result of using gabapentin. I say this because I was treated just a month ago for respiratory infection and it never fully went away, still coughing up stuff, but , lungs feel better now none the less. May the love in your heart illuminate your every step.
I was prescribed Gabapentin for the first time about 5 months ago for the treatment of bad headaches caused by BP meds, and to prevent seizures, 300mg 3x a day. Everything was fine for about six weeks, then I started getting dizzy spells and couldn’t figure out why, that’s when I first realized I’d been duped again by the medical/pharmaceutical tag team we commonly refer to as a healthcare system. It took at least a week for me to figure out if it was one of my BP meds or the GP, as it turns out it was most definitely the GP.
I am now in my second attempt at freeing myself from this drug, well, I in fact haven’t taken any for about three days now and like many have posted here it’s been hell. I reduced it by 300mg per week. It’s as bad if not worse than benzo withdrawals, been there done that. Funny thing is, the night I was first given this drug, (visit to the ER), the pharmacist, said that she had known people who had stopped taking it because it made them feel weird, subtle warning I did not comprehend, I do now.
It’s pretty obvious that some people do benefit from this drug and should therefore not stop taking it without consultation with a medical professional, (I use that term lightly). The rest of us will just have to slog our way free of it. The first time I tried I couldn’t do it and went back on, this time it seems that I’ll make it, I sure hope so. Peace be with you, no one deserves this kind of hell from something that’s supposed to be helpful. The devil is most certainly in the details, of which none of us were informed by the people entrusted to protect our health. The tail is wagging the dog.
I have been taking gabapentin 900mg x3 a day for severe ME which has been a godsend but decided to reduce by 100mg x3 a day. I felt anxious, irritable, couldn’t sit still, and was crying all the time. I didn’t realise this was all down to reducing by 300mg a day until I found this forum. I’m so cross with my doctor that he didn’t warn me how addictive this drug is. I felt so bad I gave in this morning and took the 900mg instead of the 800mg and feeling a little better. Good luck to you all who have the will power to see it out.
I started taking a few months ago because my brain over fires thoughts at night causing insomnia. It has been great. I only take it before bed started at 100mg and now at 300mg. I recently went up to 300mg because I felt that the 200 was no longer effective. I started noticing calf cramps and pain during the day as well as shortness of breath all day long. I have asthma but it is usually exercise induced. I am not sick but I can’t breathe.
I even take my inhaler with no relief. Yesterday I took a gaba during the day just 100mg and realized it helped the breathing. I also took aspirin though later that day because it became worse again and reading online was worried somehow I had blood clots (I think the breathing is making me crazy). As luck would have it my doctor is out of town for a week which is why I am turning to the internet. I am now wondering after reading some comments. Is it the up in GABA causing the breathing problems since I only take it at night and feel great when I go to bed, then all day long I am in detox and can’t breathe??? Opinions??
I started taking gabapentin as a migraine prophylaxis about 3 months ago, migraine being classed as neuropathic pain I reckon. My migraines were becoming debilitating, having 3 or 4 every week and sometimes 2 or 3 in one day! I thought gabapentin was wonderful at first and was just taking one 300mg capsule in the morning. I didn’t have a single migraine for weeks on end, and then suddenly started having migraines again, so I increased the dose to 2x 300mg, and then eventually 3x 300mg.
That’s when I started to have severe side effects that were worse than the horrible migraines. I then decided to stop taking gab as I couldnt tolerate the changes in me. The mood swings, the anxiety, depression, dizziness, nausea etc etc. Of course I’m now withdrawing from the medication and am suffering like hell. I’m exhausted but can’t sleep, I’m getting most of the symptoms including of course, very severe migraine. I’m never taking prescribed toxins ever again as I’ve already been through antidepressant withdrawal ( prescribed after losing 2 sons).
This is just as bad if not worse, although currently living it, is obviously affecting my judgement, I’ll reassess once I’m through this. I’m afraid this may be just a ‘shut up’ medication, like antibiotics for a cold. As a senior health care professional myself and with very personal experiences caused by bad prescribing by GP’s, as in the case of my eldest son’s death 5 years ago for example, I would advise anyone to do their own research, make their own decisions about tapering (prolonging the agony, but very necessary for those after long term or high dose use), cold turkey, or even considering advice from their doctor. This is hell in a capsule! I dread to think what my poor son went through after he died from way, way over prescribed medication from his doctor! Be very, very careful!
I hope that you are doing better now. I also wanted to see how you are doing from the loss of your sons. God Bless you and take care. -Jodi
I have been on them for 8 years and off for a week an a half maybe. I am having severe side affects . Heart racing / pounding a jittery feeling, difficulty catching my breath when barely doing any thing, severe sweating, insomnia… both falling asleep & staying asleep. I’m exhausted, no appetite, muscle aches, I get agitated easily & I hate to admit it but a rage over stupid stuff. I have never felt anything like this when stopping a medication. How long can this last?
I echo Scott’s comment. I thought I was going mad or having a breakdown. Been on gab. for 7 years for post-herpatic pain and Fibromyalgia. Told to stay on by pain clinic. Put on clonazepam year ago for spasms which may be part of FM or side-effect of gab. Came off both gradually beginning January as consultant said I was taking too much clon. to deal with things – moved easier and no spasms – as it is addictive and ultimately paradoxical in effect. Thank God I saw him when I did after only 1 month on high dose. GP was so wrong. Decided to come off both at same time as I need to know if spasms are part of FM or side-effect of gab. SO GRATEFUL FOR THIS FORUM AND WEBISTE. Husband smug but supportive as he said it was the drugs affecting me. What the heck did we do before the internet?
I think I must be having withdrawal symptoms from something I’m on after back surgery in Aug. I’ve been having headaches, left arm & leg tremors & crying a lot. It could be from the neurontin, it could be hydrocodone, could be buspirone; IDK. Took 2 capsules of 5-325 hydrocodone last night to see if tremors would stop. Didn’t seem to change anything much.
Took 2 capsules of 300 mg. each neurontin this a.m. Seems like tremors got better for a while but now they’re back again. Recently I stopped the neurontin; I was taking 1200 mg. per day. Will try to talk to Dr. tomorrow. I had no idea that I could be having withdrawal symptoms from a prescription the dr. was giving me! I’m hating what’s happening to me but very thankful to have found this site!!! Has anyone here taken buspirone? Has anyone else experienced bad tremors?
I had lots of twitching, especially as I was winding down, dozing off – when I was taking morphine and gabapentin together after a ruptured disc in my lower back. As the gabapentin kicked in, I quit the morphine and the twitching quit. When I would have bad flare-ups and add the morphine again, the twitching would return, so I concluded that the 2 meds were not good together, even though the doctor said it was fine.
I have found reading this article beneficial! I have been on high doses for years for neuropathic pain after brain surgery & a craniotomy that left my skull severely fractured! I was prescribed MST morphine at 40mg a day & 40mg Diazepam – it took me the last 18 mths to come off all Morphine & down to a small dose of diazepam – I had to do this alone when I discovered I should not have been on those two drugs! Now my immune system is depressed! I have come to the idea that I would rather be in chronic pain than overloaded with these drugs! I thank you for this as it has answered many questions I wasn’t getting from my doctor!
Honestly, who told you ‘you should not have been on those two drugs!!!’, and who told you they’re responsible for ‘immune system depression’? Because both may very well be hogwash. Of course, both have withdrawal effects, you must taper off of both morphine and diazepam (40mg of morphine orally/day is very low dose, but 40mg/diazepam is relatively much higher, hence you’re still tapering that one)… but neither are particularly associated with ‘immune system depression’ (at those dosage level especially), and depending on WHY you had brain surgery and craniotomy…
Neither are especially contraindicated as far as I’ve ever read, esp. not morphine during the immediate recovery period (though WHY someone had you STAY on them both, for a whole year… that is questionable, for sure). But overall, it sounds like someone ‘fear-mongered’ you, to be frank. Great you’re off the morphine, now taper down slowly on the diazepam, be prepared for a couple weeks of not feeling at ALL well when you stop. Then you’ll be done. Your immune system will be JUST FINE.
Had a weekend of terrible restlessness, could not sit, sleep or think right. Been on this a year next month, and Dr wanted to increase one more, to sx a day…..Told her I have to come away from this horrible feeling. Down to 3 a day. Not sleeping, but wasn’t on the drug either…Cold sweats, other things, but…headache is gone, was there for one week prior to coming off. Will try Magnesium..What about Biotin? Is this a help? Site has helped me….Going down to 200 today….Lord help me….Celebrex will have to do..Have been on that 20 yrs, should have just stayed with it… Live and Learn, even at 78 !!!!! Thanks for all the info, really helps knowing you are not going nuts…. Pat
Hi everyone, so glad I found this forum. I’ve been on gabapentin since august and have been pretty unwell since then. I was originally predcribed them for a herniated disc in my back. However by Friday last week I was unable to function normally , I phoned my GP who advised me to stop taking the tablets straight away. What a week it’s been !! I have all of the above symptoms and some. Went to A&E 2 nights ago and they had no idea what was wrong , treated me like I was going off my head. Needless to say I’m at home in bed unable to move around without feeling like I’m going to expire at any moment …6 days in and still struggling , when will this hell end ?
Naturopathic psychiatrist prescribed gabapentin for insomnia. I can fall asleep, but not stay asleep, life-long thing. the gabapentin was a miracle! I sleep through the night, almost always. And, my mild depression has worse ed to expecting I will end my own life sooner or later, hopelessness and weight gain of about 20 pounds, though I didn’t change eating or exercise patterns. I looked up side effects and all these could be side effects of gabapentin, though the doc said oh no, no side effects, no chance of addiction.
Lies and damn lies. So now I am weaning myself off and am expecting some challenges. I’ve been on 300 mgs daily at night, so will see what cutting dose in half for next 10 days does. I am ready to be done with this, and all, pharmacological drugs. It doesn’t serve their business model to make us well. Big pharma and its attendants, the m.d.’s, want us addicted and addled. No thanks.
I was also put on gabapentin for sleep issues – nightmares & it helped tons, but I ran out a few days ago & can’t get new script because of expense & have felt like death! Nausea, dizziness, headache, severe depression & anxiety… I couldn’t figure out why I was feeling this way – now I know. How long were you on it, and how long did it take to wean yourself off? Thanks!
I wanted to thank whoever wrote this article! I was experiencing terrible weight gain for the gabapentin and decided to get off of it. I was taking a total of 2400mg for nerve pain from back issues for over a year. I already knew the withdrawal symptoms from previously running out of my medications, so when I decided to taper, I dreaded the symptoms returning.
I read in your article that magnesium could help reduce the withdrawal side effects, so I decided to give it a try. At first, I couldn’t tell if I was having little to no side effects because I was tapering or because of the magnesium. But today, I forgot to take the magnesium. The withdrawal symptoms are definitely there, so that must mean the magnesium is definitely working (today being the exception because I didn’t take it).
Thank you so so so very much for letting me know the wonders of magnesium. It has been a lifesaver!
I am seeing a lot of Neurontin-hating posts, and want to throw my hat in. I am very sorry that a lot of you are having bad experiences with gabapentin. I, for one, have fought for a decade (after seeing my sister fight for two decades) with a myriad of symptoms ranging from general fatigue to general aches to stroke-like symptoms, with endless numbers of doctors, specialists of every discipline stumped.
Finally a doctor gave up and said they’ve ruled out absolutely everything, even the most rare diagnoses, and slapped a label of fibromyalgia on me. My sister’s doctors had tried that diagnosis with her, but she fought it with the stigma (and because it didn’t even touch upon her stroke-like symptoms of losing sensation and muscle control in half of her body, confusion, exhaustion). I didn’t have such strong stroke-like symptoms so didn’t fight it, and my doctor prescribed the Neurontin. I FINALLY feel like a real human being. My energy level is up, my pain is down.
I lost 70 pounds because I could finally find the energy to get up and do all of the things I wanted to do and my appetite (which normally went up with boredom) came down to normal levels. This drug has SAVED my life from what I’m sure would have been a long, miserable ending, and I hope my doctor never takes me off of it. Again, I am sorry so many of you haven’t had such success, but I wanted to show that it’s not some monster drug, it really does help some of us!!
Hello everybody and i feel with you. I also have neuropathy, chronic back issues several things in back wrong, right torn rotator cuff, restless legs, carpet tunnel, etc. I do not recommend this to anyone. I have been in pain management for 14 years. They don’t educate you and unfortunately i didn’t educate myself. With that being said. I am a 49 year old male and my health took a nose dive when i started the narcotics. So I am used to taking 2400 mg neurontin, 90 mg methadone, 120 mg oxycodones. I did a slow taper on them all. Once i got out of the oxys, it was that bad.
Finally got down to 10 mg methadone 6oo mg neurontin. Still livable just didn’t get around but i could. Now for 3 days nothing. I don’t know it y’all cant get it to that level and live on it or maintain but if you can do it. My was financial. These same doctors who started you on it years ago won’t see you if you don’t have insurance and cant work all direct results of the pain, but at least I could get around. Now its a chore to move, pain is unbearable at times. Slept 2 hours in 3 days. Restless legs is back in full force when on it it disappears.
Baths help some, Try mega 3 fatty and i can remember my shrink and old doc told me to take that has a supplement before. If your not an active person and don’t sweat try capsacin don’t get wet. If your a sweater or around any heat or hot natured do not take this for it is an unpleasant burning. I am trying St. Johns Wort. Its is said to help with nerve pain over time. Try multi mineral multi vitamin aka centrum or similar. If your like i am and not an eater you will need nutrients and protein. Try the protein shake.
Also have carpet tunnel gloves, i can put them on my feet and sometimes get it where it will bring the burning all the way down. I am using cold packs under thighs anything i already have to my disposal. Now am i still in withdrawals heck yes but my thinking isn’t as fuzzy and i was diagnosed with incognito recognition a few months ago so you tell me. This will be a long battle. I will have to do it with exercises. I have alot of dead nerves in feet and legs, but i want to encourage some of y’all out there even in all my pain I can remember being medicine free and being able to live just have to remember how to do with all the meds they add along the way.
But I know there are people like me who just don’t have any other option. Just don’t give up keep going. Negative emotions contribute to pain. Try to revert your thinking to something positive when they hit. I am no doctor but i have been in pain for over 20 years and I am a qualified patient. I also have a very spiritual relationship now. Just saying. I will keep everyone updated and if anyone has anything else that works. I also heard chromium but that and magnesium both are in your multivitamins be careful not to get to much of one because that can also irritate the problem.
After an ankle surgery I was on 1800 mg /day for nerve pain for several months. I also felt like a ‘zombie’ mostly sleep & dizzy, but I’m sure I was like an angel! Ha! I tapered over several weeks and did not seem to have any lasting ill effects.
Now, my dog pre & post spine surgery has been on Gab for about a year. It has been a wonder drug for his back pain. I’m ready to start his taper schedule & the vets say just take him off or taper for a week. I can’t imagine doing that. Just because dogs can’t talk does not mean they don’t have all the same or similar symptoms. Believe me . . . they have effective teeth and can use them if they are anxious, depressed or have suicidal thoughts!! So I’m going to try to do a 10% taper from a 300mg 2/x/day year-long dose. He will not be able to use the liquid as it contains xylitol; that is toxic to dogs. Did anyone successfully split the capsules into smaller portions? I have the 300mg and 100mg capsules to work with.
Thanks! Deb
I read in another forum that gabapentin is water soluble so capsules can be opened and mixed with water. I tried that and it worked for me to taper down the last 100 mg.
I have taken gabapentin for severe neuropathic all over body itching, which has no rash, for 18 months. It took the itch away but caused severe fluid retention, swollen feet and hands, 20lb weight gain, muscle weakness and pain, and difficulty walking and sleeplessness. I Started at 900 mg going up to 2000 mg, daily and tapered down again to 900 mg over 6 months, with added tapering over last 2 months from 800 daily to 600, taken as 200 mg 3 times daily. Tapering has caused even more severe weakness, aches, and pain in all my muscles and joints.
I feel like I have the Flu. Neither Aspirin, Motrin, Celebrex or Aleve stop the pain. I thought I had severe Arthritis or a muscle disease, but none showed up in any testing that was done. It is all from the Gabapentin, which I must continue to take, at the lowest dose that will keep the itching away. Can anyone tell me how many 250 mg. Magnesium tablets to take daily to try and ease my muscle and joint pain? Many thanks.
Marilyn
I saw doc for tummy pain and prescribed this in Nov 2013, didn’t help with tummy but improved back pain from fusion that I hadnt really noticed was there until it was gone. Doc wanted me to up dosage from 300 3 x daily to 600 but I didn’t as I was getting brain fog… Recently started getting dizzy spells and my gp said to come off, was surprised after halving dose brain on ‘full speed’ but body felt like hit by a bus, longest sleep in forever first night, but last night not good, dizziness improving, back pain returning but glad to be getting off this stuff have had vision issues all morning, can’t wait till it’s out of my system, reading comments looks like 2 months after final dose before I will be free. Never taking it again.
I’ve been on gabapentin for years. Started out at 300mg 3x a day now I’m at 600mg 3x a day and 900mg at bed time. I have diabetic neuropathy worse pain ever. Gabapentin totally works for this pain my problem is I keep taking more then I’m prescribed because I keep feeling pain and I want it to stop. Because of this I run out early and I live in hell for a week or two. At first I thought I was crazy, I’d cry, itch, my pain intensified and became a down right bitch withdrawing. Everyone around me thinks its all in my head I also get horrible anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
I just want this horrible pain to go away. I have tried liquid methadone recreationally and really don’t want to look to these kind of drug for relief I’m not a person that that likes that kind of drug. I really can’t say I don’t like gabapentin I just don’t like when I run out. Its hell! Going to the doc tomorrow to see what she thinks I want relief from pain without going to opiates not a big fan. I wish everyone the best of luck in there quest of getting off gabapentin. It’s a rocky road.
I too have diabetic nerve pain in my feet and legs. My Neurologist put me on this drug shortly after I had a mini stroke. I was put in the ER because of dizzy smells and feelings that I was going to fall. The drug did help with the pain but the side effects are horrible. Double vision, depression. They just took me off cold turkey. Severe headaches so far. Shooting pains in feet have returned 24 hours after stopping the Gabapentin.
I am so happy that I found this forum. I was taking gabapentin 3x a day, at first 400mg, and then 300mg 3x a day. Finally, I was taking 200mg 3x a day and then cold turkey off of that dose about a week ago. I was prescribed gabapentin for mental health issues anxiety and moods. I feel so down and flat. My anxiety is worse than ever and my sleep is outta whack. Has anyone ever cold fueled off of this medicine?
I was given neuroton 300mg twice a day for leg cramps and stiffness in fingers. I took one pill on monday at dinner. It is Saturday and I’m walking around like a zombie. Also had three days of double vision. Stopped!
My doctor said that gabapentin is as addictive as ibuprofen. What a joke. She should have said it’s as addictive as heroin. Im seriously scared, just went through a week of beyond hell, cold turkey from 6000mg per day ridiculous tolerance. thought I needed a psych ward, that I was having a nervous breakdown. I caved, got my script again, and was back up to my disgustingly high dose in no time. I am so scared, I know I will run out from stupidity and be right back there in no time. My husband is tired of this cycle, and I’m a mom to a 2 year old. I feel even worse that the withdrawal was almost gone by the time I got back on it. So, so dumb. I wish everyone here luck and freedom from this hell.
I was prescribed gabapentin for herniated disc in June and was taking 1800 mg a day for the extreme pain along with other painkillers. It may have helped with the pain but has made my leg and foot numb. I am not in pain now and am healing and have come off other drugs except this and paracetamol which helps a bit with the withdrawal. Am coming down slowly but symptoms are horrible especially the dizziness which is scary and the fatigue.
Am down to 400mg – not sure from reading these posts if I should take magnesium supplement while coming down – one said not until completely off it – anyone taking it? And how much? Like everyone not warned at all about all this and doc wanted me to come down much quicker. Also any natural things that might help?
I can’t seem to find a forum for what is happening to me but I figured I would give it a shot.. I am 30 years old and have been on 2400mg of Nuerontin for 13 yrs and suddenly I am experiencing extreme cold sweats and I am hypersensitive to any weather changes… On top of this I dread taking a hot shower because it takes me hours afterward to control my extreme sweating and feeling uncomfortable..
On top of these strange sensations I feel spacey but not too dizzy, and just plain out of it.. This has resulting in strange bouts of crying due to this suffering.. Are these problems from taking Neurontin all these years? Is it something else? I’m going crazy trying to find out if I should begin the process of getting of Neurontin but must be sure as it helps my neuropathy to perfection from Chemotherapy.. Sorry if I posted in the wrong section I’m just lost.
Chemo side effects can be brutal, but it sounds like reaction to gabapentin. Try a slow taper and see if its better…I wish you luck!
So grateful for all of your posts. Have been on neurontin for only very short time. 300 mg. 2x day for 2 months. For neck and lower back pain from herniations, arthritis, fibromyalgia, other inflammatory conditions. When I went from 300 mg per day up to 600mg. Per day I had crazy bad side effects…asthma/bronchitis like chest congestion, sweating, spaced out, irritable, fatigue.
When I reduce down to 300 mg. Day most these symptoms go away but pain comes back. I don’t know which is worse dealing with the pain or not being able to breath. 300 mg a day takes the edge off pain and reduces it by about 50%. My question is if 600 mg cause asthma bronchitis and chest congestion am I harming my lungs at 300 mg a day even if lung problems are tolerable? Not sure if this is damaging my lungs if I can tolerate lower dose.
Hello, my name is Erin.
I have been thriving for two years on a combination of gabapentin and viibryd. Also remaining 100% Sober… But here’s my issue. I have criminal charges therefor i attend a forensics lab in order to maintain mental health treatment. In June i was 5 minutes late and was called a No-show and immediately removed from my Neurontin…Sounds unreal right! No its true because they need me to drop a urine in order to get a refill.
I am very mentally ill. as well as a recovering addict. My mother Just had passed from a drug overdose. I experienced Seizures and migraines along with restlessness and extreme panic. An ER Doctor couldn’t believe this and prescribed it. Next week now in Sept. forensics is giving it back, but for two weeks I’m off it again recently. I also relapsed after the first withdrawal. :( This has been HELL.
I am also a recovering addict. I’ve been prescribed to gabapentin for 2 years now. Was on 300mg 4x/day and I got clean in February ’14. In July, I went to the doctor and told them I wanted off this stuff because I was abusing it…taking at least 1800 mg/day. Well all they did was lower my dosage by one pill…so instead of 4/day, it’s 3/day. So I started running out of pills super early which kept landing me back on the street to buy more. I keep releasing as my will is nonexistent and I cannot put myself in those places.
Well, I’ve tried coming off these pills on my own several times this past year. And in September, pretty much lost my mind, became suicidal and isolated, and shaved my head. The withdrawal makes me crazy. I almost accidentally hit a guy and his kid with my car one day because of inattention and a racing mind. When I’m almost asleep at night, I’m jerked out of sleep with a striking pain in my legs and not to mention, itchy restless legs make sleep impossible for me. I isolate badly because everything I’ve masked with these pills comes to the surface in my mind and I feel as though its written across my face.
I was not put on these pills for pain of any kind. I was put on them to treat a manic episode I went through two years ago where I stopped sleeping and eating and lost 13 pounds in two weeks time. I’m going to see a different doctor tomorrow, get refill, because I’m out of medicine again… and also to ask for trazodone for sleep and possibly prozac and abilify. I’ve been on those before with little to no side effects. So starting tomorrow, I will begin a new journey, and try to taper off of these pills.
How are you doing now? How can you afford to pay for your medication? Your situation is scary and it’s even scarier that your new doctor will prescribe these meds to you.
I have been on 300mg of this drug for about 2 weeks, 2 weeks ago my Dr upped it too 600, for 1 week, than to go to 900 mg. Its been 2 weeks on 600mg and I’m a basket case. Dazed and confused at first than bouncing off the walls. Hallucinating, loss of memory, hostile, crying all the time. I’m surprised my husband is still here.
Last night after turning into linda blair on him, I took our rifle and headed to the car, luckily I just fell asleep and went back inside. The anger, hostility and cruelty that I am subjecting my husband to is beyond words. Trying to quit this cold turkey, feel like I’m having a nervous breakdown
You have come closest to relating what I am feeling. I was on the same dose schedule as you. I started to feel the side effects immediately. I was dizzy and needed to nap several times a day but had severe insomnia at night but could barely get out of bed in the morning after sleeping a max of 3 – 4 hours.
The day that I started 900 mg, everything broke loose. I had an anxiety attack so bad that my doctor came close to calling the police/EMS. I literally wanted to hurt people, specifically with a bat. I wanted to viscerally feel and hear it. Some, small, lucid part of my brain kept me from doing it, but it didn’t stop me wanting it.
My doctor took me off, cold turkey. He said that the half life was about 18 hours and that it should all be out of my system within a few days. He gave me some Valium for the immediate anxiety. It has been a few days and I still feel like crap. I am still dizzy and need to nap several times a day but have insomnia at night. And, strange as it sounds, I can’t stop eating tootsie rolls (at this point some of you are gonna think I am a troll, but hand to God, this is my experience).
The desire to do bodily harm to people has lessened. More of a low grade road rage now, but I do have an overwhelming desire to end my current relationship. Our 20th anniversary is in 9 days and I could care less if we are still together by then. There is that lucid part of my brain that knows that it is because I simply do not have the capacity to make any concessions for anything or anyone.
All those things that we put up with on a day to day basis because our better selves know that no one is perfect and we have to pick and choose our battles, the same as others do for us, is currently beyond my ability. I don’t want to be around other people. Thankfully, my children live hundreds of miles away and I live and work alone. The only time I feel “ok” is when I am closed off in my warehouse; by myself, with no windows to the outside world and no sounds inside except for the air conditioner.
But, I can’t close myself off from the world forever. I tried to be around my bf for a few hours today and I ran out of his house in tears. And I can’t find the ability to coherently explain to him why. If this goes on for weeks or even months, I don’t know what I am going to do. And to top it all off, my dr originally put me on gabapentin for hot flashes from menopause. Talk about adding insult to injury.
‘Glad to see this thread, and I feel a lot of solidarity with everyone who’s suffering while on and off this drug. In three weeks, I have managed to taper only from 900mg to 600mg, and I still feel like hot garbage!
I have been taking 600mg x 3 for over 10 yrs. I notice that if I forget that nighttime pill I lie in bed with my eyes open, feeling like I just had a couple cups of caffeinated coffee (I don’t do caffeine)….could not stay asleep. It was terrible.
One of my g/f detoxed herself of a bunch of her meds, one at a time, and it almost killed her. She couldn’t eat or sleep, was sweating, couldn’t hold any food or liquid in – came out both ways. Now I’m wondering if I should even bother trying to go off it. It reallly DOES help me with my nerve pain (I’v had about 14 surgeries in my life, starting @age 9 …I am now 60).
All of the withdrawal symptoms listed above are the way I always felt beFORE starting Gabapentin…. so, this is why I say it helps me. Just not sure what to do. Thank you all, I’ll keep reading your posts.
Lynnie
I was on 600 mg twice a day. It just about put me in the hospital with a panic attack, and felt like I had bugs crawling on me. I am tapering to 2 x 300 mg pills for a week, then I will try 2 x 100 mg. I think the key is ask for help, reach out to others with this terrible drug. It’s not worth the symptoms. God Bless all of you. I hope everyone is able to conquer the Gabapentin horror.
I am so pleased to have found this site. I had no idea that coming of these pills would be such a struggle. I was put on 300mg three times a day for neck and shoulder pain. They took the edge of but that was about it. I have been having osteopathy for weeks now with good results so decided to cut down slowly, knowing these shouldn’t be stopped abruptly. I had got down to one 300mg tablet a day but would feel awful by dinner time, no energy, low mood, flu like symptoms.
My GP said I had done it far too quickly so she has given me 100mg tablets to take x2 twice a day. She said by going up to 400mg should settle things and then gradually knock one off over the weeks. I have been managing but if I dont take those last 2 of the day I get nauseous and dizzy with an awful headache. Yesterday the headache was so bad I couldn’t move my eyes or hardly speak.
I really had no idea I would have to go through this. I urge anyone going through the same to stay positive, keep busy and dont become obsessed with the withdrawal or it will take over your life. I take nurofen for the headaches. I am determined to do this. I take Clomipramine at night for anxiety, I guess this helps a bit too or I could be a nervous wreck by now. I wish you all well.
What a fantastic website. I am currently on 32 tablets a day including Gabapentin and I am gradually trying to come off the Gabapentin. My GP had explained how awful the symptoms of withdrawal can be but until I read all the emails I still thought some symptoms were unique to me and that I was quite alone. I now realize just how many people have the same. I hope we all get well soon.
I stopped cold turkey a week ago and Im in hell. I was taking 4200mg per day. It’s so expensive, I can’t afford to get another script to taper. I took some today, less than half of my old dose, and felt great. Now I’m worried that because of this one time, all my progress over the week will be gone and I will have to start withdrawal again from square one, because of the “muscle memory” of my brain. Is this possible?
Very much doubt you erased ALL your progress… but if you happen to see this somehow all these years later, it’d be great if you could describe the outcome of your ‘experiment’. As someone who’s kicked opioids (many times) my guess is that… yes, it was a setback (though difficult to quantify unless you have, like me, done this many times)… but far from ‘entirely’.
BTW, of course your brain is not a muscle so what you’re using is an analogy but the phenomenon you’re describing… during detox… that is definitely ‘real’. Fact is, yes, every time you ‘mess up’ during the ‘abstinence’ phase of any detox, you are going to end up ‘worse off’ than you’d been feeling before, once the drug effect from your ‘relapse’… wears off. Now… ‘how much worse’… that depends on ‘how much’ you take and how many times.
The most important one trying to get ‘clean’ can do… from gabapentin or anything else… is to NOT let a SETBACK… turn into a full-scale tailspin. Relapses… happen. But if one does… once… out of misery you can’t tolerate in the moment… it don’t mean you HAVE TO continue the process. And I use ‘relapse’ and ‘get clean’ in the most real sense… because lets face it, with this stuff, based on what’s on this board…
This is WITHDRAWALS, from a serious friggin’ DRUG, you know what I’m saying? It doesn’t matter if it wasn’t your ‘intent’ to ‘get high’, nor that it’s not a ‘street drug’… because THAT is a HIGHLY arbitrary distinction… one which is in turn based more on influences like politicians, Big Pharma, Big Alcohol/Tobacco, and the law-enforcement/prison complex.
Oh, and ‘History’, including ‘racial history’ if you know what I mean… vs anything approaching ‘medical facts’. Good luck to all of you out there ‘kicking’ (my wife is starting her taper tonight, that’s why I’m here)… make sure to taper, and when get low enough to actually stop… do EVERYTHING you can to KEEP stopping… until you get better.
I promise, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. It may take a bit, but it WILL HAPPEN. You WILL be back to who you were. Maybe even BETTER through the learning experience. You just have to NOT take this drug, ever again. There was a time you’d never heard of it, right?
I have spoken with my GP who has advised me to take 300mg once a week and see how I get on. TBH I was glad as the withdrawal symptoms have been getting worse not better.
None of these effects were ever explained properly by the doctors who prescribed this drug, I feel annoyed, as I may have tried to manage the pain in other ways.
I will let you know how I get on.
Wow! I thought I was going crazy with my withdrawal. Have been on 2400mg daily for almost four years. I had a stroke that left me with severe neuropathic pain and trigeminal neuralgia. Because I’m in the Medicare donut hole, I can’t afford my prescription so decided it would be time to wean off. I’m scared though because I have Major Depressive Disorder and already feel like I’m sinking and I’m only down to 800mg. Not sure whether to stay on before depression gets too bad. I feel so exhausted, nauseous and shaky. Lots of weird hot and cold sweats make it feel like I have a bad case of flu!
Oh my I feel the same shakiness, hot and cold sweats too! Along with weakness, insomnia and anxiety. All this from 2 1/2 yrs of 3600mg a day for pain and it takes the edge off but I still have to take opiates to really put my pain level to 0%. I feel as though I have restless leg syndrome in my arms and hands at times. Too bad a real solution to my pain issue hasn’t been found yet, but I’m hopeful that a special neurosurgeon I’m going to can do something to decompress or cut my nerves and finally resolve my groin pain.
Hi Cheryl, I started gabapentin in 2006 for visual migraine auras and migraine pain. This January I got sick for several days and wasn’t eating so I wasn’t metabolizing my gabapentin and had major symptoms of withdrawal. I was taking 800 milligrams 3 times a day. My doctor switched me to 600 milligrams 3 times a day which seem to work but as I was getting reactions in my mouth and also felt zombie ish.
I am tapering down I am now taking 300 milligrams 2 times a day at each reduction I had several of the symptoms listed night sweats fevers etc and the strangest thing was I was waking up with my body saying you forgot your medication literally! In my dreams! Anyway the symptoms only lasted a few days each time. I did allow a few weeks to go by with each reduction but I do take a lot of B vitamins and vitamin C and I think that has helped. Good luck.
Hi. I’m so relieved I’m not the only person on Gabapentin for migraine. I have been taking 3 x 700 for the past three years but now down to 500x400x400 I feel awful with most of the withdrawal symptoms with the exception of suicidal thoughts thankfully! There are times I feel like increasing the dose but have held off. Is there light at the end of the tunnel? And I wonder will the migraines come back with vengeance?
I was prescribed gabapentin for a herniated disc in my lower back and a bulging disc in my neck. It didn’t help much. I started at 300mg and increased 300mg per week until I reached 900mg per day. It still didn’t help. I saw a pain management doc which stepped me up to 1800mg per day. It started helping with the pain at this dose. I had extreme bouts of drowsiness and dizziness with a googly tunnel vision effect. I’m lethargic mentally and physically. I’m experiencing almost all of the side effects listed for this medication. I had surgery for my lower back. I tried once to step down on this medication but continued my 1800mg per day dose because my pain from my neck immediately returned and the side effects got much worse. I started stepping down again but I am determined to continue this time. I am dropping 300mg per week until I am off this for good. It is not fun. I go to see another pain management doc this week who I hope can help me with something that does not have the side effects of this drug. They are horrible. I believe it is all controlled by the big pharma companies who get the doctors to push these horrible drugs that just hook people in instead of actually helping them. I have been off work for my surgery for the most of my high dosage of this drug. There is no way I could do my job like this. I am a CNC Machinist and it would be very dangerous to do this on this drug. None of this was explained by a doctor. I found this out from my own research online. I am determined and will give up this evil pill this time. I WOULD NOT recommend this for anyone for any reason!!!
I have been taking Gabapentin for 5 years since I lost my right leg in an accident. I was “advised” to stop it recently because I was now on a low dose – 300 mg per day (started on 1800 mg). The side effects have been unpleasant, I have suffered 75% of those listed. None of this was explained, it has a miracle my wife has put up with me, I have been a nightmare to live with. I have decided to speak to my GP, I will let you all know what she says.
It’s unfortunate that many GP’s don’t warn about discontinuation symptoms and in some cases don’t believe that withdrawals even occur. Some are grossly uninformed when it comes to drug withdrawal. Hope you get better soon Simon. Best of luck.
Hi, I’m really hoping someone might be able to help me. My dad who is now 78 was prescribed gabapentin a year ago for nerve pain in his toe. He still had pain while on the medicine but everything else with him was good. That is until his dose increased overnight to 2400mg. At this point he became extremely fatigued and scarily confused. He no longer felt his home was his and would say and do very strange things. After a couple weeks at this dose my mom insisted he be taken off due to all the negative side effects he was experiencing. He began a slow withdrawal under Dr. supervision. The majority of confusion did diminish but is still present. He has lost his appetite and doesn’t want to eat anything. My dad has gone from an engaging and lively man to shell of himself.
Is this typical with coming off this medicine? How long might these symptoms last? Any help or information would be greatly appreciated!
so sorry your dad is having to go through this …. it can take a couple of months to be totally symptom free after stopping taking the last pill
What would we do without each other? I read everyone’s comments again and again, it helps so much, to actually know that I am not alone in this crazy withdrawal! I have facial neuralgia, and have been on gabapentin and tegratol, now for a few years, oh probably around 4 now. I had some major oral surgery that has relieved most of my facial pain, so I wanted off this crazy stuff asap, because I could not function any longer, my mind did NOT work, and all I was, was a zombie!
I tapered slowly, and got off the tegratol first, then I started off the gabapentin, and celexa, I have been off everything now for a little over a month, but everyday I think I am not going to make it in this world, but would NOT go back on that stuff if my life depended on it, that is some HORRIBLE drugs. My muscles hurt SO bad I can’t stand it, even my stomach muscles, my legs don’t even want to support me, I am only 4′ 9”, and not overweight, but have been a very active horse person for my entire life, I can’t ride I hurt so bad, my crying spells are out of control, I have to take a pain pills to sleep @ night, and make it through the day sometimes. I DON’T want to become addicted to those!!
Anxiety is through the roof, I am happy knowing I am off this medication, but wondering if I’m gonna make it. My heart is with each and every one of you, in my shoes, I believe when we get this out of our system we should make sure we post how great it is for everyone following behind us. Thank you so much for this site! I Knew this was gonna be tough, but , oh boy, Lord please help us all ! I have to start work in a week, ( I work in a school) and summer is over, but HOW am I gonna be able to get up and go to work?????????
Dear Bev,
I have just started weaning myself of Gabapentin under doctor/specialists supervision. I am right behind you and my heart is with you. I am very happy to have found this website, as I can see I am going to have quite the journey going down this road. We will all be just fine, one day at a time and remember there is NOTHING to fear but fear itself. <3
Thank each and every one of you, you just saved me from a bad situation. Three days ago I was prescribed this med for all the hell symptoms of a wrecked back, pre-op, and this is what I was given. He had given it before and I took a few got a headache and moved on to stronger more soul sucking medication. So being in recovery, this is what he hands me… never giving me a heads up, warning, info, that this stuff is no joke and as addictive as the mess I’m already battling. He’s an addiction specialist by the way… I’m pissed and had no idea. I only now know through these posts. I thank you again.
These boards have been a lifesaver for me. I was on 900 mg. of gabapentin and started a very slow taper. I thought I would lose my mind with the extreme anxiety and the insomnia as well as muscle pain and burning that was pretty severe. I read lots of these boards and found people were having success with magnesium either with an epsom salt soak or supplements. When I tried to taper again I bought some epsom lotion and slathered that on everywhere my muscles hurt every night. What a godsend!!! I’m now down to 200 mg. Tapering 100 mg. a week and it has been very doable. I still get mild anxiety for a couple of days and sore muscleswith some burning but nothing that I can’t deal with. Nurse heard my experience and feels I am probably magnesium deficient (gabapentin can deplete magnesium as well as a host of other vitamins and minerals) so prescribed magnesium supplements and that with the lotion is making what I thought was going to be next to impossible very doable. I just wanted to share this because some posts on these boards don’t give you much hope that you can get off this stuffwithout a lot of pain and suffering.
I started taking magnesium also about half way through after reading it helps with the withdrawls and made sure I took a multi vitamin also it takes a while to get off it and all the symptoms to go away but it eventually gets better
Can you please tell me how much Magnesium (and which type) you took to help wean off? I have all the symptoms and it’s awful!!! I’m trying to hold myself together and work at a professional job without lashing out or bursting into tears! Thank you!
Hi Julie, I realize that I’m responding to a post you put on here a year ago. And I’m hoping that you still would receive some kind of notification on my reply. I have been on gabapentin just under a year now. Was given this drug to help get off benzos. I too have tried tapering off of gabapentin 1600mg. Once I tried going 100 mg a week which was disastrous!
Didn’t try the magnesium though. Now I’m trying a slow taper, 25 mg per week down to 1300mg and I am still suffering, similar to your experience with your slow taper. My question is were you successful in getting off gabapentin tapering 100 milligrams per week using your protocol with the magnesium cream? Did you have to continue with the magnesium long after stopping gabapentin?
Also I’ve read A great deal of information that magnesium should not be taken in conjunction with gabapentin. Did you take it hours after your dose or in between your doses? I too want to get off this dreaded drug without too much pain and suffering.
Julie! Thanks so much for the tips! I’ve also found that L-Theanine is good for the anxiety, passion flower for sleep, and B-12 for energy. Hugs to all!
I was prescribed Gabapentin for nerve pain from a herniated disc. I never took it cause of all the bad stories I heard. I was prescribed Oxycodone after surgery and quit taking it. I read that Gabapentin helped with opiate withdrawl so I took it to sleep. I slept very god and it helped so basically after that I would use it to help me sleep. Its been about 3 months of taking it and if I don’t take it at night it feels like I’m going through extreme benzo withdrawl. This drug is addictive be very careful.
it is very addictive it seems and happens very fast its horrible
I started taking it for opiate withdrawal as well. Worked like a charm. However, I think the gaba withdrawal may well be worse than the opiate withdrawal. I may have to get back on pain pills to get off this crap! It’s horrible. Funny thing is I asked a doctor to prescribe it to me like 5 years ago for carpal tunnel syndrome of all things and he just wrote the scrip. Guess this is my punishment for snorting pills back in the day. Clean and holding my own but can’t get this monkey off my back. It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have to get up an go to work, ya know?
So glad to read that other people have experienced the same things as thought I was going insane. 300mg three times a day for 5 months for nerve pain after Guillain-Barre syndrome. Helped with the pain, but even though I tapered slowly over a few weeks, the side effects of coming off have been dreadful. Overwhelming anxiety and panic, suicidal thoughts, rapid mood swings. Magnesium helped a little bit. 2 weeks later and it is still happening but gradually easing off a little. The worst thing is the crippling anxiety that seems to come out of nowhere and leaves me worrying about all sorts of stupid things and catastrophizing. I really want to press through and not go back on those horrible pills.
the anxiety was really bad for me too and at first i didnt realize it was the getting off the pills that was causing it but that has gotten better now so it just takes time but its is awful so i know how you feel … hang in there !!
It’s been a week of no gabapentin for me. Weaned off 2700mg probably too fast and now I am having terrible anxiety and depression. Will I ever get back to normal? Seems like everyone is having the same symptoms. I feel like suing my doctor for not explaining the withdrawal process to me. Burning pain is back with a vengeance and it wasn’t really helping me anyway. Now I’m in a worse place then when I started. Does anyone have any hopeful words for me?
I heard that magnesium interacted with gabapentin somehow. Coming off it now. I never was on a very high dose. about 450mg. Went down to 300 and stayed for a few weeks to a month. 2 days ago I went to 150mg and I’m feeling it. Tried some Sun-Theanine today, purchased from a major online herb and vitamin store, it helped bring my anxiety down. I think I’m about done tapering any more. Will come back and let you know how it went.
I’ve been taking this evil shit for around 18months now. I started on pregabalin but got on everyone’s nerves as it made me hyper and uninhibited. I am now on 1200mgs a day and even if I miss one dose I feel like death.
I become incredibly irritable, like a clenched fist inside my chest, I can’t talk, my head feels like somebody is trying to punch their way out, I sweat grease and my bones and joints feel rusty as fuck. Also, alone, I’m scarily suicidal and it’s impossible to sleep. Literally impossible. I ran out in Italy a few months ago and was awake watching rolling news on a Korean news channel for four days straight. I am about to run out now. I’m terrified.
Yes. Missing a dose occasionally if I forget to fill my med organizer in my purse results in sweating, extreme anxiety and paresthesia. This, more than anything, has convinced me to start getting off gabapentin. I don’t like being that dependant on a drug.
I was prescribed gabapentin 300 mg twice daily one in the morning and one and night I was taking it about 2 months for back pain. I decided it made to too tired to take in the morning so i cut down to just the night pill and noticed in the next day or so i was sweating and feeling kinda odd and very anxious and couldnt hardly sleep but had no idea it could have been from cutting down on the gabapentin, i took the one at night for about 3 nights and decided i was just going to stop taking it, having no idea it should been weaned down. a day or two later i was sweating so bad all over and feeling so weird i couldnt hardly think straight. i have been very anxious and irritable and didnt know why. today is friday and back on monday it hit me ohh i wonder if it could be from stopping those pills so i looked it up and sure enough it was exactly that and i paniced and took one. I wish i hadnt cause it really didnt help with any thing and i havent taken one since and have still been feeling anxious , irritable, itching, lose of appitite feeling exhausted but cant hardly sleep, cant think straight and ive never sweated so much in my entire life !! its been enough days now i dont want to take any more and i am going to just wait this out and hope these symptoms hurry up and stop and i can get back to normal !! I’ll never take these pills again !!
Lori, Just wondering how you are doing now and if/when the side-effect subsided. Thanks.
Hi guys.. Cheers for your posts, it was really interesting to read them all. I didn’t have a clue the gabapentine withdrawal might get as severe. I would love to ask you a few things.
1. Has anyone tried to supplement pure GABA amino acid? Gabapentine is consider gabaminergic or at least gabamimetic. Lots of those withdrawal symptoms remind me about gaba neurotransmitter deficiency…what do you think?
2.there’s a sort of a second generation of gabapentine called pregabalin. Have you heard from your docs about? As far ad I know It’s prescribed for the same kind if pain and such, it had the more or less same half life and it’s at least 3x more potent so you can take less. What’s Interesting about it is that there is supposedly no cross tolerance. So you can relive any sort of remaining pain or withdrawal symptoms by taking a bit now and then in case that gaba amino acid didn’t help….
Looking forward to reading some reactions of yours soon. Till then I’m sending just good wishes to you to deal with you conditions as well and smooth it can ever get…
Thank you so much everyone for all your comments, reactions and experiences. I was originally prescribed Lyrica or Pregablin, I believe they are the same; however, I had a nasty reaction and didn’t tolerate it well. I was very dizzy and bumping into everything. Eventually I was put on Gabapentin for severe shoulder pain (nerve related) as I have referred pain from three prolapsed discs in my neck.
I have been going to physio for about 20 months and I am an outpatient in a hospital pain program (thank goodness). I have noticed lately that my thoughts are very scattered, I repeat myself constantly and am very forgetful. I have scheduled an appointment with my doctor and will tell my specialists as well. I am currently taking 2400mg (I know, the pain is bad, and waiting to find out about surgery). There is pain, but I don’t want to lose my mind or drive everyone nuts :-O.
I must say I am actually rather afraid of the withdrawal symptoms but I don’t want to lose my ability to be me or have my personality changed from a drug. My sister is a vet and another sister a med tech, they said they would never prescribe this drug to their animal patients and one said they only use it for palliative care at their veterinary hospital. So the time has come to slowly start tapering off with my doctor and my specialists monitoring me.
Thanks again for all your comments, wishing all of you all the best in your recovery and path to healing. Signed the “Injured used to be athlete” :-)
Try not to worry to much. I am coming off them and I only get tingling down my legs, don’t feel hungry, have dry mouth and a spaced out feeling. The magnesium really helps. I take, three 200mg magnesium citrate about 3 times a day or when I feel really nervous. Be careful, it may cause diarrhea.
Karen, it sounds like we have the exact same problem. I have 3 herniated discs, and suffer from severe shoulder and arm pain. My doctor started me on Gabapentin to help with the pain and it worked wonders once we got the dose right. I was taking 600mg three times a day, but suddenly after waking up one morning with a sore shoulder, the pain came back as if I wasn’t taking anything at all.
I had been on Gabapentin for almost a year, and due to the pain coming back I foolishly took it upon myself to increase my dose without consulting my doctor. I just figured an extra dose here and there wouldn’t hurt. Unfortunately, my pharmacist would not refill my prescription because I had used a month’s worth in two weeks and he said I would have to talk to my doctor before he gave me anymore.
I figured that since it wasn’t helping anymore, I would just quit. Big mistake. That was several days ago, and since then I have been experiencing almost all the withdrawal side effects listed. It began with joint pain throughout my body, nausea, and restlessness. Then the depression and suicidal thoughts hit hard.
I thought I was losing my mind until I decided to look up the withdrawal side effects. I still haven’t been able to sleep for more than an hour at a time, nor have I been able to eat more than a couple of notes here and there. I’m going to go back on it and taper off gradually and hope that the depression doesn’t come back.
Yes, I am using GABA and recommend it.
Catherine, You recommend it? Why? Because you are in a small percentage of people that don’t have side effects? Have you tried to stop taking it ever. For you to recommend this drug to people is ludicrous, but then some Doctors do too. Strangely, it is no longer used in the military, go figure. Only a matter of time and The Piper has to be paid. Good luck with that. Maybe you are in the small percentage that won’t have withdrawals. I really hope so.
Sounds like ‘gaba’ in this context was NOT meant to refer to gaba(pentin) but rather the ‘supplement pure GABA amino acid’ referred to in the post this poster was replying to.
Relax Jeeves, she’s referring to the GABA supplement. It’s good stuff.
I was prescribed neurontin for neuropathic pain, and took for 3 months, at 1200mg, I have tapered down from 1200mg to 600mg, decreasing 100mg every 7-14 days. My question is what is an appropriate tapering schedule if only on the med for 3 months? What should the cut be and ho long should the hold be till the next cut?
Hi all, I never thought that Gabapentin could cause such a dependence! I’ve been taking it – for I don’t know how long – for some autonomic nervous system imbalance&pain, and the other night I just thought I don’t take it anymore. Next morning I was having suicidal thoughts.
There’s such a lot of things going on in my life as well so it’s quite difficult to differ the causes. But this is horrible. Today I took full dose (900mg) because of my fibromyalgia pain etc. and my feeling is quite normal.
I never got some warnings from any doctor.
Thanks for your comments, I’ll taper it away much more slowly now.
I began taking Gabapentin about June 10, 2014 for nerve pain after a back surgery. It worked like a charm, numbing my nerve pain and helping me sleep through the entire night! Starting out with one 400mg per day, up to two the next week, three the next. On the fourth week, two days in, I noticed scaling on my forehead. Not knowing that it was a side effect, I continued for another day or two until the scaling had reached over my eyelids, eyebrows and under my eyes. My doctor kicked me back to 300 mg….and that worked for awhile and then it started up again until I’m on 100 mg twice a day. As of two days ago….it started up again! Now I’ve completely stopped taking them hoping I can deal with any discomfort with an over the counter medication. Surgery was on May 12, and I can’t take opiates…..so here I am. Didn’t sleep real well last night but took soma and an extra sleeping pill. Hopefully I’ll be off any meds soon. One of the side effects I was experiencing was itching, but the scaling on my forehead and over/under my eyes was the pits!
try buying some over the counter melatonin. it is for sleep and not a drug, good luck. I take 1600 mg of gaba per day for periphial neuropathy in my feet bue I want to get off of gaba since not working anymore. have already cut the 2400 mg down to the 1600 mg. did that last year with no ill effects. was taking cymbalta but found out it is a antidepressant and can make you high,, took me a long time to get off that. I would cry everyday and be depressed but I finally got off of it about 6 months ago. I wish you luck.
I have the same horrific side effect! My forehead and scalp line are always red and itchy. My skin peels too. I started using dandruff shampoo and lots of face cream on the area. It seems to help.
I’ve also had scaly skin and had no idea that was also a side effect. And dropping the dosage to 300 mg at night I cant focus to finish my thoughts. I can’t get out of the house. I am too irritable and was depressed before which is worse coming off this medication. It is so WRONG for doctors not to help weigh side effects and withdrawal versus benefits. I hate meds but hate pain. Prayers and wishing the best that slow tapering off will work for myself and others. Trading pain for new pain is NOT a solution.
Teri, Thank you for your post. I thought I was the only one with the side effect from Gabapentin. Since July of 2014, I have been on Gabapentin 3x a day at 300mg, for numerous nerve issues in my leg, arm and neck. At the end of Jan 2015, I noticed scaling above both of my eyes. Didn’t think much of it until the next evening when I noticed my eyelids contained scales, skin was discolored, itching, rashes and burning above and to the side of both eyes, it just looked NASTY.
In shock! Was it the new detergent, did I eat something different, maybe the acupuncture treatment etc. After about two weeks, I was able to narrow it to Gabapentin and detergent. It wasn’t the detergent. On 2-19-15, I stopped taking Gabapentin cold turkey. One week later and the discoloration, itching, scaling and burning have decreased. In addition, I have had some crazy, detailed, vivid dreams. But, unlike others who have posted here, I have not had the physical or mental withdrawals.
I went and saw my doctor yesterday who confirmed that the symptoms appear to be a medication allergy. Doc said it will take up to 3 weeks for allergy conditions to go away entirely. As with you, I also can NOT take opiates because I have a condition called Opiate Induced Hyper analgesia. Opiates heighten my nerve pain. Go figure. What has helped with sleep and taking the edge of the nerve pain is amitriptyline an hour or two before bed along with benadryl at night and claritin in the morning and the doctors blessing.
Question, since you have stopped Gabapentin, has your condition improved and have the side-effects been totally eliminated? Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks again. -Claude
I’ve noticed eczema outbreaks. Using it creams. Overall body reactions are horrendous; no energy, depression, anxiety, lungs feeling as if I’m drowning, eyes sore and tired, headaches; even conversing takes too much of a toll.
Oh then it is Gaba! As I said on them 6 months weaning off now, but on the top of that my skin on the face, scalp and hands is bad. Scaling, itchy and very red and dry. Oh and pains are back – lower the dose – more often pains. Good luck everyone.
I’ve been on this drug for two months at 3 to for 300mg pills a day. I was prescribed gabapentin after a severe case of shingles. I’m slowly trying to taper off as I have felt like a zombie while taking this. I can’t function at work & at the point Id rather deal with having the nerve pain then feel toxic and worthless all day. I have been feeling many of the above side effects, along with major irritability. Everything & everyone around me makes me some how feel annoyed or angry. I’m just hating this feeling! Anyone else feeling this way.
I have MS, and was prescribed Gabapentin to help with the nerve pain I was experiencing. I had taken it in the past, and hated the way it made me feel, but in the past I had numbness, not pain. So I decided at the advice of my neurologist to try it. I started out at 100 mg three times a day. It didn’t make me feel zombish like I remember, but didn’t really help with the pain. I’d say it took “the edge off”. My neurologist suggested that after a few weeks to go up to 300 mg three times a day. She said that I might be drowsy at first, but that it would even out. I’ve been on 300 mg three times a day for about 2 1/2 weeks now. I’m am so fatigued I cannot even watch a television program. I’m scared to get behind the wheel for sure. I went to see my neurologist who told me to add another 300 mg tablet, to total 1200 a day. I did that for two days. I became even more drowsier, more irritable, and my hands, legs and feet swelled up tremendously! I went back down to 900 mg. I have been trying to get in touch with my dr. since Tues, to no avail. I’ve decided as horrible as the pain was, I think I’d rather live with it than all of the other bothersome symptoms I’m dealing with. I know that Gabapentin/Neurontin helps some people, I just wish I was one of them!
Hi, I was on Gabapentin from November at 3×300 a day. Your symptoms will get better after 6 weeks of taking. I went thought it too. Although occasionally I was still getting confused, had no short term memory and was gaining weight. I’m weaning off 3 weeks now. Just started on just 300 a day with one day break a week – I feel like sh#t but hey it will pass I was told and I will be back to myself in 2-3 months
This is exactly how I’ve been feeling! I just stare at my treadmill as my feet hurt and I get fatter!! My final stray was when I wet my bed, couch, and then a hotel bed without any dreams of needing to use the restroom. I thought the couch issue was a dog that I’d been sitting until the hotel deal that left me extremely bothered. I made an appointment this week to get weaned off of this med after being on it for 7 months. I’ve been easily irritable, fatigued, couldn’t remember something within 10 seconds of looking at it. All of these stories sound like mine and I’m happy to know that it’s the med I was taking from a skin graph neuropathy.
I am glad to see a comment that I can relate to. I have had symptoms like withdrawal while taking a low dose 300mg 2 at night. I also had trouble “holding my bladder” ( making it to the bathroom) which had never been a problem for me before. I was told to increase to 2 capsules 3 times a day. I could not even imagine that dose as I have been so irritable, fatigued, insomnia, NO FOCUS, can’t work consistently in accounting at my home office.
I got so depressed and crying spells afraid to be around people and almost called 911 but this occurred after dropping back to 1 300 mg at night. I was so angry, and irritable on just 600 mg. So irritable I broke phones when someone said something I did not agree with. I am now feeling muscle cramps and stomach pain from trying to go cold turkey since I was on a very low dose.
I already had anxiety and depression, fatigue all which got worse taking only 600 mg at night which did help me sleep. Better sleep, losing weight, and ability to have easy multiple orgasms were the only benefits I gained on 300 mg. So I weigh those benefits against extreme lack of focus, memory loss, scary extreme anger which are such a terrible downside to be on this medication.
I also found other anti seizure / antidepressants had these affects on me but I usually ballooned 50 pounds not lose weight. I am confused to stay at 300 mg and try to stay calm but unable to ficus to even pay bills or finish any lengthy tasks. But cold turkey is probably reason for my stomach and leg cramps which caused me to miss yet another appointment and errands I really looked forward to.
I can’t shut up. Irritates my family. I think I should try 300 mg every other night rather than cold turkey?
Two – three months? Well, if I adjust in the same period, I have six weeks to go. I’m sure hoping it’s only six weeks. Cuz’ feeling this bad is no fun. I see your comment was left in 2015. Are you Gab-free? And how are you doing?
Wendy, starting off at 100mg three times a day is much higher than my neurologist advised. That high start and rapid increase might be the cause of your very unpleasant symptoms.
Yes wendy I feel like this too weird. I am irritable and very crabby my family hates me for real….. thank god its worth going through to quit I feel horrible and put on 20 lbs in two months despite knowing it’s the med .. wow I hate this I can at least live with the pain. ..never again no more meds for me
Wow, I feel like everything you just wrote is exactly what I would be writing about myself. I take 900mg a day to help with my nerve pain from shingles and Im a mess. I was just researching how to wean myself off myself but am nervous. I dont want to mention it to my doctor yet. I forget how I felt before the gabapentin and am not sure which is worse….the nerve pain (which I still get but not as bad) or the constant fog I feel in. I was thinking about slowly weaning myself off and then determining if the gaba is worth it.
You have no idea. I was put on gabapentin in 2009 for neoropathy my family always said I looked high all the time and I forgot everything. So I decided to stop taking it myself two months ago. Big mistake… I’ve been on doses as high as 2400mg a day anyway I actually feel as if I am going crazy I have all the withdrawal symptoms night sweats I feel as though I can’t control my body temperature crying spells I feel as though I can’t tell what is real and what isn’t. I am so angry I wasn’t told how this would affect me if I were to ever come off of it. I am actually thinking about committing myself in to a hospital for my own sanity. I hope you have an easier time.
It’s gonna take a minute. If you are going through something, just keep going through it until you get to the other side. I’m also going through the same thing and it’s no fun but I know there’s a ending so I’m just going to keep going until I get there and try really hard not to fight the process. Very bad drug.
Wow so many people effected by this drug!! I’ve had similar symptoms during usage but after 3 weeks of taking I decided to withdrawal (more because I started to forget to take my pills, before I knew it I’d gone from 1200mg to 300mg). I noticed a positive change for the day hours but by night I struggled to sleep and stay asleep. I guess I’m hypersensitive to medications hence me going down this route for pain relief.
It’s been two weeks now and I still struggle with patients, concentration, severe depression and in past few days crying regularly. Sometimes my senses feel bombarded with information and I need a lye down. Sexual desire is zero. I have found exercise has helped me so I go for walks and swim once or twice a day (maybe a little cry in the changing rooms before hand) I drink loads of coffee so maybe time to cut that out.
The eating less is probably a godsend!! I didn’t discuss my withdrawal with my doctor I just did it as I did with Tramadol. That was a shorter withdrawal period (5ish days) but way more intense!! To get to Allens point I would have done anything to stop the symptoms but I also realized I’d have to go through all this again if I did. That spurred me on and is spurring me on again to get through this. Best of luck to you all.
I had a crying spell reading most of these comments. This is not okay, we are so under informed as patients and its sickening (literally). I have taken this medication at 400 mg 4x a day for a year. I have a SCI and while I was tapering off baclofen I began to taper off this too. I had no idea what was making me such a mess. I have two small children and to have crying spells, no motivation, not understanding why I suddenly wanted to be dead was horrifying.
I have all symptoms except seizures. Honestly the only thing that has helped me sleep, eat, ignore my nerve pain, and snap out of depression for a few hours is smoking marijuana. I can take the irritability away in a matter of seconds. My children do not deserve to have me lash out on them or watch me lay in bed crying, ignoring their needs because my doctor didn’t bother to tell me – hey you have other options.
I pay out of pocket for my gabapentin. It’s very expensive and when I can’t afford it, I have found a few here and there from friends. I feel incredible withdrawal from 2400mg a day. Night sweats, having to per every few minutes, mood swings, fatigue. I’ve recently cut back to 1200mg a day, and today, I am trying to only take 600mg. We’ll see how it goes… ugh!
Yes hi Amanda experienced some of the same side effects plus both feet have been a sleep for a month. I know the gabapentin caused the numbness in my feet because I tried lyrica for one day and not only were my feet numb, but my when I woke up my thumb on my right hand was a sleep! Lol so it’s now back to gabapentin. But like you I believe I can stand in shingles pain better than the side effects? Hopefully. Good luck getting off and don’t know how you spell shingles but it should be spelled PAIN!!!!
Hi Thomas, I came down with shingles the middle of Feb and here it is nearing the end of June and I still have the rash and pain. Not nearly as bad, but not something I can ignore either. I was on a super high dose of Gaba and have only been totally off for a week. The dizzy feeling is the hardest for me to get through now.
But I went from 900mg every 5 hours night and day down to 600 and then after a couple weeks down to 300, then again 150 and finally that is where I quit. But one of the symptoms I forgot to mention in earlier reply was brain zaps. WOW! I had heard of these as something from serious drug withdrawal… well I have now experienced them and they are scary too.
I still hurt and have to wrap my rash tightly for a couple hours in the morning, then it seems to calm down. Good luck with your recovery. I hope it doesn’t take as long as mine has.
Toni, you speak of pain following shingles. I took gabapentin for about 15 years for that, from 1200 to 2400mg mostly. Three weeks ago I stopped taking it, because I felt spacey, ill. I had no idea that there could be after effects, and I assumed I would resume at a lower dosage. After three weeks, I still feel pretty bad.
By the time I saw a doctor, it seemed the worst was over; she advised me not to restart gabapentin. Now, here’s the part that might be relevant for you with post-herpetic neuralgia. My GP says a specialist can sever specific, unnecessary nerves to remove the pain. It will be months before I can get an appointment to have this done, but that’s my goal. I hope something like this can help you, too.
Read these comments, I only took two a day cut down to one, this is my first week, I can not believe that tappering off to one a day has caused me to feel so ill, sweats, can not sleep, loss of appetite, restlessness, stomach cramps, strange dreams, taking me away back to my youth, muscular mild pain i am tempted to go back on them but so fare resisted, if I can get off them wont be taking again, good look to any one experiencing the above and more.
been taking mine for bulging L5 disc
Pretty much word for word your description fits my condition, without the dream issues. Same dose, same reason for being prescribed and same terrible feelings for the last two weeks since tapering off. How long did your withdrawal symptoms last if you don’t mind me asking?
I just stopped taking gabapentin and cymbalta cold turkey because I started having bad thoughts and it scared me. After I stopped the thoughts got worse. I feel very depressed, I cry for everything. I have not slept for three days. I’m having horrible nightmares. I’m so dizzy, can’t focus and my body aches bad. I feel paranoid and very scared.
Hi Sweetie! I am worried about you! I would go back on a low dose of the meds, then contact your doctor about further weaning. I understand what you are going through, as I have been withdrawing too. Best wishes, Sherrie
Mayra, I really hope you reconsider the cold turkey on both meds! Both of them are very tough withdrawal, and I SO think it would be much better if you were careful and taper off slowwwly! <3
Mayra! OMG, you must feel like living hell! I just did a two month taper off 120 mg of cymbalta, dropping it 30 mg every two weeks. (I do not recommend this speed.) I felt like I had a flu. Sweating, fevers, headaches, brain fog, nightmares, insomnia, extreme anxiety, diarrhea, aches and pains, nausea, paresthesia. It sucked hard.
However, I have been off cymbalta for 3 weeks now and it’s a whole lot better. Can’t get rid of the damned nausea, but.. I didn’t realize how constipated I was on cymbalta. It feels a whole lot better to be regular. I also didn’t realize that my cymbalta may have been worsening my depression. I am much better able to cope with responsibilities and am actually having interests in things that I didn’t have energy for before.
I also appreciate having my ability to fully enjoy myself in the bedroom back. Orgasms are a natural antidepressant. ;) But now I’m about to begin tapering off gabapentin. I’m on 300 mg 3x daily and have been for a couple years. I am considering getting on medical marijuana for my PTSD before attempting this, because getting off cymbalta was so painful. I will also probably taper more slowly.
My med doc is genuinely unaware of how bad these drugs are to withdraw from. I think most of them are. The drug companies certainly don’t advertise discontinuation syndrome. And when you experience what is likely to be temporary mood changes when going off a med, they’ll say, “Well, see! You need to be on it!” Uh huh. Thanks, doc. But I think I will wait to see what I feel like after the withdrawal has subsided.
Maria. Just wanted to say that, like Chuck, I was prescribed gabs for the same reason except instead of one bulging disc, I have three herniated ones at the age of 20. I know that this is for those who are suffering from the withdrawal, but I was looking for some answers to some questions I had about the drug. I’ve only been taking gaba for two weeks but after this I am afraid to keep taking it or step up my does as instructed.
The “high” is weird and makes me feel like I’m dying and now I’m kind of having trouble sleeping. I was just hoping that you or someone else out there could give me some guidance as one who has already walked this honestly sketchy road. Thank you and best of luck to those of you who are going through withdrawal. I’ve been there and it’s NOT fun.
Hi thank you for this article. I notice after I eat most meals, I have all these symptoms. I feel the same way after reducing the dose just a little. Is it possible that magnesium in food is interacting with the gabapentin? Doctors don’t seem to have an answer. I hear taking magnesium supplements a couple hours after the dose is fine, but that does not seem to be the case with me. I’m so tired of being lied to by all these people. Also, have you ever heard of anything during a taper that can help? The insomnia and suivifdal depression and anxiety is so excruciating and nothing seems to help. I could only last a month as it seemed to get worse. If I could get through that part of it, I could have the will to continue my taper. My life has been ruined for years since I’ve been on this but its worse trying to come off. I feel that nobody has answers to these questions as I’ve been asking for years, so I understand if you’re stumped as well. This is the most difficult medication to understand and more professionals should be aware of this to warn patients before taking this…I wasn’t, and now my life is probably over. Thank you and sorry for rambling on.
No doubt Mike. Sounds like this withdrawal is pretty tough on you. I would recommend really pushing yourself to do some simple stuff just to take your mind off of how you feel. Exercise – even if it’s just going for a walk. Keep doing things and stay busy so that you don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your depression and anxiety will never go away. All of your symptoms will subside in time and you will heal. I wish you a speedy recovery man. You’ll get through this challenge and heal.
I’ve stopped taking this drug as well. Over the past two weeks I’ve been paranoid, anxious, have had sweating , insomnia, unable to focus. All these symptoms have led to me not being able to enjoy life in the bedroom too if you know what I mean. I’m getting sick of it at this point. Thinking about just going back on them
Hi Rich, Did you stick it out? How are you doing? I have been taking gabapentin for 7 years. I’ve had 4 surgeries on my neck with serious complications and I deal with chronic pain. I began with 1200 mg/day but I had side effects that were unbearable. I was so tired I couldn’t get through my day.
I also had an issue with speaking. It was like the words were in my brain but I couldn’t get them out of my mouth. I settled on 300-600 mg/night, for about 7 years. I began taking this drug right when menopause hit, so I blamed some of the side effects on hormones. It was not until I was prescribed anti-depressants because I became so depressed that I realized how evil this drug is.
The combination of gabapentin and SSRI’s put my heart in A-fib and caused a major panic attack that landed me in the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. I’ve been in the ER 3 times this year. I did some reading and found the connection. Then I started reading more and more. It was time to drop this med.
I went from 300-600 mg/night to 200 for 2 weeks, then to 100 for two weeks, then to 100 every other night for 2 weeks under the supervision of a doctor. I am one week with NO gabapentin. I felt the withdrawals worse with each step down and continue to have them. I don’t sleep anymore (hardly).
I sweat like crazy. The hot flashes are horrible. I have mood swings, suicidal thoughts and the worst part for me is the anger. Has anyone else experienced this? I read that it is a side effect and boy have I experienced raging on this med.
Since I started weaning I have had this odd sensation in my head, like this tingling down the front of my forehead. I have always been hypersensitive to medication. I think the thing that is so infuriating about this drug, is the lack of concern/understanding in the medical community. They don’t know how it works and they prescribe it like it’s candy – they prescribed it to my 30 year old daughter in law for back pain without running a single test on her to find out why her back hurts!
For the people who can take this, and it helps, and you don’t suffer side effects, good for you. You are fortunate. This drug has ruined my life (and I am not exaggerating-commenting that we who suffer exaggerate is beyond insensitive and not helpful at all, everyone is different). I will not take gabapentin ever again, under any circumstance. I will get through this. You can too.
Wow, Jan, I hear you… 7 years on this “harmless” drug and I became fat and stupid and lazy all at the same time. Have just completed final weaning of 1800 mgs a day, which took me about 6 weeks. Exhausted, cant sleep. Feel like I have the flu, chest aches, dizzy, fever and sinuses acting up. Bladder pain and leg pain so severe I cry! I can’t believe I was told this drug was harmless!
My wife and I felt incredibly emotional reading your comment as it could have been me speaking. I am currently undergoing withdrawal after many years on Gabapentin and to read the experiences of others is so reassuring. I will persist. I trust you are well through your withdrawal now Mike and have found you now have some good things in your life to live for.
I’m so sorry to hear this. I’ve been on this stuff for three years now. I so want to come of off it. But I’m so afraid of the withdrawal. I wish you the best, and please get some help if you feel like your life is over.
What a wonderful find – just knowing my symptoms are not imagined but real to so many. I’ve been taking 2,400 mg. of Neurontin (800 3X daily) for the past 5 plus years. When it was prescribed I never gave it a second thought. Until I switched docs and an Orthopedic Surgeon looked at me the first time he saw me and asked why, why, why was I taking so much Neurontin?
I had no adequate answer for him – other than it was prescribed by my physiatrist and pain management docs. So, about 10 weeks ago I started cutting the dosage by 400 mg. each week – last Friday ended the titration. Now I wish I’d titrated the 400 down to 100 mg. Today is day three – anxious, sweating, insomnia, outrageous nausea. I’m going to get some magnesium and hopefully it will diminish some of the detox symptoms.
Funny – the most recent pain management doc suggested I take magnesium – knowing full well at the time I was taking 2,400 mg Neurontin daily. Well – thank you all for your input – I’m most grateful!
I suffer from depression and severe back pain. I was put on Gabapentin to prevent seizures from my anti-depressant and to help with pain and sleep
I was on 4800 mcg per day for over two years. To be involved in a clinical trial it was necessary for me to get off the drug. I tapered down to 2000/day over a six week period without too much problem.
I then had to relatively quickly get off the last 1800 mcg. That was when my hell started. I started diarrhea, bloating, and ended up getting a anal fissure from frequent bowel movements. My anxiety level is very high and my sleep is greatly diminished. I have lost 17 lbs in 8 weeks and still feel weak.
There is not question this is a tough drug to get off. My recommendation is withdraw exceedingly slowly to help ease the discomfort. I wanted to go back on the drug because my withdrawal was so difficult, but I wanted more to get into this trial. My husband and family were very supportive as was my family doctor.
I am still not well but getting better everyday. Keep trying, hang in there and try to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am sooooooooooo much happier, feel less “heavy” and although I still have some diarrhea I wouldn’t change what I did, only the way I did it. Good luck to all of you fighting the battle don’t give up.
I was prescribed Gabapentin for fibromyalgia and have been on a dose of 1200mgs. I want off as I feel it is making my baseline anxiety and the terrible muscle tightness that I live with, much worse. I dropped down to 900mg but I believe this was too fast and I have reinstated the 1200. I too have panic attacks, sweats, a fog that I walk around in, and hot/cold flashes that are very close together.
My emotions are extremely raw: at times severe anxiety, bad depression, and horrible rage episodes (I call them episodes). To give some background: I also have a lengthy history of benzo addiction, (off & on) and also been through most of the SSRIs, and been through that hell too. I have been off of benzos for five years now (a record for me), and have not had SSRIs for a couple.
I am a vet and I get my care and my meds through the VA which is good cost wise. I need to schedule an appointment with my psychiatrist soon and ask her to start tapering me, and if there might be anything that might ease the withdrawals.
Clark, your new doctor wondered why you had been increased to such a high dose. I was extremely sensitive to the recommended starting dose. My age and poor kidney function wasn’t taken into consideration, which should have earned me the 100 mg dose. Sudden changes in our brain chemistry, either during introduction or during withdrawal can be a shock to our brain.
There is a warning on the RX receipt that says not to suddenly withdraw from this drug, or it can cause seizures. (Originally approved as an anti-epileptic drug.) But there is no warning about the dangers of suddenly starting this drug, or rapid increases. I didn’t have epilepsy but I developed a sudden movement disorder, during introduction.
I discovered later that the capsules reach maximum strength within 45 minutes, which was the amount of time that it took to permanently damage my nervous system. Mine looks like irregular twitching and jerking. Some people have complained about twitching muscles. This drug is suppressing the hypothalamus gland, which is connected to our pituitary gland via of the pituitary stalk.
I developed a 5 mm lesion at the beginning of this connection, so mine is having trouble getting hormones such as dopamine through to the pituitary gland, which is the master gland. Some of you are having insomnia, temperature control, B/P fluctuations, and libido problems. Your kidney function may decline.
You will have mood swings, such as uncontrollable laughing (gelastic seizures) or crying spells, (dacrystic seizures). You probably haven’t developed a hypothalamic lesion like mine, but rapid drug reduction may cause problems since your brain is trying to normalize.
Beth, I am so sorry to hear about your ordeal. I hope you are doing well… sending good vibes your way.
I agree, Clark. Finding this site and realizing; after I “Googled” chronic nausea, I most likely didn’t have a brain tumor, stomach cancer or any of the frightening symptoms associated with chronic nausea; it was Gabapentin withdrawal. What a relief.
I tapered off gradually and didn’t exhibit symptoms for several days after the last dose. My question, to anyone experiencing Gabapentin withdrawal, is: Do the symptoms come and go? One day good…the next, not so good.
I feel extremely fortunate after being on 2,700 mg for six months I am only experiencing 4 – 5 withdrawal symptoms. It ain’t easy, but I can do it. I wish you all good luck with the process.
Last May 2016 I was prescribed Gabapentin 300mg, 3 times per day due to sciatic nerve pain caused by an on the job injury. After 3 weeks at my follow up I told my Spine Interventionist that was also giving me injections in my my lumbar spine where the L4 had shifted and was causing severe pain to where I could hardly walk. He upped the GB dose to 400 mg, 3 times per day.
I still kept having lots of symptoms, feeling the GB was not helping (the injections would help for about 2 months). What did he do but up the dosage to 600mg 3 times per day. Over this period of approximately 7 months I began having side effects that I thought were part of pain from my sciatic nerve being pinched such as: uncontrollable twitching in my muscles and all over.
In addition I began to feel like I was losing my mind. I had uncontrollable suicidal thoughts, I would be mid-sentence and use words that did not fit, forget what was going to say or why I got up or went into a room. Also, uncontrollable talking, laughter and especially anxiety, anger, and lashing out at people I love for no conceivable reason.
(Like others said in these threads, the print out you get from your pharmacy does not tell you all of this and does not tell you about withdrawal symptoms. The injections stopped helping and when I told my doctor about all of the symptoms which he had never discussed with me. He simply told me to drop the dose back to 400mg 3x per day.
I am trying to taper off. Just started this week. Today was my first day to skip the midday dosage. By the time the am meds wore off about 7 hours later, I began violently vomiting, was driving and had to pull over 8 times to do so. I had throbbing headache and later itching all over my body.
My question for anyone who has completely gotten off of it is: Do all of the symptoms/side effects go away eventually? I am going away for awhile because I have become a monster and cannot stand myself. Any help would be appreciated. I too wish I had never taken the stuff and this we should all start a class-action lawsuit. Input anyone? Thanks.
Hi Clark. What kind of magnesium did you get? What did you pain management doc tell you to get? Did it help? How long did the side effects last? How are you now? I’m dealing with some serious withdrawal issues so would appreciate any hopeful comments you can make.
I was prescribed Gabapentin because I had 2 open heart surgeries for a heart defect I was born with. I didn’t have surgery until 8 years ago, and I was originally taking Tramadol for the pain from the surgeries. I got to the point where I was taking more then given so they took me off Tramadol and put me on Gabapentin. I quickly gained so much weight from gabapentin and I was drinking soda like it was going out of style.
So I cut back to almost no soda, from 5 cans a day and I went from 900 mg of gabapentin 4 times a day to 100 mg twice a day! The only way I have been able to cope with the withdrawals is the support of my husband and medical marijuana!!!! The medical marijuana has been a wonderful way for me to deal with the withdrawals. I have fibromyalgia so that is what I am using the medical marijuana for, and chronic pain.
I take Magnesium daily for RLS, and that’s what my doc put me on gaba for. I’ve had several docs from moving to another state — specialists like neurologists and gap’s — and none of them ever said anything about when I should take my mag. I am learning things here, and I am a medical writer.
I am tapering off 2400 mg/day of gaba and didn’t even know there were withdrawals until recently. I mentioned above that I haven’t had any symptoms, but I have been extremely tired. I don’t know whether to attribute that to the W/D or my ME/CFS. I may never know…
Mike, I’m new to this forum, so I’m not even sure when your comment was posted, but I wanted to say that your feelings/this of suicide are real, but as someone else said, also temporary. Please find someone to talk to about this, and remember that it WILL pass. Hang in there!
Mike, Don’t give in to the thought that this is how you will be for the rest of your life. I felt like that coming off benzos. I was sure that was it for me. But it does indeed get better. And the moments of clarity are beautiful. A doc put me on gabapentin to help get me off benzos with the thought of it being “non-addictive and easy to get off.”
Every other random doctor has also told me it “should be no problem to get off of.” They’re mostly all ignorant, but not at the fault of their own. That’s how they’re taught. Currently in a drop and the symptoms suck, as it is the middle of the night and I’m desperate to go back to sleep.
The only difference is now I know it WILL get better. Take care of yourself in every way. Supplements, meditation, self development, etc. It WILL get better Mike. As the bible says, “this too shall pass.”
I have been on 600mg of Neurontin since January, when I was detoxed by my Dr from Xanax. I am tapering off this drug 300mg a week per my Dr’s instruction. The only symptom I am experiencing is shortness of breath and sometimes insomnia. Do you feel Magnesium will help me? Do you think I will have a long withdrawal period? Medical issues have been ruled out as far as causing my shortness of breath. What dose of Magnesium is suggested? Thank you,
Joyce Cote
Hey Joyce, I wouldn’t panic too much or overthink it. The symptoms above are just a collective list of “potential” things you may experience. Magnesium could be something to try out if the symptoms get bad, but I wouldn’t worry too much. Most sources suggest about 250 mg of Magnesium if necessary. Keep in mind that Magnesium should not be taken until you are NO LONGER taking your Neurontin as they can have an interaction… Best of luck with the withdrawal process.
The Neurontin is what is causing the shortness of breath and insomnia. You may even feel a little down or unmotivated. Just keep it in watch.
Joyce and Heather, There is a REALLY GREAT magnesium called CALM!! It is a powder and it will help you beyond measure. I was taking 3200 mg a day of gabapentin and I just tapered off over a two month period. I am dealing with insomnia. The CALM helps a lot. Also try PLUS CDB OIL, NORDIC FISH OIL (high in DHA), MEGAFOOD ADRENAL STRENGTH & a melatonin. These are the things your body desperately needs when withdrawing from meds.
I was on 2400mg of Gabapentin. Now I am currently on 1200mg (300 morning, 300 afternoon and 600 at night). I am having all the symptoms mentioned above. It has been a couple of weeks now. Idk if I should talk to my psychiatrist about staying on this level for a bit until the withdrawal symptoms subside or should I tell him I want off of it? I do have psych history, and diabetes w/ the neuropathy for feet and hands. Idk what to do?
I have so much compassion for all of you. I’m coming off of 3000 mg a day for a year due to meningitis and migraines. I’m going to discontinue taking the magnesium until after my withdrawal after reading these suggestions. Yoga and stretching does help, cutting yourself a lot of slack and not pushing yourself helps, and I drink a lot of dandelion root tea which cleans the liver – which I believe helps me get rid of the drug faster.
My doctor has me taking gabapentin and magnesium together.
The mag decreases the absorption rate of the neurotin. Get off the mag. I personal would rather get off the neurotin as it is the drug from hell. Mary Mason RN
Your advice is self-contradictory. If by your own admission the gabapentin is worse than the magnesium, why do you then suggest that she stop taking the magnesium rather than the gabapentin? Furthermore, if gabapentin is, as you say, from hell, then it is in her better interest to continue the magnesium if it decreases the absorption of the gabapentin. Finally, for an individual to heed a random RN on the internet over her personal doctor in the first place would be an indiscretion at best.
I just stopped taking my neurontin 2 days ago and yesterday & today I’ve felt like an elephant has been sitting on my chest. I feel like I’m 400lbs because I cannot catch my breath.
I have experienced scary episodes of shortness of breath during withdrawal from this drug. When I would take a full breath with my arms raised above my head, I could not get any feeling of relief from it. Also an inhaler did not have any effect. I did notice that it would get a little better during a warm shower. I wound up in the ER (the night after my family doc gave me the inhaler and I still was having the issues).
I was very scared and scared about being scared, if that makes sense. Thoughts would go through my head about the anxiety lasting forever and other falsely negative thoughts that can come during anxiety attacks. I later came to find that the shortness of breath was coming purely from anxiety and the ER doc said as much. The calming effect from the sensory deprivation of the shower and inhaler being ineffective both point to this.
They gave me an antihistamine and I had clonidine at the house. Neither of these drugs was a cure all and they aren’t benzos (which I can’t take), so I had to suffer and do my best…and later investigate and experiment. THINGS THAT HAVE HELPED:
1. Minimize caffeine and nicotine as much as possible.
2. Take deep breaths and hold in for 5 seconds before slowly releasing.
3. Tense of a muscle like my bicep for 3 seconds, then release. Repeat on other side.
4. Watching a calming yoga video on the laptop while laying on the ground and mimicking (or try to mimic haha) a couple of the easy poses.
5. Listen to ASMR videos (search in youtube) with my headphones in. I like the massage ones and Heather Feather. War veterans use these videos to cope with PTSD and they are AMAZING.
6. Get some type of support group. A person or persons who have had anxiety or work with people who have that will listen to you talk about the problem. This is huge because it takes away that feeling that I am alone with my problem that can come during an anxiety spell.
Hope this helps! I am a 30 year old midwestern man, and BELIEVE ME none of the things on that list are something I would EVER have tried if I had found pills that alone would solve any of these problems. Like it’s too effeminate to do any of those things when you are a man. If they worked for me they can work for a lot of people.
Hi Mr B. I am experiencing severe gabapentin withdrawal. I am interested in learning more about the benefits of ASMR videos. I searched youtube as you suggested and there are many videos available by Heather Feather. However, I have no clues of which massage videos to watch. Will you be able to send me a link to a couple of videos that you like the most to help me? I cannot sleep at all, in so much pain, my legs burn as if I am being poured with acid among many other symptoms. Thank you kindly Mr. B.
I am suffering severe burning pain in my face, neck, shoulders, arms and legs after taking Gabapentin. I took 700mg over five days. My last dose was nine days ago and the burning is still raging. I called the doctor the day after my last dose to explain my symptoms,she said not to take anymore. Stupidly I thought they would be out of my system within 48 hrs. How wrong was I!
I started to panic and couldn’t get hold of anyone for advice at my GP surgery so I went to the walk in centre at my local hospital. There was no doctor on duty there so a nurse saw me, she didn’t seem concerned ,she told me to see how it was in a couple of days and then go to my GP. When I saw the GP he gave me amitriptyline, I was extremely nervous about putting anything else in my body, but I felt desperate.
He told me to take one a day for a week and then phone him to see how I am. I didn’t notice any improvement in the burning pains in fact I was hardly getting any sleep at that stage. On the fourth day of taking the amitriptyline I was getting weird sensations of my body floating above my legs which was terrifying. Needless to say I haven’t taken anymore.
It’s Tuesday now and I’m due to speak to the doctor on Thursday. I feel in limbo in a world of hell. I need to get through this and get my life back but at the moment I can’t see an end to this pain.
Hi, I know your post was last year but I was just wondering if you are finally free from gabapentin? I am into my second week of reducing the strength from 2700mg a day to 1800mg a day. If you have come off completely, how do you feel, do you feel better for it? I am trying anything to help and reflexology/acupressure has helped.
I have really bad moods swings. One day (when it was sunny) I felt all smiley and happy, the next day (when it was cold and raining) I felt like crap. Now I don’t know whether that’s because of the weather or because of withdrawal. I have no motivation but know if I sit on my backside I will feel worse. Please tell me there is light at the end of the tunnel.
June, I just wanted to touch base with you since we are both going through this right now. I have shingles and had been on Gaba for about 6 month. And I had to take more than the recommended amounts to get through the pain. I was taking 900mg every 5 hours day and night. I started tapering off about a month and a half back. Went to 600mg for a couple weeks then down to 300 and finally to 150.
I have been totally off now for a week. UGH! I had read about the magnesium and started on Calm twice a day. But I have still suffered the symptoms. I am dizzy enough that I feel uncomfortable. especially in the mornings. By 1:00pm or so, it starts to let up. But if I drive in the mornings it is hell. I think the fast movement over stimulates my brain and I have actually had to pull over.
And I have to fight panic attacks when this happens. I have a pacemaker and defib implant and had to find out about panic attacks the hard way after that surgery… so I don’t want to go there again. I don’t know if you had weight gain while on these meds, but I bloated up… now I imagine those toxins are stored in that fat and I am leeching them back into my bloodstream too.
I did go through the down feelings off and on for a few days, but that is letting up now. Just have to keep reminding myself the dizzy/spacey feeling will clear up eventually. So, anyway, you aren’t alone.
I have been on neurontin for 4 months. Took for 3 weeks was way to dizzy, bloated not sleeping cut it down – didn’t help my pain – felt more mood swings, anxiety; went off started again same problem. Not good drug for me.
I am on day 3 of withdrawal from gabapentin. I wish I’d researched it more prior to taking it. I was only on it 1 month, but that was 1 month too long. Initially I thought it was great because I slept very well and felt calm without side effects, however even after weeks, it did nothing for my fibromyalgia pain. I was taking 200mg at bedtime (I’m tiny).
After a week I began feeling very disoriented. I couldn’t tell if something happened 2 hours ago, or 2 days ago, or if it didn’t happen at all and I’d just dreamed it. I became depressed. I continued in hopes the side effects would pass, but I need to be oriented to here and now. I dropped to 100mg a week before discontinuing, and the withdrawal symptoms started immediately.
I’m having horrible hot flashes, intense irritability leading to anger at points, crying spells, my partner has told me I’ve been sleep talking, which is probably why I wake up feeling like I’ve hardly slept. The first 2 days I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Today that isn’t so bad so far… I will never take an anti-epileptic again.
There is light at the end. I was on gabapentin 800 mg and taking 8000 mg a day for 2 years. The side effects from being on this med from hell were horrible! I tapered my dose down to 2400 mg a day overnight. While the side effects from taking the med got less they still had my mind and body in disarray.
After one month of taking dose to 2400 mg day. I went to 800 mg a day for 3 days then to 400 mg for 3 days. Then stopped. Finally free of that Med from Hell, physically and mentally. The only side effects I have one week into being off is shortness of breath but only when exerting myself. And sweating profusely, also while exerting myself.
I might add I am very sensitive to medication and to withdrawal from medications. Getting off Gabapentin is very doable and I highly recommend doing so. Eating and drinking plenty of water are crucial to health especially when stoping a medication.
Dear Mr. B, Would you please describe your shortness of breath? I took Neurontin for only five days but had so many side effects I couldn’t stand it, sleeping all day, extreme lethargy, twitching, shaking, brain fog, headaches with numbness and shortness of breath. I called a pharmacist and he said since I was only on it for 5 days I could just stop it today.
In 3 days the symptoms were gone except the shortness of breath, now day 12, I need to take a deep breath every 4 or 5 minutes. It’s scary. How long did your SOB continue? Was it like mine? Any suggestions? Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and answer. Mary Kay
PLEASE READ THIS COMMENT!!!! This is a horrible medication. The side effects are bad. I stopped taking neurontin and ended up being admitted in the hospital. It gave me severe nausea and vomiting along with very bad sweating and chills and fever. I thought I was having a heart attack. Felt like I was dying. This medication is horrendous :( so for anyone taking this please please be aware of what can happen to you. It’s horrible and I suffered really badly. Good luck to all.
Me too. Pharmacy gave it to me by mistake. It’s a look alike to my ibuprofen. Terrible withdrawal while tapering. Stopped 7/11/16. Still bad things happening, but much better than first week of hell. I had, anxiety, depression, (still), can’t eat or drink things I used to, coffee caused me to literally jump out of my skin, it’s been about five weeks and a week ago I developed IBS, pretty bad. Keep praying it will end. Research is good. Patient is a good resource based in UK. Sorry for your journey, it’s a horrible drug.
Just experienced this, I’ve been on gabapentin a while and I didn’t take it for about 2 weeks and for the last couple of days I’ve felt severe chest pains, sweating real bad and body weakness. I swear I thought it was a heart attack for real. I just decided to see if this was a side effect, and came across this. I’m staying on because this feeling is not a good one. Thanks for sharing.
Magnesium should not be taken within 2 hours of Neurontin (Gabapentin). I’ve been taking 300 mg 3x day and the warning is on the label. Magnesium interferes with the absorption of Neurontin (Gabapentin).
I had most of my right lung taken out because of a pulmonary sequestration that went all infected. Been on 600mg of Gabapentin for 2 years (1 dose 1 hour before bed). Found these last months my eyesight has become affected, so dropped down to 300mg 1 hour before bed. Eyesight better after just 1 day, head clearer too. The Gabapentin makes pain more ignorable, you forget about it and get on with life, but the down side is you get a bit lazier than you were before. Take it away and reality is sharper but then again so is the spot where they took my ribs out ;-). Lingering symptoms for months? Not too sure about these “withdrawal” symptoms as I have not had any of them at all, IMO I think it’s overplayed here.
Your kind of “IMO” comment is what makes people more anxious and reluctant to talk about their issues. Just because you were lucky enough not to have symptoms (your dose is very small) doesn’t mean that the rest of the people here are overplaying it. Until you’ve had a crippling panic attack, intractable migraine, crying spell for no reason, etc… Please keep your humble judgements to yourself.
Thank you for writing this reply. I started on 900mg and was briefly on 3 times that amount. The person who says there are no side effects has been on an extremely low dose and can only comment for their experience. So, on a low dose, it would seem there are few to no side effects. Unless you have taken a ‘normal’ to high dose, perhaps be a little more circumspect with your sweeping statements.
Hello Emily, I see you have commented earlier this year in 2016. I’m wondering how you are now and if your withdrawal symptoms have subsided. I only took Gabapentin for 2 weeks and felt like a zombie, so tapered down over a few days only. Appetite/sleep are good, but I have a dreadfully low mood.
Wow, I found your comment rather rude. He stated his experience with gabapentin, just as you started yours. He has every right to post whatever he wants. You have absolutely no right to tell him, or anybody here, to keep their “humble comments to themselves”. I’ve been on 600mg, two pills @ three times a day for 10 years and I’ve never had withdrawal symptoms. I’ve stopped taking it for a month or more over the years and still no withdrawal symptoms.
I was prescribed this medication for lower back pain. After working up to the dosage prescribed (900mg, 3x daily), I began to have suicidal thoughts, irrational behavior, and bouts of horrible anxiety (w/crying – I’m a 37 year old man, married for 10 years – my wife had never seen me cry before that). Almost immediately, I started to tapper off the stuff, as the pain was still there anyway.
I was on it for a total of about 6 weeks. In that time, I was almost fired from my job (begging helped me keep it after we realized what had happened). It sounds like it works for some of you, but be careful, and pay attention to how you’re feeling if you’re going to try it.
I have been on Gabapentin for about 4 years, only the past year have I taken it everyday. 600mg, 4 times a day and sometimes more for the pain that wakes you up out of a deep sleep. I recently stopped cold turkey because of not having money to refill. Well, the 3rd day after stopping, I woke up not being able to catch my breath, the following days the shortness of breath was getting worse, extreme headaches, not being able to walk because of the shortness of breath.
By the time I got to the ER, I felt like my body was shutting down… after numerous tests, extremely high hospital bill, it was the Gabapentin. I am back on it, slowly tapering off, as that was the most scariest experience. Sadly, it was me and my pharmacist that realized that is what caused it, not the hospital ER doctors, which I told them that I had stopped abruptly.
I’ve come off clonazepam and opiates and never experienced this, so please be careful, doctors really don’t know exactly how this drug works…
Tabitha. Good for you, your lucky you have not experienced any withdrawal symptoms. As for myself I have been on 300mg 3 to 4 times a day for three years and I started having symptoms even while on the normal dose due to the drugs short half life. I’m currently trying to wean off the drug and am experiencing withdrawal symptoms that mimic benzodiazepine. I agree with Lynne H, it is not helpful for someone to comment that they believe withdrawal is overplayed because their experience is different.
I completely disagree with the statement that he had every right to say what he thinks/feels. If the comments were strictly his experience then sure, however he stated that the rest of us were overdoing it as if we come here to exaggerate and blow things out of proportion. It’s real, it’s awful and it shouldn’t be judged by anyone. Some don’t experience w/d symptoms and that’s great, but for the rest that do, comments like that are just not necessary.
No, Tabitha, your comment was rude. The reaction wasn’t to him stating his experience; it was to him saying he felt the withdrawal problem is overstated here by others: Well, *I* – all-important me – didn’t experience this, so clearly everyone claiming they have is just making it up and/or a crybaby.
It’s great that you didn’t get these symptoms. And it’s even useful to post that, because then we can see, OK, not everyone has the same experience with this.
But if you then extrapolate to everyone else in the world, that’s just, well, rude.
Tabitha, were you taking 600mg total? Or 600mg pills three times a day? Thanks :)
You’re a lucky girl, Tabitha. No Gabapentin withdrawal symptoms is a good thing.
Why should she keep her comments to herself? After being on these type of websites with people addicted to everything from aspirin to calcium, my experience with Gabapentin has been… it’s a safe drug. Doesn’t suppress nerve endings so much as make your brain perceive the problem differently. If the symptoms come back as you taper off, why go through the discomfort?
I have an autoimmune hypersensitivity that causes sever itching, prickly skin, burning sensation, etc. I’ve been informed it won’t go away. So I take a rather large dose of this a day. Not a dangerous (as in short term memory loss) dose, but within my doctor’s recommended dose. Why would I worry about withdrawal symptoms if it gives me relief?
If it doesn’t work for some folks, taper off. No doctor has told me there are serious withdrawal symptoms if tapered of slowly. These type of blogs remind me of AA meetings. Everyone whining about… whatever. Give it a rest.
I would like to say that I am experiencing withdrawal from Gabapentin. It is not pretty. I was on 5 600 mg tablets for about 3 years. Tapered off by dropping 600 mg every 2 weeks. Did not notice any symptoms until I stopped the last one. Severe headache, nausea, no appetite, aching, anxiety, depression.
I thought I had influenza. Headache is gone and nausea and appetite is back but my doctor put me back on 600mg at night and gave me 100 mg capsules to take as needed. It is not pretty. Just wanted to say that the symptoms are real and those who did not experience them are very fortunate but really dislike that they put down those of us going through it.
I get anxiety and some kind of feeling I can barely keep my head up when sitting at the table. I may not be able to get completely off as I have chronic nerve pain. I am under doctors care. Please realize that these symptoms are real and not endanger someone who could be depressed enough to end their life. Hearing what others have gone through and also found helpful is extremely helpful to me.
He was giving his own opinion. Opinions are allowed there snowflake. And his “small dose” is just as subjective. I’ve been on 3600mg per day for a failed hip surgery, and was able to walk away from it cold turkey without problem at all. Very lucky!
Tramadol however I couldn’t kick and had to have help from a rehab center because of it. Before you think too much into that, I was also on OxyContin and had no issue quitting that cold turkey as well. So please, please don’t hammer someone for giving their opinion because it’s different than yours. We all act to meds differently, and I think it’s important that everyone hears all sides of the coin.
You were blessed not to have withdrawal symptoms, you must be thankful you are the type of person whose body handles this well. So many of us are suffering from anxiety, depression, extreme irritability, migraines and more. I have had multiple surgeries on my cervical spine and have been on oxycodone and hydrocodone for 18 months at a time.
Coming off those was easy compared to trying to get off of Neurontin. I have been on 600 mg 3x daily for 2 years, I never knew about the difficulty in stopping this medication or I would never have continued taking it. I was told it was not a narcotic, and was a relatively harmless medication. What an ill informed doctor that was!
He got the “not a narcotic” portion right anyway… I have two issues with your comment. “Your experience” was relatively limited with this medication and “IMO I think it (withdrawal symptoms) is overplayed here” is a statement better kept for experiences you have walked a mile in, rather than took a few steps in. The original poster clearly stated people on a low dosage may never experience any withdrawal symptoms and that some people (are lucky enough) handle withdrawal well and don’t experience symptoms.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, I would rather you had highlighted your experience for other people’s knowledge, rather than make a judgmental comment that could be offensive to those that are struggling with withdrawal. I couldn’t pass your post by without a response, in case someone else was reading your comment and felt hopelessness because they were having these horrible symptoms and you were not. Peaceful blessings :).
Richard, I appreciate your comment, it gives a little hope that there is a light at the end of this tunnel. I can only think that the person who was rude was just having some gabapentin withdrawal symptoms that hopefully will pass soon. I have been taking it for just under a year and on my 2nd day down from about 450mg a day and now around 150mg. Was only at 450mg for a month or so.
My first cut from 450 to 300 wasn’t too bad, a little anxiety and some light night sweats. Now I’m really feeling it. Hopefully it won’t last too long. I would say the first 150mg drop last about 5 days of feeling poorly. Now after the 2nd night after my 2nd cut I woke up drenched, other than that I just have some general aches from a lot of broken bones (24 bones broken in 2 seconds) and a little concerned about how bad this is going to get.
Again, I found your post quite reassuring and am looking forward to getting off this crappy drug. The Doc that prescribed it told me it wasn’t addictive. I don’t know if he flat lied, or he is really in the dark about gabapentin. I think it’s the first and not the latter. An experienced Doctor couldn’t possibly be that stupid.
My symptoms on the 2nd day after the 2nd drop of 1/3 of my dose, some anxiety but not too bad, brain fog, extreme night sweats, not sleeping good, ornery, tired, headache but not real bad, aches and pains, some stomach problems, all of which seem worse first thing in the morning. It’s kind of like a light flu bug, without throwing up. In the plus column, my vision is already better, thinking clearer and burning pain that has persisted in my leg and foot is some better. I think this drug caused burning in my foot that has climbed up my leg.
I was glad to have it when I finished a valium taper after nearly 15 years on valium. It did help me sleep and feel better when I was at my worst from the valium withdrawal but now after being on it so long I think it’s making everything worse. Never would have taken the first one had I have known it was addictive (and I asked that Doctor flat out, “Is this drug addicting?” his reply was just “no”. He’s a real peach who I stopped seeing shortly after He put me on it.
Why Doctors put people on drugs like gabapentin and valium knowing what they do to people is beyond me. Quackery. I have no help getting off this crappy drug except what I have read online. Some people have no problem with it while others feel like it’s the end of the world. The ones that feel it’s the end of the world possibly never stopped taking benzo’s long term. That’s real withdrawal, no matter what you do it just keeps on giving.
The best solution I came up with on stopping gabapentin was to drop 1/3 at a time to avoid a seizure and get it over with. Now I’m more determined than ever to toss it in the trash where it belongs. I was wondering if people would just take a minute and post exactly how they tapered this drug and how long the symptoms lasted. From what I have seen it seems a lot of people that had little to no withdrawal symptoms from this drug cut by 10% at a time.
I cant even figure out how to cut 10% but all I have is 300mg capsules that I am dumping 1/2 of out. UPDATE: I started typing this shortly after getting up from a long night (7 hours of severely interrupted sleep) getting up and down, sweating like a pig in a very cool room in dead of winter. After getting some coffee, moving around and now been up a few hours I am feeling some better. This can’t be compared to a benzo taper but is still not very pleasant.
I don’t believe the drug is addicting, but as hundreds of drugs do, it makes your body “dependent” on it. That means you may or may not have withdrawn symptoms as your body must re-adjust itself while you are tapering. Everyone is so different during withdrawals of any kind, you can only become informed about symptoms, listen to your body and hope things don’t get too bad.
I am tapering off 2400 mg/day for more than 15 years and have no symptoms, positive or negative. We are all just different. I quit 40 mg/day of oxycodone cold turkey after years on it and had no withdrawal! I was prepared to be very sick, but nothing happened. That’s very rare.
I agree with Kristine; I don’t believe gabapentin is addictive in the same sense as nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs where you crave the drug while you’re withdrawing. However, many of us still experience withdrawal when stopping or tapering this, and that needs to be taken seriously. My experience is mine, and yours is yours.
No one can make judgments, only share experiences and try to be supportive. I’ve tapered off in the past with relatively few symptoms, but realize I could still have more w/d symptoms. The only reason I re-started gabapentin is that my pain was so intense. I was ready to say ‘uncle’ and start taking it again.
It’s affecting my eyesight, and I consider that serious. I’m forgetful, clumsy, short of breath, and have a disconcerting case of flatulence (ok, gas). I didn’t connect these to gabapentin until I read the list of side effects – yes, even gas is on the list. My dosage of 300mg x 3/day = 900/day, isn’t high by comparison with dosages of some others on this forum.
Once again, I’m going to stop taking it; the side effects are just too troubling. I’m seeing my Dr. next week, and will taper from the drug under his supervision. If the w/d is too troubling, I’ll scale back and do it more slowly and for as long as necessary. My Dr. recommended Lyrica once before, and will probably do so again.
I’ve already read the list of side effects, and they’re similar to gabapentin. No way. Thanks for the w/d suggestions, and good wishes to all.
I have begun the taper. This drug really wasn’t great for me. I got off opiates and Benzos – all prescribed. I was up to 600 MG – 4 times a day. I’ve only been taking it for 2 months and the side effects hit. The dizziness and vertigo are the hardest. Then the metal taste and dry mouth.
The little twitches, muscle aches, head pulses as I call them are all not fun. I think all of the anxiety is because my body is on high alert. So yeah, this and all medicines should be taken with the utmost of respect and knowledge. I dropped myself down to 300 mg – 4 times a day. Not a fun jump.
Have been doing this for 3 full days. Lots of worry that I’m going to be like this forever. Talk about it. It does help. Baths are good. Looking forward to getting this out of me. Fingers crossed and saying a prayer. Send positive mojo my way. Hang in there if you’re going through it. It will work out. This is just my experience and I’m hoping this may help someone. You are not alone. You never are.
Hi Mark, I just wanted to find out how you are doing? I am in the process of weaning off Gabapentin and I’m experiencing very similar side effects to what you experienced. Hope you are well. Bron
Again a judgment! Why? Everyone is different. I’ve done both discontinuations, Valium and gabapentin and for “me” gabapentin is much worse, so it’s all relative. I can’t understand the need for these comments. With so many variables and differences in body chemistry, age, weight, other medications, length of time on the med, on and on and on, it’s clear that everyone will experience withdrawal differently. Judgment and or criticism regarding it… Puzzling to say the least.
Good morning, I just got done with a reply to a gal and listed how I got off and what I am going through. But I wanted to comment on your statement that it is worse in the mornings… I am going through the same thing. Until about 1:00pm I am dizzy and my tummy is also upset. I force myself to drink the Calm-magnesium/potassium powder and eat some eggs or other protein. And I know the Calm has helped because a couple times I thought I was headed for a full blown panic attack, but felt it melting away as I drank it down. Good luck on your journey.
It’s not a “crappy drug” in itself. If all goes well — and it can — the results can be wonderful. I’ve used 2400-3600mg daily for almost 15 years. It has greatly lessened post-herpetic pain that was close to unbearable. Patients aren’t always given good advice on how to start it, whether to continue it, and how to reduce or stop it. That certainly is crappy!
Recently I decided, completely on my own, to reduce the dose I’d taken for many years. Bad thinking. I had no idea that modulating the dose held any risk. Then I decided to slowly go back to my old dose. That turned out horribly, so in my bizarre mood, I decided the only thing to do was to go cold turkey. Really, really bad thinking.
I became extremely, miserably, terrifyingly ill as a result of stopping, and I was so unbalanced that it didn’t occur to me that quitting gabapentin abruptly was the cause. I’ll go back to gabapentin, but I’ll talk to my doctor about how to do it properly. As a last thought, various doctors over the years have known I increased and decreased the dose in the top dosage range. No one has ever pointed out the risk.
Aug. 28,2016. Been on this drug for about 4 years getting up to 2700mg/day. My doc wrote out a withdrawal chart that took five weeks finishing up with one 300mg at bedtime for one week. I started getting sick: weak, itching, losing weight, nausea, dizzy, etc. and I was getting scared being sick all the time because I had just had my aortic heart valve removed.
When I reported being so sick to my cardiologist he ordered a lot of blood tests/cultures, etc. What a shame to have gone through all the tests and wondering if this ‘illness’ was connected to my new heart valve when all along it was the Gabapentin withdrawal. My doc who prescribed it did not tell me that this withdrawal would happen. I am furious.
I was getting so low and feeling so isolated not knowing what was wrong with me. I had to figure it out all by myself. So my plea to any of you is to be proactive! You aren’t alone, you will get through this withdrawal, and learn from this experience. But by all means, think twice before your doctor puts you on a medication where withdrawals can be beyond what you can handle. May God bless those of you who are struggling.
I like that you stated no one ever pointed out the risk. I started this medication almost a year ago for nerve damage in my lower back but never really took it until my doctor explained that it builds up in the blood stream and does not have an immediate effect like a pain killer does. So, once I was informed of how it actually worked I started taking my dose of 1200mg every night.
I did ask my doctor if there was any danger in taking it or if it was addictive and she flat out said absolutely not, it is a safe and helpful medication for my nerve pain. I’m now beyond upset by how nonchalantly she addressed my concerns. After about 2 weeks of taking it as prescribed I did notice a huge change in my level of pain, it was so much better.
However, I had the flu the last few days and puked them up for 2 days so it didn’t go into my system. Last night I was feeling better from the flu but only had one left when I usually take 4 total before bed (300mg each). I woke up with terrible muscle spasms that not even my muscle relaxer (tyzadine) could touch and my tramadol did absolutely nothing for the pain.
I thought it was still the flu until I remembered I hadn’t taken the gabapentin for 3 days and wasn’t aware that it caused withdrawal. On my way to pick it up my anxiety was so terrible I had to pull over and take one of my .5 mg alprazolam (I’m prescribed quite a few meds, but none that caused such terrible withdrawal symptoms, and I take them as prescribed so withdrawal isn’t an issue I experience with them. However, I did when I was much younger and abused them so I know how awful the withdrawal is).
About an hour after taking my normal dose of gabapentin I felt like a different person, like myself again. Although the relief was nice, I’m now quite scared of this medication. However, it does seriously help my nerve pain and does not give me any sort of high which is great, but again I’m so uncomfortable and scared of this medication now.
Any suggestions considering it works so well for me? After reading all this I feel as though I’ll be on it for life as the nerve pain will gradually and inevitably get worse. I know that meds affect everyone differently and have no comment on the controversial remarks that have been expressed while reading this. I do empathize with those whom experienced the terrible withdrawal.
I know it’s real, I felt how awful it is and for those of you that don’t experience it I truly am happy for you. I guess I’d just like some input on my situation as this is the first time I’ve experienced it. Peace to all here and for those suffering I’m so sorry you are going through this terrible experience.
Lol, just because you don’t have any withdrawal symptoms doesn’t mean that someone else won’t and it is not “over played” whatsoever! I have gotten off of heroin and alcohol and that was heaven compared to gabapentin WD’s. They are horrible for me. Happy you didn’t have as hard of a time, most people do have severe WD’s if neurontin is discontinued abruptly or even tapering down is unpleasant to say the least…
You my friend are a true bonehead. You have no idea how rough it can be getting off this drug from hell. My bet is you are a doctor because you display the same levels of ignorance.
Dear Joyce, How long did you have shortness of breath? I’m forced to take a deep breath every 5 minutes. This has been going on for 12 days. Please if you know anyway I can stop this please let me know. Mary Kay