Gabapentin (Neurontin) - Usage & Withdrawals Questions
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 6
Gabapentin (Neurontin) - Usage & Withdrawals Questions
Hello...So since my street sobriety naturally doctors have given me more drugs than I was taking when I was on opiates. Suboxone first. Then I thought I had a stomach disease because I started experiencing constant nausea (part of why I developed a problem with opiates - unless I took too much it stopped my nausea, allowed me to drink a lot of coffee without feeling sick so I could do more work, etc) and went to my family doctor. He put me on Klonopin for 3-6 months max. Despite having done a ton of experimenting growing up, I never had interest in benzos. Only tried them max 5 times throughout my history. Just didn't like the feeling and got bad vibes from them. Therefore I didn't do as much extensive reading about them and their withdrawals unti this current prescription.
My recovery doctor wasn't too happy about the new prescription. I knew he wouldn't but I told him ASAP. About 8 months later I decided I needed to stop if I wanted to stop sitting in my hell with a glossy half-smile and actually get out of the situations that are causing me stress. I had found out by then that one should not quit benzos cold turkey. I had also read on Wiki the withdrawal symptoms at one point (to my horror!!! it sounded worse than opiates!!! seizures?!?!). I started over-taking them the past few months, so I knew I would run out anyway. So I guess I took less for about a week and then called to see if I had any refills, they said no. At first I freaked like an addict and called the doctor's emergency nurse line and told them I had run out (I was still on time for the re-fill date since I took less). But the nurse only said to make an appointment, and the only one I could make was 4 or 5 days later. Once I got there the doctor and nurses freaked, asked if the person said who I was speaking to, and that they would have refilled it, and to never stop cold turkey. Then my doc said I need to take it forever since I have anxiety and if I wanted to cut down it would have to be over a 6-12 month period. I basically did a yeah-ok-seeya and wasn't about to refill that mess. I figured the worst was over and I just couldn't go back there. After all, I've been through opiate withdrawal multiple times.
My conscience started to frighten me so when I visited my recovery doc a few days later I told him I quit cold turkey and told him how long it had been so far. He mentioned the possibility of seizures but he seemed happy about this decision and wrote a script for this Gabapentin. He described it repeatedly as the following: (a) not a narcotic, and (b) an anti-convulsant. Fair enough. But I am so sick of taking pills, if all of my docs had their way I'd be on a benzo, anti-depressant, and suboxone minimum. To me that makes no sense if I'm quitting taking one type of substance to be on 3. I forgot about the Gabapentin until it was start of week 2 of benzo withdrawal. Let me tell you - this is crazy. I'm having the worst headaches that are taking over my face to the point of numbness. I can't feel my face or my skin; they are crawling and itchy and hurt. My arms especially are stiff and in extreme pain - it feels to the bone. I am dizzy, crying uncontrollably, slight hallucinations, extremely sensitive...one day at work my head just fell on my desk in exhaustion and pain. Now every day waking up in a flustered distress and misery. Today I could barely walk and was so out of breath for no reason, and I know there are many atheists, but I just had to start praying. I didn't know what else to do. Then perhaps God sent a lightning bolt of thought and I remembered this Gabapentin script. I looked it up on Wiki quickly, I thought this isn't so bad. I got it, I'm on a small dosage compared to the dosages of those I found on this forum in years past. No more than 400mg/day. Because of being unaware of the inhumane side effects of benzo withdrawals until I was on it for a while, I decided to google "Gabapentin withdrawals". Then, I saw some of the past posts of the addictions and horrors of this drug.
All of that writing to ask two questions:
- If taken at small amounts for a short period of time, did this help curb the symptoms of benzo withdrawal for anyone? Or will I most likely be at square one come month's end? Any similar steps to recovery as noted above?
- On past posts some people have replied this was used for opiate withdrawal AND suboxone withdrawal. To the suboxoners - how long did you have to take this to withdraw from suboxone? How was your experience?
I would love to come off of the suboxone, if I could kill two birds (medications) with one stone. I really can't stand the subs anymore. From the taste to the mild headaches that sometimes occur exactly 30mins after taking it. My doctor just keeps saying stuff like, oh this just happened in your life you shouldn't get off it now. Things will always happen and if with all this therapy I can't handle even one life situation better than before I started, then something is wrong, it's been over a year, I am ready to start a new chapter.
My recovery doctor wasn't too happy about the new prescription. I knew he wouldn't but I told him ASAP. About 8 months later I decided I needed to stop if I wanted to stop sitting in my hell with a glossy half-smile and actually get out of the situations that are causing me stress. I had found out by then that one should not quit benzos cold turkey. I had also read on Wiki the withdrawal symptoms at one point (to my horror!!! it sounded worse than opiates!!! seizures?!?!). I started over-taking them the past few months, so I knew I would run out anyway. So I guess I took less for about a week and then called to see if I had any refills, they said no. At first I freaked like an addict and called the doctor's emergency nurse line and told them I had run out (I was still on time for the re-fill date since I took less). But the nurse only said to make an appointment, and the only one I could make was 4 or 5 days later. Once I got there the doctor and nurses freaked, asked if the person said who I was speaking to, and that they would have refilled it, and to never stop cold turkey. Then my doc said I need to take it forever since I have anxiety and if I wanted to cut down it would have to be over a 6-12 month period. I basically did a yeah-ok-seeya and wasn't about to refill that mess. I figured the worst was over and I just couldn't go back there. After all, I've been through opiate withdrawal multiple times.
My conscience started to frighten me so when I visited my recovery doc a few days later I told him I quit cold turkey and told him how long it had been so far. He mentioned the possibility of seizures but he seemed happy about this decision and wrote a script for this Gabapentin. He described it repeatedly as the following: (a) not a narcotic, and (b) an anti-convulsant. Fair enough. But I am so sick of taking pills, if all of my docs had their way I'd be on a benzo, anti-depressant, and suboxone minimum. To me that makes no sense if I'm quitting taking one type of substance to be on 3. I forgot about the Gabapentin until it was start of week 2 of benzo withdrawal. Let me tell you - this is crazy. I'm having the worst headaches that are taking over my face to the point of numbness. I can't feel my face or my skin; they are crawling and itchy and hurt. My arms especially are stiff and in extreme pain - it feels to the bone. I am dizzy, crying uncontrollably, slight hallucinations, extremely sensitive...one day at work my head just fell on my desk in exhaustion and pain. Now every day waking up in a flustered distress and misery. Today I could barely walk and was so out of breath for no reason, and I know there are many atheists, but I just had to start praying. I didn't know what else to do. Then perhaps God sent a lightning bolt of thought and I remembered this Gabapentin script. I looked it up on Wiki quickly, I thought this isn't so bad. I got it, I'm on a small dosage compared to the dosages of those I found on this forum in years past. No more than 400mg/day. Because of being unaware of the inhumane side effects of benzo withdrawals until I was on it for a while, I decided to google "Gabapentin withdrawals". Then, I saw some of the past posts of the addictions and horrors of this drug.
All of that writing to ask two questions:
- If taken at small amounts for a short period of time, did this help curb the symptoms of benzo withdrawal for anyone? Or will I most likely be at square one come month's end? Any similar steps to recovery as noted above?
- On past posts some people have replied this was used for opiate withdrawal AND suboxone withdrawal. To the suboxoners - how long did you have to take this to withdraw from suboxone? How was your experience?
I would love to come off of the suboxone, if I could kill two birds (medications) with one stone. I really can't stand the subs anymore. From the taste to the mild headaches that sometimes occur exactly 30mins after taking it. My doctor just keeps saying stuff like, oh this just happened in your life you shouldn't get off it now. Things will always happen and if with all this therapy I can't handle even one life situation better than before I started, then something is wrong, it's been over a year, I am ready to start a new chapter.
member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,433
Seeing that your doctor prescribed it, I can say this: yes, sometimes gabapentin can help with benzo withdrawal.
You should notify him of the side effects you're experiencing as soon as possible (urgently). Gabapentin is a strong drug, remember to stick to the dosages your dr. prescribed.
Quitting benzos cold turkey is dangerous and may have long-lasting effects.
Please stop using Wikipedia as a source of pharmacological knowledge, a lot of information there is inaccurate; it's irresponsible to self-medicate, your doctor needs to know everything that you're experiencing, including your fears and questions.
Please be safe and take good care of yourself. SR can offer you a lot of support
You should notify him of the side effects you're experiencing as soon as possible (urgently). Gabapentin is a strong drug, remember to stick to the dosages your dr. prescribed.
Quitting benzos cold turkey is dangerous and may have long-lasting effects.
Please stop using Wikipedia as a source of pharmacological knowledge, a lot of information there is inaccurate; it's irresponsible to self-medicate, your doctor needs to know everything that you're experiencing, including your fears and questions.
Please be safe and take good care of yourself. SR can offer you a lot of support
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 6
Thanks Mattcake. You noting that stopping benzos cold turkey can have long lasting effects is enough for me to run every single thing through my recovery doctor. Both doctors said the "I'm sure you're experiencing the side effects" statement, so I assumed they knew exactly what had been going on in my head and body. My recovery doc & therapist know even about the taking extra benzos at times. I tell them everything. I know Wiki is not the end all of resources by any means, I looked at other sites as well, I was trying to get across that my research was just through internet websites. If my family doc who prescribed the Klonopin had told me any of those withdrawal effects I would have never gotten on it. Thanks again.
member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,433
Blashc,
Doctors are a tricky breed, LOL. Most of the time, I find that it's necessary to be persistent and insistent with them Of course they mean well, there is absolutely no doubt about that, yet sometimes you need to go into the gory details of how you're feeling for them to take notice that you are, indeed, struggling.
I suggest that you stick to one doctor only, and tell him or her in minute detail about your current and past symptoms, what you're taking now and took recently (both prescribed and OTC drugs), what your fears are and, probably the most important item on the list: what is his or her plan of action is, and why. You could be suffering from protracted benzo withdrawal syndrome, or experiencing heavy side effects from the gabapentin, or you might have an undetected health issue that needs to be addressed (thyroid etc ), or all 3 and so on. Only a doctor will be able to determine what's going on, but she/he will need your feedback to do this.
Whatever is causing your current symptoms is treatable
And I can relate to what you're going through, I've been there too. Please, take a deep breath, tell yourself that everything is okay, and schedule an appointment.
I'm also obsessive about meds and whatnot, and definitely do "research" before taking a new pill. But I've also learned to trust my doctor, knowing that if I give him a full, fleshed out portrait of what I'm feeling, he'll know what to do about it.
Good luck, keep us posted please
PS. I was a bit brusque and judgmental, I apologise... and Wikipedia does, in fact, rock! ;-)
Doctors are a tricky breed, LOL. Most of the time, I find that it's necessary to be persistent and insistent with them Of course they mean well, there is absolutely no doubt about that, yet sometimes you need to go into the gory details of how you're feeling for them to take notice that you are, indeed, struggling.
I suggest that you stick to one doctor only, and tell him or her in minute detail about your current and past symptoms, what you're taking now and took recently (both prescribed and OTC drugs), what your fears are and, probably the most important item on the list: what is his or her plan of action is, and why. You could be suffering from protracted benzo withdrawal syndrome, or experiencing heavy side effects from the gabapentin, or you might have an undetected health issue that needs to be addressed (thyroid etc ), or all 3 and so on. Only a doctor will be able to determine what's going on, but she/he will need your feedback to do this.
Whatever is causing your current symptoms is treatable
And I can relate to what you're going through, I've been there too. Please, take a deep breath, tell yourself that everything is okay, and schedule an appointment.
I'm also obsessive about meds and whatnot, and definitely do "research" before taking a new pill. But I've also learned to trust my doctor, knowing that if I give him a full, fleshed out portrait of what I'm feeling, he'll know what to do about it.
Good luck, keep us posted please
PS. I was a bit brusque and judgmental, I apologise... and Wikipedia does, in fact, rock! ;-)
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 6
thanks for your nice words. i appreciate it. i'm on my first full day of gabapentin. many of the symptoms i was having from the benzo withdrawal stopped, including the extreme arm pain. some have remained. it's very scary thinking this could last forever or past withdrawals. i'm trying not to think about it. i'm seeing the doctor at least 1x/week at the moment because of the benzo withdrawals. But tomorrow if some of these side effects persist I will call him first thing in the morning. I cannot wait until this is in the past. I feel like i'm waiting for a bad trip to end. thanks for the support and information. i've been extra reclusive right now.
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