waxfruit

I'm having severe panic attacks, I'm extremely depressed, and I'm in my first week of being sober and it feels like I'm having heart attack. I've always had anxiety, but have never had so many attacks in such a short period. They're scary.
My dr prescribed gabapentin. I did tke one and it seems to have calmed my nerves. But...
I am curious if anyone has taken it and what they experienced, long and short term effects?
I've been reading about the side effects, withdrawal from it and it sounds horrible.
I'm thinking I may just take it for a week and see what happens. I don't want to become physically addicted to anything. Feeling hopeless.
PAWS -

PeacefulWater12

I don't know if this will be any help or not but my AH has been prescribed Gabapentin by our doctor as pain relief alongside codeine. Unfortunately he still drinks heavily.

I do get the feeling that the Gabapentin does calm him. He suffers with anxiety.

He takes four Gabapentin a day.

biminiblue

I haven't taken any medication since getting sober, but I had plenty of episodes in the first month or so.

Have you read about kindling? Here's an NIH paper:

Kindling

alphaomega

My mother has been taking Gabapentin for end stage parkinsons for the last 5 months.

She now takes 4 pills 4 times a day.

I have to be honest, her personality is MUCH more palatable now that her meds have been upped.

waxfruit

I most definitely feel calm. I even helped my father change the water filter and I'm usually really irritated.
Hopefully I can get more information. Maybe it is what I need?
I was on xanax for ten years and that ceased to work.
These are pretty serious and scary attacks. Want to maintain my sobriety.
Been having these attacks since I was a child.

PeacefulWater12

Thanks for sharing this, it's helpful to me.

rmeatgt350

Wax - take a peak at my post history, I've been all over the SSRI and benz map. Bottom line for you, in my experience, is that if you are having severe panic attacks and the benzo calms you down, by all means take it as needed or as your DR. suggests. Just be aware of use and please don't over use. SSRI and benzo withdrawal can be very difficult, but when used properly you should have no issues.

Just re-read your original post, please don't stress about withdrawals. I struggled with SSRI withdrawal for YEARS but I was not using them properly and I withdrew from them without medical supervision. Use them as directed and withdraw from them under your DR's supervision when s/he feels it is time, and be completely honest with them about your addition etc as that plays into how they will take you off the drug.

waxfruit

rme - that's exactly what I was thinking, but I was feeling guilty about it, but there's no reason to. I'm being proactive in taking care of mental health and well being. I'm going to continue to be in contact with my dr. He's been my dr for twenty years and knows all my history.
It seems to be working. The panic attacks I had the past couple days were terrible and scary. To have four in one day? It was horrible.
Thanks for your support and advice.
I appreciate very much so.
Thank you-

waxfruit

Thanks Bimini
I just reread the article and a few more on kindling. I'm on the right meds. Gabapentin is an anti seizure medication and is also used for alcohol wd. Considering my history, I most definitely am in that category of Kindling.
Every detox since February has been very different. This may actually be the most difficult thus far and I can't afford to keep f'n around.
Those panic attacks could have very well been seizures. I don't know. I just know they were awful and the frequency was too much. It scared me...

Thank you for your continued support. I truly appreciate everyone here.

hpdw

Hi ,I,m sorry that your suffering like this , I understand exactly how you feel as i,ve had days where panic was present almost continually during alcohol withdrawals . I do have a history of anxiety/panic and in my experience medication never helped long term . Benzos worked for so long but after a few weeks I started abusing them to get the same effect . I could never tolerate ssri's . I have no experience with gabapentin.
My anxiety is 85 percent gone and I don't have panic attacks now ( 90 days sober )
I found that Claire Weeks book pass through panic and all her other books very helpful . I also found it very helpful to understand how the nervous system works and how our own thinking can keep panic going . Its fear Adrenalin fear that keeps it there . Through practising less fearful behaviours and just letting the anxiety sensations wash over you without fear is the way out of this . By losing the fear our body stops pumping more stress chemicals into our blood . I read over and over how the fight or flight system works and found that its a perfect system in order to protect us from danger . I found that I was in no danger so wanted to know why I was panicking and eventually came to see that I was creating my own symptoms by fearful apprehensive thinking .

Dee74

No experience to share waxfruit but I hope it continues to help.
Nothing wrong with being cautious either.

D

waxfruit

Thanks Dee

I appreciate that. It most definitely is helping me. For me, I don't feel
that I can truly heal until I get out of my living situation. I'm pretty sure the stress component of that on top of dt's is making my anxiety shoot through the roof.

Thanks for your support, Always!

waxfruit

and Thomas-
Thank you for your advice. I'll definitely check those books out.
I'd like to become more familiar with it and eventually learn to work through it.

waxfruit

I am in fight or flight mode. I'm not in imminent danger, altho sometimes I feel like I am, but I am psychologically being abused- daily.

Dee74

Hi wax - any chance of you moving into a less traumatic situation?

D

waxfruit

I'm working on it. i have so much on my plate and I have to hold it together for my new job. You know?
I should hear from them today, I'm hoping, and then start to move forward.
It's a city job, so it's a process. It takes about 3 weeks after the interview to get your offer. It's all politics. As soon as that happens, all should change pretty quickly.

waxfruit

I do have a friend who offered to let me stay in home he's working on that's under construction, but I feel like I really need a place of my own -under no stress.
I was thinking last night that maybe I should set a bed up there so I can have some peace. But I worry about my cat. It's a waiting game right now, but I do have that option.

waxfruit

There's a lot of complicated components. I don't have a car, I use my moms car. I totaled mine two years ago- I overdosed and crashed into a building. My dad has been holding on to my insurance money from my car. It's a control game with them. The stipulations keep changing. Now it's when I see your first paycheck I'll give you your money. It's all f'd up. My salvation is getting this job.

waxfruit

And my dad is the type of person that if tell him I quit drinking, he'll go out and buy me a bottle of vodka. Makes no sense.

D122y

Wax,

I was a booze hound, no pills. My PAWS is still ongoing but I feel a bit better every day. I've been mostly clean 99.9%....for 30 or so months.

Imo....Xanax for 10 years has to have some killer half life...PAWS etc. Taking a new drug on top of the Xanax recovery is going to be a wild ride.

Nobody can exactly relate..we are all different.

For me, knowing there are going to be long term brain altering effects, possibly permanent...eases my mind. I'm not thinking...why do I feel this way?

I know why.......im a bit jacked up and now I am recovering.

I feel Dr's mean well. They offer drugs to help us live a quality life.

My Dr. may try to put me on bp meds. My bp was just over the edge of high, 140/90 during a recent visit. He makes me nervous.

Since then, I self tested at home and have been as low as 110/60.

I hope to tell the Dr. he can keep the meds. I can manage my bp w exercise and diet.

Food for thought.

Thanks