Dalton: Gabapentin

[Dalton]

I apologize if its hard to follow, but about a month ago, I took Gabapentin for about a week, the first 3 days I took about 2 or 3 a day. They were 800 mg. As each day passed I took 1 more. So the last day  I took 6.

 

I am not prescribed these I took them from my mother. Im about to be 19.

 

From everything I've read about the subject on here, in going through withdrawal of the Gabapentin. I'm currently trying to find a new primary care doctor so I can't contact one immediately. So I'm pretty sure tapering is not an option but I'm not sure.

 

I'm having all the symptoms. And they are getting very bad at this point. Its so hard to think straight so I apologize if its hard to read. Just please help. Or refer me to someone that can please 

Edited July 8, 2017 by scallywag
insert paragraph breaks for readability

[scallywag]

Dalton -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)

 

I'm sorry to read that you're suffering so terribly from the error in judgement one month ago.

 

Can you get to an urgent care clinic to explain the situation and ask for a short-term supply (<10 days) of gabapentin? Even lower strengths than your mother's dose, 300 mg or 100 mg, could ease your symptoms.

 

You'd be wise to prepare yourself for that discussion by reading these two topics:

How do you talk to your doctor about tapering and withdrawal.

What to expect from your doctor about withdrawal symptoms.

 

Some information about gabapentin:

Tips for tapering off Neurontin (gabapentin)

Gabapentin Patient information on Drugs.com
 

Would you create a posting signature that will show your medication history below every one of your posts? Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

You could put one line "2017 June # - #: 1600 mg to 4800 mg gabapentin, stopped taking on June #."  All you need to do is figure out the dates or give us approximate dates.

 

We have topics on many individual symptoms. You can browse the list at this link to the Symptoms Forum. The search function is at the top of every page. Some people prefer to use a web search tool like google or bing; they use the symptom, e.g. "brain zaps", and  "site:survivingantidepressants.org" as search terms or keywords.

 

I hope you'll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but am glad that you found us.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Dalton.

 

That was an ill-advised drug experiment.

 

Have you taken any drugs of any kind since stopping gabapentin? Have your symptoms gotten better or worse over time?

 

What are your symptoms now?

[scallywag]

Dalton, it's about 2 weeks since you first posted. How are you doing?

[Dalton]

I apologize I've just been very busy as of lately. I'm doing better now. I finally broke down and went to the ER. They prescribed me Xanax for my anxiety and its helping a great deal. Although my mind still gets very hazy fairly often, but I'm much more functional. I still deal with some of the physical effects but they've grown mild compared to before. My mental status is the scariest part. Sometimes its like my mind drifts off into such negative thoughts and I feel like I'll never feel like myself again. But I always remind myself of what you said about the possibility of it taking 6 months to a year for my brain to be back to normal. I noticed I didnt mention that the gabapentin was never prescribed to me, I had stolen them from a family member. So the doctor at the ER said he wouldn't use gabapentin to taper me because I was never prescribed it. But I went through a lot of strange things these past two weeks. For what seemed like 4-5 days I experienced horrible nightmares and insomnia, as well as a huge loss of appetite. It feels like I still don't sleep much when in reality I sleep more than 8 hours some nights, with occasional interruptions. I usually only wake up once or twice. It was brought to my attention that with being around my pregnant girlfriend the entire time, it could also be making my recovery much more difficult, considering I could be experiencing her symptoms as well as my own. 

[Altostrata]

Dalton, how often are you taking Xanax now, and how much?

 

You got yourself addicted to gabapentin and you had withdrawal symptoms when you went off it. Please don't fool around with prescription drugs or pills like this. These drugs are very strong, they're not for playing with. This site is full of people who have difficulty going off prescription psychiatric drugs of all types.

 

Same goes with Xanax. Please be careful with it.

[nz11]

Hi Dalton

Right now ive got a line from the 'Pirates of Penzance ' running through my mind. ....'a terrible disclosure has just been made'

Im so sorry you are in this predicament. Just when i thought i had heard it all ....

Have you told your family member that you took their drugs. You are now putting them at risk of running short of a fix in their own drug addiction.

Sadly we have reached a point in society were it is wrong to assume that if it comes from a doctor it must be safe.

Please please check in with sa before swallowing any stuff from a doctor.

Did you know that within 1-2 weeks you may be addicted to xanax and have to taper it. These are very dangerous chemicals you are swallowing they are not candies or aspirins.

 

So the doctor at the ER said he wouldn't use gabapentin to taper me because I was never prescribed it.

Sounds like this doctor doesnt know his arse from his elbow!! What a stupid person.

 

Can you get a book 'anatomy of an epidemic' by R Whitaker have a read of it esp page 296-297 then pass it on to a certain family member.

 

Anyways...Glad you found sa

welcome

nz11

[Dalton]

I'm only taking 0.25 mg every 8 hours so that I don't get addicted and if I do, its not such a horrible taper to deal with. I dont think you guys are understanding, my family member doesn't take them any more, right now I am the subject of this discussion, correct me if I'm wrong. When I take the Xanax, I feel more normal than I ever have since I've taken the gabapentin. I DO NOT NEED GABAPENTIN. I was never prescribed gabapentin. I've never had any problem that indicates that I need gabapentin. Yes, I made a bad decision in taking them, but that doesn't mean you should reticule me about it either. Up until now I found this forum to be very helpful. Now you guys are just causing alot of negative thoughts. I know they're not candies, and would appreciate if you wouldn't be so condescending about my situation. Thank you Scallywag and alto for not doing this. 

[nz11]

I am sorry if i have upset you.

I feel for the unfortunate situation you are now in.

I am glad you are now feeling better.

 

[JanCarol]

Hey Dalton - 

 

"only 0.25 mg every 8 hours" is frequent dosing of xanax.

 

You weren't prescribed gabapentin, but you had withdrawals from it.  It is gabapentin that you should have received.  Hair of the dog that bit you, and all that.

 

Now, you have been prescribed an evil, awful drug, called a benzodiazapene.  It is 10x more addictive than gabapentin, with much more trouble from withdrawals.

 

So - do you have plans to come off it before you get further addicted?

You have not been treated with condescension as you suppose.  Alto and Scally are extremely experienced in the nuts and bolts and symptoms of withdrawal, and they were trying to get your attention so as to prevent you further grief.

 

As am I.  We help people come off the drugs.  We know how hard it is.  All of us have suffered, or we wouldn't be volunteering here to help out others who are struggling. 

 

When you have trouble coming off the xanax, please start a thread at our Members Only Benzo Forum where you will see some of the problems that folks have had with your tiny little xanax pills.

 

I'm glad you are feeling better; it is not recommended to take xanax for more than 10 days, and if you are taking them multiple times in a day, that window of opportunity for "not getting addicted" may be narrower.  

 

I really do hope you see the sun today.

[Dalton]

I appreciate it. I just asked for help. So if that is the case, what should I do now? How should I go about tapering the Xanax and how should I deal with the continuous withdrawals of gabapentin without it? Because I've tried for countless days to find a doctor that would taper me with gabapentin, and absolutely NONE of them said they could help. The only time anyone has helped is at the ER. I can handle the physical symptoms as long as the mental symptoms subside if that makes sense. I'm a very strong willed person, when I'm in my normal state of mind. If you could help me with that, I feel that the entire process will be much more easy. I literally felt like I was dying before I started the Xanax. So what's the next step you guys suggest? Because at this point a doctor helping with this is seeming very unlikely. I'm open to any help anyone can provide. 

[Dalton]

I am not feeling ok today. Please help. 

[ChessieCat]

You could always tell the doctor that you want to go back on gabapentin and not tell him you are going to taper it.

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

[ChessieCat]

My apologies.  After posting, I read back through your posts and realised the situation you are in and also that you had already been given these 2 links.

[Dalton]

Yeah going back on Gabapentin isn't really an option at this point. 

[scallywag]

If reinstating gabapentin isn't an option, then hold steady on what you're taking. Please post a signature -- as the number of posts in this topic increases, it's more work to figure out your history.  Summarize your history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.

• Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years.
• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago)
• Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016.
• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses.
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs.
• Link to Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.
   

Edited July 27, 2017 by scallywag

[Dalton]

Ok I will do that A.s.a.p. But while I have a few minutes, I'd like to let you guys know I've tapered myself down to about 0.12 mgs or less every 8 hours!

[scallywag]

Please be very careful with rapid decreases. You've cut your dose by 50% in 6 days (you posted you were taking 0.25 every 8 hours on July 21).  Xanax is not to be treated lightly. Please read:

3KIS: Keep it slow. Keep it simple. Keep it stable.

[Justin332]

So i was using the search function and found this. Dalton seemed to take gabapentin for a very short period of time. It seems he took a lot. I was out on gabapentin in the hospital and only took it about 8 days. Is there a chance I’m withdrawing from it? I thought this was Paxil withdrawal but things feel different. I don’t know what to do

[Dalton]

Hi Justin, Hi everyone else, Sorry its been awhile since I've posted, but I've been VERY busy with the Birth of my Child, and many other things. But anyway, I'm doing much better!!! I still deal with GAD, (General Anxiety Disorder) as a result of taking the gabapentin, but it's mild compared to before. Some days, I feel completely normal again. I don't deal with any of the side effects, withdrawal symptoms, etc. as much as I was at first. I barely deal with them at all now. I can finally smoke Marijuana again! Which was something I loved to do, and very often before i took the Gabapentin. Now, I can smoke recreationally, as well as medicinally, for the Anxiety and the effects that come along with it, especially the lack of appetite. Thank you guys all so much for all the help, I would love to become a moderator or admin so that I can also help people that deal with this. Justin, stay calm, and tell us any details you can remember about taking the pills, ie., How many, for long, how did you ingest them, were you using any other drugs, etc. But overall, stay calm, and just pound it into your head that everything will be alright over time. Because it will. You just have to stay patient, and don't let it get the best of you.