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coblerb: Just want to get rid of it


coblerb

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The medication I'm currently working on is Gabapentin. I started at 3600 mg/day and I am down to 2200 mg/day. I really want to get it out of my system but I don't want to be miserable either. I've been cutting the dose once/week. I'm thinking if I cut 200 mg/day each week till I'm down to 1000 mg and then 100 mg/day each week after that it would be an alright pace. I'd like to go faster I just don't know if I can handle it. Once the gabapentin is gone then it will be on to the Nuvigil, and hopefully the Ativan will continue to decrease as time goes by. Then I'll be med free!! :) Any thoughts/suggestions on the gabapentin taper? Anything anyone has done to ease the withdrawal? I do take Magnessium, cramp bark, and a few other supplements as needed on hard days to help the side effects.

Edited by tezza
Added member name to title

Previously Discontinued:

  • Darvocet 2011
  • Zoloft 2011
  • Wellbutrin 2012
  • Buspirone 2012
  • Topamax 2012
  • Savella 2012
  • Flexeril 2012
  • Lortab 2012
  • Ambien 2013
  • Lunesta 2013
  • Skellaxin 2013
  • Mobic 2013
  • Trazadone 9/2013
  • Seroquel 9/2013
  • Hyoscyamine 9/2013
  • Cymbalta 10/2013
  • Tizanidine 10/2013
  • Ultram 10/2013
  • Diclofenac 10/2013

Meds left to taper

  • Gabapentin 2000 mg/day
  • Ativan 1 mg 4-5x week
  • Nuvigil 250 mg 4-5x week
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Good morning....I have a friend on the site who should be along today (Flower) who has experience with Gaba and can talk to you.

 

There are others too.  I am not familiar with it, sorry.  You have taken alot meds like most of us.  You are in the right place.

Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1902-nikki-hi-my-rundown-with-ads/

 

Paxil 1997-2004

Crossed over to Lexapro Paxil not available

at Pharmacies GSK halted deliveries

Lexapro 40mgs

Lexapro taper (2years)

Imipramine

Imipramine and Celexa

Now Nefazadone/Imipramine 50mgs. each

45mgs. Serzone  50mgs. Imipramine

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  • Administrator

Welcome, coblerb.

 

From your signature (thank you very much), I see you are taking

  • Gabapentin 2200 mg/day
  • Ativan PRN
  • Nuvigil 4-5x week

That would be one accelerator (Nuvigil) and 2 brakes (gabapentin, Ativan).

 

When is it you take Nuvigil? What are the symptoms that made you decide to taper gabapentin first?

 

Here is our topic on tapering gabapentin http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2309-tips-on-tapering-neurontin-gabapentin/

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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I work graveyard shifts so I take the nuvigil then...and no negative side effects  from the gaba, actually I loved the way it was working but I'm sick of meds in general and the way my dr described it which I feel makes sense was that with fibromyalgia my body is sending pain signals to areas trying to get my body to heal that part, but there isn't anything to heal it is just misfiring. When the area doesn't heal my brain sends more pain signals out to that area and increases the size of the pain area until eventually everywhere is receiving these pain signals. So my brain is already confused and then I take a medication that now conflicts with what my brain thinks is going on and so now it's even more confused, and while that medicine may trick my brain for a while the medicine has side effects which cause other problems, and so you take another medication for the side effects and it begins a ripple effect till pretty soon your taking so many pills and mostly to just treat the side effects from the previous pill instead of the real issue. I'm doing radio-frequency ablation on my most painful areas and it has been amazing. My pain has dramatically decreased and as I come off my meds my body feels better and better

Previously Discontinued:

  • Darvocet 2011
  • Zoloft 2011
  • Wellbutrin 2012
  • Buspirone 2012
  • Topamax 2012
  • Savella 2012
  • Flexeril 2012
  • Lortab 2012
  • Ambien 2013
  • Lunesta 2013
  • Skellaxin 2013
  • Mobic 2013
  • Trazadone 9/2013
  • Seroquel 9/2013
  • Hyoscyamine 9/2013
  • Cymbalta 10/2013
  • Tizanidine 10/2013
  • Ultram 10/2013
  • Diclofenac 10/2013

Meds left to taper

  • Gabapentin 2000 mg/day
  • Ativan 1 mg 4-5x week
  • Nuvigil 250 mg 4-5x week
Link to comment
  • Administrator

You have been on and off so many drugs, I agree with your doctor -- your natural functioning is confused.

 

If you are working the graveyard shift with the help of a stimulant, your circadian rhythm and melatonin production has also been affected. This can cause a lot of problems.

 

You may also be experiencing a paradoxical reaction to the benzo or rebound when it wears off. All of this can ramp up pain sensitivity.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I've tapered off gabapentin and I have no particular suggestions, other than to do a slow taper like with everything, and listen to your body's signals (your withdrawal symptoms) and slow down if they ramp up.

 

I didn't have any particular problems when tapering gabapentin, but when I tried to CT off 1200 a day I got really sick.

 

I'd say just make sure you don't go too fast at the lower doses, people usually need to slow down then. At 1000 mg, 100 mg is 10%, but at 800 mg your 10% would be only 80 mg. Read our thread under Tapering about the 10% taper and keep in mind you'll need to make smaller cuts at smaller doses.

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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I would really like to come off of the nuvigil, and I intend to try once the gaba is gone. I'm fearful that i'll have to keep it around though until I finish nursing school because the reality of my schedule doesn't really allow for sleep. I know how important it is and I really do try to make it a priority but it doesn't happen nearly enough. As far as the tapering is going my irritability is uncontrollable. I have just been angry at everyone and everything for no reason. The past two days I've attended a bikram yoga class in hopes of helping with my mood and after the class I am much more pleasant but before is horrible. What do you do to help with mood swings and irritability

Previously Discontinued:

  • Darvocet 2011
  • Zoloft 2011
  • Wellbutrin 2012
  • Buspirone 2012
  • Topamax 2012
  • Savella 2012
  • Flexeril 2012
  • Lortab 2012
  • Ambien 2013
  • Lunesta 2013
  • Skellaxin 2013
  • Mobic 2013
  • Trazadone 9/2013
  • Seroquel 9/2013
  • Hyoscyamine 9/2013
  • Cymbalta 10/2013
  • Tizanidine 10/2013
  • Ultram 10/2013
  • Diclofenac 10/2013

Meds left to taper

  • Gabapentin 2000 mg/day
  • Ativan 1 mg 4-5x week
  • Nuvigil 250 mg 4-5x week
Link to comment
  • Administrator

If your schedule doesn't allow for sleep, you could be suffering from sleep deprivation. This isn't good for you. Symptoms can be increased pain sensitivity and irritability, also disordered thinking. Taking drugs to stay awake is not going to fix you.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Gaba comes in a liquid.There are many of us here on the gaba..Make a plan to go slow before it catches up with you.I'm not familiar with the other drug you want to taper but try not to get caught up on the ativan for the anxiety.

 

I know what you mean about the pain signals going haywire...

 

You've come to the right place ...Others tapering the gaba will be along.I try to stay at 600mgs a day until I figure out which drug is causing me the most trouble. Good luck...........flower.

C/T Celexa and Trazadone on Jan.29th 2014
Prescribed 1mg of Klonopin every 6 hours on Jan.29th
Began tapering Klonopin April 18th..stretching time between doses...at first one hour for 2 weeks then a half hour for app.10 days then another half hour 10days later.
Presently at .25 three times a day..6 2 and 10pm. Trying to stabilize.
Also still taking gabapentin 300mgs 2xs a day..

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Alright I'm down to 2000 mg of gabapentin a day! The first 3 days or so are hell every time I cut. I think the worst side effect is the headache. There is nothing that makes it go away. I hate to take any medication for it, however I do feel that medication is great when taken appropriately. Medications aren't supposed to be long term solutions but more like a Band-Aid so I have tried taking over the counter meds to assist with the withdrawals. I take Tylenol when needed usually once a day for the first 3 days maybe twice if it's really rough. I take ibuprofen only on the day I get my nerve block because for some reason stabbing your nerve with a needle causes some inflammation. But when I get these headaches I can't even function. Frova (my migraine pill) doesn't seem to touch it. The Ativan will help for the nausea side of the headache, but I really don't know what else to do, and they are unbearable. Anybody else have a remedy they use?

Previously Discontinued:

  • Darvocet 2011
  • Zoloft 2011
  • Wellbutrin 2012
  • Buspirone 2012
  • Topamax 2012
  • Savella 2012
  • Flexeril 2012
  • Lortab 2012
  • Ambien 2013
  • Lunesta 2013
  • Skellaxin 2013
  • Mobic 2013
  • Trazadone 9/2013
  • Seroquel 9/2013
  • Hyoscyamine 9/2013
  • Cymbalta 10/2013
  • Tizanidine 10/2013
  • Ultram 10/2013
  • Diclofenac 10/2013

Meds left to taper

  • Gabapentin 2000 mg/day
  • Ativan 1 mg 4-5x week
  • Nuvigil 250 mg 4-5x week
Link to comment

Gaba is used off label for a mood stabilizer too.So tapering , your mood will be what you describe as irritable, mean and out of sorts...

 

I'm Interested in the ablation for pain also....Is this procedure for nerve pain?

C/T Celexa and Trazadone on Jan.29th 2014
Prescribed 1mg of Klonopin every 6 hours on Jan.29th
Began tapering Klonopin April 18th..stretching time between doses...at first one hour for 2 weeks then a half hour for app.10 days then another half hour 10days later.
Presently at .25 three times a day..6 2 and 10pm. Trying to stabilize.
Also still taking gabapentin 300mgs 2xs a day..

Link to comment
  • Administrator

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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