High doseage Gabapentin withdrawal

[2wheelsbetter]

A few years back i was put on Babapentin for migraine treatment. I started off on 100mg 3 times a day and over the years it ramped up to 1000mg 3 times a day.

lasat year i started to display long term side effects (ringing in my ears, blurred vision etc) so made the decision to come off of it. Spoke to the doc who told me what to do and i started on the journey.

just before Xmas last year i took my last pill and since then i have been having 'funny' days where i get headaches, upset stomach, nausea, no energy, aching muscles, old injuries presenting with pain etc.

I am not aware of the withdrawal effects i should be feeling and from the bits i read it seems to depend on how long you were on the stuff and how strong the dose.

Does anyone know what the long term side effects are? How long they last? What's in store?

Many thanks

[Cat00]

Hi, I'm not aware of any long term withdrawal effects of taking high dose Gabapentin, I was on a little less than you at 900mg 3x a day for about 6 years or so. I do have fibromyalgia though as well as chronic migraines and pretty much most of the symptoms you describe I have but they are attributed to fibromyalgia. Fibro includes IBS, GI/bladder problems, muscle pain that move around the body, fatigue, headaches and brain fog. I have always felt that it was my chronic migraines and stress in childhood that triggered my fibromyalgia and that the chronic migraines are linked to fibro so maybe thats a possibility to worth exploring with a GP?

[2wheelsbetter in reply to Cat00]

Thanks for that info, i have a friend who suffers from fibro so i'll have a chat with him.

hopefully these symptoms will get less over time as i get used to not being on these meds.

[Cat00 in reply to 2wheelsbetter]

Yes hopefully they will subside, good luck.

[Folklady]

I was on gaba for 6 years taking 900mg,for chronic migraine, and after that time I started to experience some weird side effects. And decided to come off it. I had no help from my gp as how to do this and suffered some awful withdrawals. The worst was insomnia. At one point I went three nights without any sleep at all. To say I was a walking zombie would be doing it an injustice. I would say it lasted for about nine months. I have been off it now for three years and my sleep is still not great but I dont think I have been left with anything else. My other side effects of withdrawal was low mood and fatigue.

[2wheelsbetter in reply to Folklady]

fatigue and disrupted sleep are totally familiar to me. the only help i got fromm the gp was - reduce your doseage slowy, duh. Did it slowly and will hopefully get shot of these after effects soon. Thanks

[Johnny-One]

I have been on Gabapentin because my headaches were interfering with my sleep patterns, 400 mg each night. Gabapentin is now classed as a Category C drug. I am allowed up to 1,000 mg but I found at 600 mg I was not as alert the next day, so cut back down to 400 mg. I am now able to sleep at night, without my headaches interfering with my sleep.

I take the drug for restless leg, and because I could not get a night’s sleep without the drug. I cut caffeine out of my eating/drinking regime as part of the process, so no tea, coffee, or chocolate since 2014. I still have my treat of decaf latte twice – three times a week, but that is it.

I go to be at 21:00 and read for about 30 minutes because I am an early riser, between 05:00 and 06:00. When I have forgotten to take my Gabapentin I wake at midnight, restless and I know immediately why. I simply rise, take my tablets, and more or less fall back to sleep. They are very effective.

I am also a narcoleptic sufferer and have chronic lung issues, so am not as active as I used to be 15 years ago.

I really hope that helps and gives you an insight. To look at me there does not look like there is anything wrong with me, and that is the way I want to keep it. I want to keep as fit as I can.

The one thing I would stress though is everyone’s normal is different. Good luck.