Pain killers

Hi is there anyone out there that has been on long term painkillers and finding it hard to come off?

[Bananas5]

Hello lynd

Yes is the answer to your question.

All meds should be stopped slowly and with advice from either pain consultant or GP.

Do you have any specific pain meds you are struggling with?

x

[Hidden in reply to Bananas5]

Well I stopped the co codamol 3 weeks tomorrow and the gabapentine I'm reducing slowly. Really hard on your body and mind but I'm determined not to go back on them. I'm taking paracetamol for my back now and am struggling. Waiting to be referred for acupuncture. Any more advice I would really appreciate. I don't want to give advice or upset anyone struggling like me. Regards, Lynda.

[Bananas5 in reply to Hidden]

The gabapentin is a killer. Should always be started very low and decreased even slower. Can take months Recommended dose to come off is reduce by 100mg per day which usually = 1 tablet and stay on that for several weeks if needed.

Out of interest why do you want to stop taking it? And hope your GP knows.

Acupuncture can be very good. It encourages the body's own endorphins to do their job. NHS will usually only do max of 6 or more likely only 3 these days. If you can gget it through your pai clinic they will do it as long as it helps.

Have you had a referral to a pain clinic? They can teach you pacing, alternative therapies, physio and changing your life style. They call it pain management which means exactly that.

x

[Hidden in reply to Bananas5]

It was the parmacist at the pain clinic that put me on gabapentine. I have reduced them down to zero in the past two weeks. The dose I was on was 1200mg x 3 times a day. I can't go back on the poison. I had been on co codamol 21 years but suffered really bad mood swings and depression. Because I sometimes took 4 tablets a day , sometimes 6 sometimes 8 depending on how much pain I was in. It dawned on me if I didn't take the 8 a day my body would always be in a state of withdrawal. My Dr disagrees but I m not sure now. The gabapentine was for pain and he said I should come off this slowly. I'm off the poison now and will never go back. Regards, Lynda. X

[Bananas5 in reply to Hidden]

If you have come from 3600 to 0 in 2 weeks then you have great strength.. No n on this forum or medical practice could ever suggest that's the way to do it. Cold turkey is the way some go and run the gauntlet of feeling like death.. So well done you but never advisable.

I am surprised you have been on cocodamol for all those years. It is safe to take up to 8 a day but most people find after a few years they need something stronger

It is now been proved by medical research that morphine based meds lose their effect. GP will put them on higher doses which do not work. Many are coming of all these meds and finding alternatives. That is very hard but no one wants to put toxins into their bodies.

We are lucky cannabis and its beneficial oils are widely available here. I even have a few plants which are growing slowly under a natural environment. Think I will end up buying the oils though!

x

[Victoriapain in reply to Hidden]

Gabapentin is the worst medication I've ever took. Glad you managed to get off them. I got off them cold turkey and was asked to go back on them off my gp. Told her... No chance.. You will feel much better without them. Good luck x

[Chrisa55 in reply to Bananas5]

Yes and I feel your pain! Try to take slow steps in your quest to recover. Take care and Godspeed!

[Hidden]

Feeling awful and dr has just told me to g back on all that pain medication. Co codamol and the gabapentine. Why do u say gabapentine is a killer?

[Bananas5 in reply to Hidden]

Sorry wrong word. I meant it is a horror to come off. Must only ever be reduced slowly.

If he wants you back on them and you don't want to then say so but...the reason you feel so bad is withdrawal. Coming off too quickly

You must also start on a low dose and work up to recommended amount. How long were you taking them for and how did you feel?

x

[Hidden in reply to Bananas5]

Was on gabapentine for 5 years. Just feel desperately depressed the withdrawal affects were the worst in the first 10 days but now I feel the lowest ever. I'm scared to go back on because it was so hard to get off them. The co codamol I was on n for 21 years, I've stopped them both and cold turkey. I just feeel so so depressed now.

[Bananas5 in reply to Hidden]

The reason you feel so dreadful is, as I have said before, too quickly. I am very surprised your GP let you come off.and didn't warn you.

Why did you stop taking them?

You will get through these withdrawals but goodness knows when.

It does say on the leaflet contained in the tablet box...do not stop taking the meds.

Have you spoken with your GP how you feel

x

[Hidden in reply to Bananas5]

The dr told me to stop taking co codamol dead. I panicked because I thought the co codamol was making me depressed if I didn't keep the level of codeine topped up. Same with the gabapentine , so I stopped taking them too. I feel so depressed now more than ever.

[Bananas5 in reply to Hidden]

You must go back to your GP and tell him.

I can't say to go back on lower dose of any meds but you are clearly suffering withdrawals.

Tell him what you have told me and ask for his help. Maybe he can pt you on an anti depressant for a short while.

GPs are not very good at understanding how you feel coming of fmeds.

Can you ring the pain clinic and ask for their advice too?

x

[Hidden in reply to Bananas5]

I have a not lived in this area for a year and am not under a pain clinic. I'm afraid to go back on them as I don't want to make myself any more depressed. I live alone. I've told my son who is now getting very impatient with me because I feel so withdrawn and depressed. X

[Bananas5 in reply to Hidden]

Just go back to your GP and tell him what you have told us. There is no point in beating yourself up for something already done.

Can you say why you were put on gabapentin in the first place? And did they help over the years?

x

[Hidden in reply to Bananas5]

Was put on co codeine and gabapentine after back surgery . Feeling so depressed and struggling

[Poppy_Ann]

Hi Lynd,

I have to agree with Paton, trying to just stop any pain medication after taking it for a long time is not the way to go the withdrawal can be worse than what the medication was trying to manage I have been on many different pain medication for over 37 years once due to where I was and the post went missing with a months supply I ended up trying to manage by reducing them by half then to 1/4 but I ended up with withdrawal the nights worse than the days in the end I had to find a private doctor to get a prescription and he would not give me what I was on but a much lower dose which cost me close to £200 by the time I had finished and that was just for a 5 day dose but it stopped the shaking and sweats and I was able to manage until my own arrived.

Just like any junky we are addicted to the medication and if you want to stop for whatever reason you have to slowly stop them under your doctors advice I had been on Gabapentine but I had a bad reaction to them my doctor changed me over to pregabalin and had no bad reaction even though they are based on the same base drug the reaction to them can be totally different for me they are just a minor aid for my main pain medication.

I wish you luck finding something that works for you.

Regards Poppy Ann.

[Hidden in reply to Poppy_Ann]

I'm to afraid to go back on them now. I stopp three weeks ago today and just pray each day that I will start to feel a little better and the depression lifts. I'm on anti depressants but god I wish I had tapered the gabapentine off instead f cold turkey. Are you on gabapentine now? X

[Poppy_Ann in reply to Hidden]

go to see your doctor and get his view on what you have done then ask if he will put you back on them at a reduced dose and let him know you want to come off them by lowering them each week until you can manage to do without them or ask if there is anything different that can help to remove the effects you should never try to go straight off any strong medication.

Regards Poppy Ann.

[Bananas5 in reply to Poppy_Ann]

Said the same Poppy_Ann

Great minds

x

[Ariadne1925]

I took gabapentin for a while and the did cold turkey, it was the worst withdrawal and did last much longer than opiate withdrawal. Hold steady because you are past the worst and the fog will lift in a few more weeks. Your brain chemistry needs to adjust back to normal and this takes a while. You feel low because the drug was providing chemicals which cushion your brain in a way, it stopped producing as much itself as a result. That's suddenly stopped so your brain has to make more of the chemical on its own. Give it time but also focus on doing things you enjoy. I had a very bad time too, a bad depression, very deep hole but I'm out and managing. I remember walking in the country side and feeling nothing was real, I also read a lot on religion and science. Your GP may be able to provide something to help short term like low dose diazepam, a similar acting drug. I also find ACT based therapy helpful, doing stuff rather than talking or analysing my thoughts and feelings - there are books and videos online. I promise it gets better but pain meds have their place and I'm using codeine and paracetamol as needed with nortriptiline to help me sleep.

[Hidden in reply to Ariadne1925]

When did you stop taking the gabapentine and how long did it take for you to start feeling normal. I feel like I'm staying n a daze. X

[Ariadne1925 in reply to Hidden]

It took a while, first three weeks were probably the worst then maybe it was a couple of months to be completely back to normal. I did feel very low for quite a bit after as it set off my depression, I had an existential crisis type period with the withdrawal so that stayed with me beyond the physical effects.

I was only taking it for months rather than years, maybe nine months. This was two and a half years ago and I never tried again nor tried pregabalin. I've withdrawn cold turkey off a few opiate meds and they were a walk in the park in comparison.

[Redted2910]

Hello Lynda, it is hard coming off any longer term pain relief but you shouldn't have to go cold turkey, your doctor should have take you off your meds slowly. Have you tried Licodine patches, as you can them on your back where the pain is and they last 12hrs then you have 12 hrs off then you repeat it. This might help. Take care