Gabapentin and recovering alcoholic

[MATTIELUKE]

I am in recovery from alcoholism. I took Mirapex for about 7 years until I began to experience augmentation. I cannot take any narcotics because they work in the same area of the brain as does alcohol and can cause a relapse. I tried taking 900 mg of gabapenitn which did not help. My doctor increased the dose. I take 600mg at 7am, 600mg @ 3pm, 300mg @ 5pm and 600mg @ 10pm.I have no symptoms of RLS. I am now sleeping like a baby. Hope this helps someone.

[Hidden]

Hi NATTIEKUKE, First of all congratulations on moving away from alcohol, unfortunately one of the most harmful drugs is so widely available and socially acceptable yet it destroys thousands upon thousands of lives in each country each year!

The Gabapentin is as much a risk to your sobriety as an opiate is. All drugs for RLS need to work on the Dopamine system and Alcohol worked on that system as well. Be it a DA, opiate or anticonvulsants they can all either cause severe changes in a person's personality or be misused - I think your Drs/nurses are equating legitimate opiate use with alcohol misuse.

if you damaged several discs in your back and were left in severe pain would they say you can't have opiates? Is this coming from your DR or an addiction team? And have you shown them any info on RLS treatment, including NICE guidelines? You may be dealing with people lacking proper knowledge in either addiction or RLS. Many GP's cannot tell the difference between dependence and addiction treating both as one in the same removing many effective treatment modalities from desperate people. I certainly would be more concerned about someone with an addiction (including to opiates) using DA's like Mirapex that using say Tramadol - I believe the DA's hold a much greater chance of destroying sobriety considering what it can do to behaviours especially impulse control which should leave you more vulnerable to relapse.

If you are treating RLS and not whatever you were using alcohol to treat then you should have no issues. Addictive drugs, generally aren't addictive if used only for treating the condition they are prescribed for, It is when we start medicating emotional pain that problems arise.

I have been taking opiates off and on for the past 20 years. When they stop being effective for RLS I stop taking them (even though my pain and RLS increases) I have never been addicted to them as I only ever used them for RLS and pain. For the emotional pain I have suffered this last few years (chronic ill health, loss of job, friends, ability to look after myself and life purpose gone) had episodes of depression and anxiety yet never once used any of the drugs I used for RLS to treat my emotional pain. That way I don't have to develop a problem with them and rule them out.

Congratulations again on your sobriety, may it grow from strength to strength and may any ghost from the past be exorcised and moved on from. Unfortunately I have had too many decades of involvement in addictions with several family members and my best mate all suffering. I have done some serious research into addictions and indeed have carried out certifiable training in it so rest assured the info I have given is no just random subjective and ideological ramblings but information garnered from research and living with addictions unfortunately. If you need any help feel free to PM me.

Stay sober and if taking it one day at a time is too much, take it an hour or a minute at a time!

[MATTIELUKE in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. However, what I learned in treatment opiates work in the same area of the brain as does alcohol in alcoholics. Thus, no matter what the dose of opiates is they work the same as taking a drink. I have a central nervous system disease or a brain disorder. I can't take opiates because it always leads to relapse for me.

[MATTIELUKE in reply to MATTIELUKE]

Also, I have read studies that gabapintin is used to treat relaspses and cravings with alcoholics. It is commonly used in treatment in the US.

[Hidden in reply to MATTIELUKE]

That is true about using the Gabapentin treating cravings, as has Librium and Baclofen - all of which are open to being misused and indeed where I come from people are dying regularly from Gabapentin misuse.

Regardless, I ain't going to be telling you how to live your sobriety and if opiates are a trigger for you then as you say best avoided.

Enjoy your sobriety and may it last til the day you die!

[Hidden]

Thanks for sharing this.

Great to hear that the gabapentin has been so effective for you.

I believe it is a good option for anyone who has liver problems as it isn't metabolised by the liver so places no extra stress on it. It is directly eliminated through the kidneys.

Also as it isn't dopaminergic it doesn't raise any direct issues with impulse control. Although

It can be effective for others who have the same history as yourself and for people who have no such issues.

You are taking quite a large dose, which may not be necessary for others.

I wonder if you've considered switching to pregabalin, this can be effective in smaller doses as i doesn't have the same absorption problems that happens with high doses of gabapentin.

Apologies to both you and Raffs if this contradicts what he writes.

Whereas alcohol like dopamine agonists and opates is known to raise dopamine levels, gabapentin, it seems does not. However, I imagine if you abuse it, it could possibly be addictive. This seems to be more of a psychological dependency than a physiological addiction and people who take it at the same times as opiates are more prone to this.

[YodaDog in reply to Hidden]

Yes, it is quite a large dose, but still within the recommended range:

"The usual effective dose is 900 to 2400 mg daily given in a single dose or divided one-third at midday and two-thirds in the evening for maintenance doses ≥600 mg daily." [uptodate.com/contents/treat...]

[Hidden in reply to YodaDog]

Hi, yes, I didn't add it all up. Yes that's within the normal dosage range.

I'm familiar with article you refer to. It's a good overview and it's recent.

Glad you found it.

Pregabalin is still worth considering if you're taking over 1200mg gabapentin.

[MATTIELUKE in reply to Hidden]

Thanks! Pregablin is about $400 a month, even with the insurance I have. I haven't checked in over a year, so I will check again. You have been helpful!

[Hidden in reply to MATTIELUKE]

Sorry, I'd forgotten you have to pay for your medicines.