gabapentin with buprenorphine

[707twitcher]

I’ve been off Pramipexole and on buprenorphine for 3 1/2 months. I’d like to try gabapentin again to see if I can wean off the buprenorphine (RLS has been good but the side effects are a minor hassle).

I see from prior comments that it generally takes 3 weeks for gabapentin to take effect, and the recommended regimen is to take 300mg daily for 3weeks, then start increasing by 100mg every few days. Just wondering if the advice is any different in my situation? I’d like to keep up with buprenorphine (currently using 7.5 mcg patch, but I have sublingual strips to use when I start tapering)and start tapering it when the gabapentin takes effect.

Thanks for any advice.

[SueJohnson]

Same advice. You can increase every couple of days unless you have side effects in which case you might want to wait to see if they subside.

And I assume you have seen this: If you need more than 600 mg take the extra 4 hours before bedtime as it is not as well absorbed above 600 mg. If you need more than 1200 mg, take the extra 6 hours before bedtime. If you take magnesium, even in a multivitamin, don't take it within 3 hours of the gabapentin as it reduces the absorption of the gabapentin. If you take calcium don't take it within 2 hours for the same reason.

[Eryl]

youtu.be/acEZNSabrgY?si=Yc3...(Not working as expected?)

[707twitcher in reply to Eryl]

Very helpful link. A good explanation of how gabapentin works - by calming your brain. That helps with some conditions, but comes at a cost (cognitive issues). As she points out, with medications, we are typically looking for the lesser of two evils. That's basically the story of many of our lives with RLS. Some (like you) are lucky enough to find a non-pharma remedy; most of us have not.