Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

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Brynmr
Posts: 145
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2018 3:15 pm

Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by Brynmr »

Just curious if anyone has experienced Gabapentin withdraw symptoms. I sometimes wonder if any discomfort I feel with my RLS is Gabapentin withdraw symptoms because I don't always take the same dosage from day to day. One day might be as high as 1800 mg, the next 1200.

stjohnh
Posts: 1284
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2016 3:13 pm
Location: Palo Alto, California

Re: Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by stjohnh »

I haven't had gabapentin withdrawal symptoms (that I know of).
Blessings,
Holland

badnights
Moderator
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Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
Location: Northwest Territories, Canada

Re: Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by badnights »

I was convinced I had withdrawal symptoms from gabapentin, but I reduced a codeine dose at the same time so I don't know why I was so sure it was the gabapentin. I tapered the codeine (not intentionally, but because I had only a bit left). Officially, the codeine was replaced with oxycodone, but the oxycodone dose was ludicrously low and had no effect on my symptoms, so I would do without for a couple days then take 2 or 3 at once to get a bit of relief. So in a way I was tapering opioids while cold-turkeying gabapentin. The whole time, my symptoms were out of this world for the first week, somewhat better for the next two iirc... then I was given hydromorph contin and could function again. So who knows.

Still, I will not be surprised if someday it is shown that gabapentin cessation causes withdrawal symptoms in WED/RLS.
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
Click for info on WED/RLS AUGMENTATION & IRON
I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.

peanut1
Posts: 363
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2011 8:06 am

Re: Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by peanut1 »

I had an increase in symptoms when withdrawing from gabapentin when using it regularly. I had to get off and now rotate it with other meds.

Rustsmith
Moderator
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Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Re: Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by Rustsmith »

When I was fighting with my insurance company over my gabapentin prescription earlier this year, I was running very low. I use a mail order pharmacy and the normal people who answer the phone were of ZERO help. I kept pressing to speak with a manager and they finally offered to let me talk with a pharmacist. Finally, I got some helpful suggestions for work around to tide me over until the insurance folks got their act together.

The relevant point here is that the pharmacist cautioned me about stopping gabapentin without first tapering, even though she realized that I was already rationing my remaining supply. She said that stopping too quickly would result in various behavioral health issues such as depression, developing a temper, anxiety, suicidal ideation, insomnia, etc. Most of that sounds a lot like untreated RLS, so I explained to her that most of those things were normal for me (not the temper) if my RLS is not treated. Maybe that is why she helped me bend the rules a bit and get a few more pills.
Steve

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/a ... 0/fulltext
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.

badnights
Moderator
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Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 4:20 pm
Location: Northwest Territories, Canada

Re: Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by badnights »

I was suicidal from the gabapentin which is part of the reason I stopped it. Although I was desperate during the withdrawal, it was not the same as the drug-induced suicidal depression. The withdrawal was insane sensory and urge-to-move symptoms. It was almost unendurable torture.

I've also heard that stopping gabapentin or pregabalin (Lyrica) abruptly can cause serious mood disruptions.
Beth - Wishing you a restful sleep tonight
Click for info on WED/RLS AUGMENTATION & IRON
I am a volunteer moderator. My posts are not medical advice. My posts do not reflect RLS Foundation opinion.

leggo_my_legs
Posts: 349
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2016 12:29 am

Re: Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by leggo_my_legs »

I believe there's a withdrawal syndrome, however, I think it depends on the drug sensitivity of the person whether or not you actually experience it. Obviously, when taking it for seizures, it's not safe to stop cold turkey, which is what the pharmacist told me.

On another note, don't EVEN get me started on gabapentin right now!!! :twisted: :oops: I have a strong feeling this has been part of what's led me to develop chorea and have to be off work for weeks now, and on klonipin to counteract the chorea. I'm tapering off the gabapentin.

I had to have a brain MRI and spinal tap...I will be both very happy and relieved and LIVID if it was the gabapentin all along I've been on since July causing all these weird symptoms that look like MS--like heat sensitivity, muscle spasms, clumsiness, etc. It came on slowly over time so I didn't realize it was happening until the chorea developed. NO doctor OR pharmacist told me about the chorea; it's something that I have had to figure out myself. Still unconfirmed, but I'm highly suspicious. In fact, the pharmacist said gabapentin does NOT cause chorea; in fact it treats it. All I had to do was google gabapentin and chorea to find isolated reports.

Sorry to hijack!

Wishing you good luck getting off it. Opioids are far safer than any of this other crap they're trying to sell en masse right now. Can you tell I'm having strong feelings?! I am so angry!

leggo_my_legs
Posts: 349
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2016 12:29 am

Re: Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by leggo_my_legs »

I just had to pop back in here to say that if my chorea is in fact caused by the gabapentin, this is the drug that has caused several neurologists to treat me like CRAP, risk losing my job by being off work for weeks when I'm not yet eligible for FMLA, and lead various emergency department medical providers to question whether I have conversion disorder!!! I felt like I was dying to the extent that I actually developed my will and my sister was checking in with me multiple times a day to see if I was still alive. [I needed to develop the will anyway, but that's how horrible I was feeling and I couldn't pinpoint it.] Don't mess with the basal ganglia, is all I have to say! OMG.

QyX

Re: Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by QyX »

In the end it is pretty simple: when you take psychotropic medication for a longer period and then suddenly (or relatively fast) stop the medication, all kind of weird stuff can happen.

It is more common with some drugs than with others but in general antipsychotics, antidepressents, antiepileptics, opioids, dopamine-agonists and so one can cause all kind of weird behavioral and emotional side effects.

As long as there is no urgent reason to just stop the medication, it is best to temper slowly and ask other patients who already did the same how it was for them. Doctors often don't know about (or don't believe) some weird side effects or are not helpful when dealing with withdrawal symptoms.

There is also quite a big population of people who especially abuse medication like Lyrika and Gabapentin.

However: there are also many people who don't experience withdrawal symptoms. For many patients it is very problematic to stop SSRi /SRNi after they have taken them for a longer period. You can find plenty of horror stories online. I never had issues ... however with antipsychotics, it was a hole different story ...

You never know. Everybody is different. A response to any kind of pharmaceutical intervention is often very difficult to predict. That's the reason why treatment of RLS is so much about trial & error. I really wish it would be simpler.

Stainless
Posts: 274
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 9:30 pm

Re: Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by Stainless »

I'm on three psychotropic medications so I asked my neurologist if I could try to get off Gabapentin (which I thought was not doing much). I took a half dose and it triggered intense RLS in the middle of the night after 6 weeks of relative peace with my legs. I took the other half and got through the night. I need to get doctor to prescribe doses in a way I can tapper very slowly.

Brynmr
Posts: 145
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2018 3:15 pm

Re: Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by Brynmr »

Well I'm ok for now other than a bit of weight gain, which is annoying. I thought a withdraw from gabapentin might be something like a withdraw from opioids. Maybe a better treatment is on the horizon.

QyX

Re: Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by QyX »

Brynmr wrote:Well I'm ok for now other than a bit of weight gain, which is annoying. I thought a withdraw from gabapentin might be something like a withdraw from opioids. Maybe a better treatment is on the horizon.
Stopping opioids will always be very difficult for RLS patients since even when you don't have RLS and stop opioids severe RLS symptoms are a common withdrawal symptom.

And just overall stopping opioids quickly after taking them for several months is just not a good idea. Reducing the dose over several weeks, if not months, should make things much easier for most patients. (There are some who can't do this and quick and brutal is the only method that works for them).


For me it is probably impossible to stop opioids ... even with Cannabis, Benzodiazepines, Antiepileptics ... my symptoms are just way too extreme ...

Most likely without opioids I would not be able to live.

Brynmr
Posts: 145
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2018 3:15 pm

Re: Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by Brynmr »

QyX wrote:Most likely without opioids I would not be able to live.
RLS untreated I would not want to live. It's a little after 1 am and I'm poppin' another 300 mg of Gabapentin after just waking up with symptoms. Were you on gabapentin before going on opioids? I'm wondering what my options are if this drug eventually doesn't do it.

Brynmr
Posts: 145
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2018 3:15 pm

Re: Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by Brynmr »

I was late this evening taking my usual dose which may be why I woke up with symptoms.

QyX

Re: Gabapentin withdraw symptoms

Post by QyX »

Brynmr wrote:
QyX wrote:Most likely without opioids I would not be able to live.
RLS untreated I would not want to live. It's a little after 1 am and I'm poppin' another 300 mg of Gabapentin after just waking up with symptoms. Were you on gabapentin before going on opioids? I'm wondering what my options are if this drug eventually doesn't do it.
No, I tried Gabapentin while I already was on opioids.

In case Gabapentin should stop working for you, the 1st alternative would be Lyrica (Pregabalin). Both drugs are relatively similar. Basically Pregabalin is a more potent ("stronger") version of Gabapentin.

Personally I never tolerated Gabapentin or Pregabalin. Tried both drugs several times and all I had was nasty side effects.

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