Sudden Withdrawal From Neurontin (Page 7)

I have been taking 600 mg of Neurontin 4x a day for about 2 years and recentlty ran out of this medication due to excrutiating slow service from mandatory mail order RX company.... I was extremely agitated during this time (approx. 5 days), nervous, stressed out, etc. Has anyone else had these symptons as a result of sudden withdrawal from Neurontin? I can't understand why this happened, I felt so scared and lousy for that time. Is this a known reaction for this med? I haven't been able to find an answer. I take it for relief from carpel tunnel syndrom. Thanks

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my doctor only said "some people don't tolerate it very well. My memory is slowly coming back, about a year after, and I still have to take 4 tylenol #4 a day, which isn't good, but at least I can remember a little

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Stay away from Neurontin. It is a wicked drug. Came off in Oct 2012 and as of Feb 2013 am still suffering withdrawal. Came off too quick and suffered from protracted withdrawals and when this happens it can last for months. Right now am left with neuropathy pain in ribs and back. Coming off was more than horror. Thought one day I was having a heart attack. Maker of this drug was sued for over $400 million and pled quilty to its off label use. Drug reps were paid to lie to Drs. about its safety. Drs don't believe it is addictive or can cause withdrawals. They should listen to people who are trying to come off it. I had all kinds of horrible withdrawals. Neurontin is wicked. My advise to people STAY AWAY

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My son has been prescribed Gabapentin 800mg 4 times a day for Opiate addiction, he has been on it 4 weeks..I want him to get off it how did you stop?

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OK so i'm prescribed neurontin, 600 mg 3x a day for klonopin withdrawal (p.s. worse withdrawal EVER)... i got a huge bottle of it, and as an addict, i decided the past like 5 days to experiment with it and take like 4800-8000+ mg a day... and it does give you a little buzz. now i'm afraid bc i'm going to have to wean myself off and maintain enough for my withdrawal. can i just go back to my 600 mg 3x a day starting like tomorrow? or do i have to wean? i figure when i start getting low i'll wean lower and go to 300 mg 3x a day. i'm a nurse, but i'm an addict, ugh help.

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I too am an addict. I was taking 24,000 mg neurontin daily. At one point I took 64,000mg. I have died two times. I am sober now. That many mg of neurontin will cause hair loss, memory loss, and more. I do not care if it is considered non-addictive. To me, if I like it, I am addicted. Get help. Please. It only gets worse until you do.

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Yes, though every individual is different, quite unbelievable symptoms can occur. If I were you, I'd go to the emergency room right now if it won't bankrupt you, or at least call the R.N at the Emergency Room and see if she/he thinks you should come in. I for fortunate to have some neurontin-gabapentin so I was able to take some and very (extremely) slowly wean myself off of it because my goal was to stop taking it. So if I had insurance or just didn't care what happens when the bill comes in, I'd go to the Emergency room, or if it's daytime call your Doctor and tell him/her and perhaps your doctor will have a small amount prescribed for you at a local pharmacy. Because it's so horrible, I felt like I was going to die, I wasn't of course, just felt like it. Read some of the other comments, and it doesn't get better until you take some, it gets worse, (that is it did for me, medications always have different effects upon different people, so your reaction might not be mind, but my health was very weak after 24 years of being disabled, and I felt like I was going to die, I knew i was just a feeling, so I didn't really think I was going to die, but that's just a figure of speech, as in I felt almost like I wanted to die, I didn't want to die of course, I just could not tolerate it. I did not know if that was the reason, so I looked and found this site, found that my reaction was not unique and I began to take some, it took a while before i began to feel better, about a day, though there was some improvement in an hour, two or three. and I didn't feel quite right again for a week. My advice is to get extra so this never happens again, somehow, tell your Doctor that you can't stand having this happen again, and you need an emergency supply for mail order places who are infamous for poor service, at least they were for me, and from what I've heard here. But don't just suffer, get some help, call the 'ER or your Doctor !!! my heart goes out to you!

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get a Doctor's advice, always do things like this, even if you get yourself into a horrible mess, the doctor doesn't want you to suffer or die, and will help you, and physician would want to help. It's not something you want to do on your own

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Idk if what I'm feeling is withdrawal from neurontin. I was on 3600mgs a day for 4 months..I recently became sick from another illness an had 2 take 2 more meds..and I stopped the neurotin,,without weaning off. Now..I am so dizzy, weak, shakey, and in a fog. Very scared. I started taking it again..but it hasn't helped at all...I just stopped bc I was taking way to many other meds...

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I can only tell you what I went through, I cut back a lot, maybe it was all at once, the effect was horrible, I thought it might pass in a day or two, but it got much worse, I thought well, it's got to get better in 3 - 3 1/2 days, but it got so bad I though (felt) like I was going to die. I started taking it again, but it was at least a whole 24-36 hours before I began to see any improvement at all, and a week before I began to feel somewhat normal, and a month before I got back to where I had been, then I started cutting back in the tiniest possible amount that I could, and I spent well over a year- about a year and a half before I was completely off of it. and during that year and a half, I had to take some diazepam to help with the symptoms (all of this I did under a doctors care)

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What opiate where you on? For how long? What were the withdrawal symptoms from them?

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How did you wean yoursel off? I am suppose 2 take 3600 mg a day (900 4x). I have not been doing anything close to this. Now,,my mind and vision are completely blurred, I feel awful, afraid to go outside. I have been having nightmares...I started taking it again, bc I figured this was def withdrawal from gabapentin, but, I am only taking 1200 mg a day. I'm hoping this will help me get back to normal and be ok. I am going to ask my dr to help me wean off....what I feel right now is awful! And, I know how dangerous it is to just stop like I did ...I also take percocet and xanax. But, they don't seem to help ease the dizziness or feeling that I may fall.

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the withdrawal I was talking about was Gabapentin (Neurontin) that was so difficult, that is the subject of this forum.
Wikipedia states: Gabapentin (Neurontin) is a pharmaceutical drug, specifically a GABA analog.
So it is not an opioid derivative.
Born with spinal defects that began causing chronic pain (constant pain from that point on) in 1989, Doctors began to give me various opioid derivatives around 1992 or 1993 off and on, starting with milder ones like tylenol #3 -Codeine and Soma (before it fell out of favor, it was commonly prescribed.
I nicknamed it Coma because the first time I took it as prescribed I tried to wake up for about 36 hours, and didn't feel somewhat normal for another day or so during which it caused a hangover type # 9 headache.
So I nicknamed it Coma.
But later because of really severe painful muscle spasms I took 1/4 of a tablet, perhaps it was smaller than that. And I found that it helped the painful muscle spasm without the side effects. And after I would have to because of painful muscle spasms take it every day, I worked my way up to one whole table.
But If I went a while, perhaps a month, or especially if two - six months or longer, I would have to start with the very very small dose.
I could always take a tiny bit more if need be, but if I took too much, then I'd suffer side effects.

Many years later doctors began to tell me it was a drug that drug addicts like, the doctor said, "it gives a buzz"
But it never gave me a buzz, it knocked me out, it gave me a horrible headache, but never a buzz.
But I was never fond of it. I have a large quantity of it that I probably need to flush because it's probably expired now. Now they give me Tizanidine (Zanaflex) It causes problems, dizziness, blurred vision, and I read that it's important that your Doctor check your liver for the first 6 months because it can caused damage. I don't remember if my Doctor checked my liver. I know he ran tests, but I think they were regular tests, and it was my GP, not my pain doctor who ran the tests. So I probably need to ask to be tested? I better write it down, because I forget.
Later after the pain became much much worse, the put me M.S. Contin, time release Morphine. It was so much easier on the gut, helped control the pain, it seemed to be the answer, (whenever any drug or medicines for pain seems to be the answer, watch out. I just remembered, during the time I was quitting MS Contin, tey put me on Amitriptyline (Elavil) I was able to sleep at night the next day my pain level was lower, and it was a non-narcotic, again I thought it was a wonder drug. I took it for about 3 years, it had a side effect -dry mouth. I thought it was only a minor discomfort. Then I learned too late that our Salivary Glands protect our teeth from decay by washing bacteria off of them constantly. If a medicine turns off that protection, bacteria and eat your teeth up, which is what happened. I just had to spend $40,000 for implants, I have prosthetic teeth, that is to say, I lost all of my teeth. And prosthetic teeth as any prosthetic limb are no replacement for your real leg, real arm.
Back to the MS. Contin Pretty soon, after about two years, I couldn't remember, so I quit, too rapidly on my own, and one day was paralyzed, with no telephone, and no one would check on me, I was going to die there, but like picking up a red hot piece of iron, I was able to move, except it was like picking up and carrying a red hot piece of iron about 10 feet to the medicine, and the telephone. I told my Doctor and got chewed out by my "Never!!! do this on your own!"
So after I was off of Morphine, which took two years, with the Doctors help.
I was back on Tylenol #4, and as always I wanted to quit,
my Doctor put me on Neurontin. It seemed to help, I was able to quit T#4,
I still had a lot of pain, but I could tolerate it. and I began to think I had found the answer.
But soon I could not remember, and significantly worse than the memory loss that I had experienced on M.S. Contin. So I broke rule number one again, because I didn't realize it was a strong strong drug, I quit on my own. I feel bad and in pain anyway all day long every day, so it took a while to realize this was different.
But I had gone through painful withdrawals before, so I thought I could handle it, after about the third or fourth day. Then it was way beyond anything I'd ever experienced before, and I had been through very horrible withdrawals before but Neurontin was so far beyond anything I'd ever been through, Elavil withdrawal was horrible and I had to be extremely careful, but I didn't wait 3 almost 4 days before I realized I needed to take one, but it is extremely dangerous to withdraw from too.
It's been about two years since I stopped Neurontin and my memory is still continuing to get better, even though I have to take Tylenol #4 and Tizanidine and occasional Valium, I'm able to remember so much better.

with Neurontin I was (no exaggeration) turning me into a vegetable. and I was taking 400 3x daily. Possibly because my health was so poor after all the years of all the medicine. And possibly just me, not every medicine affects everyone the same, Doctors have told me that a dozen times. when I told the Doctor my incredibly horrible experience he simply said "not all patients can tolerate Neurontin. But from what I read here. it seems a lot of patients don't tolerate it!
I think the perfect medicine is to take no medicine at all, it's the "medicine" I want to take- none, but unfortunatly the pain is too horrible. My doctor tried to get me approved for the spinal simulator- the electrical device that helped Jerry Lewis get off Narcotics. But the insurance would not approve it. They said the doctor had not tried enough, even though I've had open back surgery, L4-T5 Fusion. My Doctor says they just turn some people down, he says he does not know why.

maybe some people can tolerate Neurontin, but not me, and if you try to quit and begin having withdraws, or your pharmacy doesn't deliver it on time, get your doctor on the phone or go to the ER if it's night time, it's not something you can do on your own. That's just a patient talking who has suffered, and as you can read from many many others here, I think they would say the same thing. You don't want to quit this medicine too fast, extremely slowly, as slowly as possible. Get the 50 mg so you can drop the level 50 mg a day and hold that level for 4 weeks, but do what your Doctor advises, that is how I had to do it. But every patient is different, take care :) sorry I wrote so much, I haven't been able to sleep for over 36 hours. Life is worth living no matter how terrible it gets! Don't give up! Get help!!! I did :)

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Hi Stephen,
Yes Neurontin was the most horrible experience of my whole life. My heart beat so fast and hard for days I am sure I needed to go to the ER. Just rode it out...took deep breaths and prayed.Seven months down the road now and I am not completely over this medicine. The panic attacks and anxiety were over a ten. Seizures at night in my sleep. The list goes on and on. I will never take this med. again. I understand for some it is a wonder drug but I have to wonder what it would be like for them to come off. I also had a very invasive spinal surgery in 1996. Came off some heavy duty pain meds. I just use ice and heat now and some natural products. One is Primrose oil. People like us suffer so much and lessons are usually hard learned. I hope you get better. I share in your pain. I pray one day you can get the stimulator. Best wishes

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My health was far too weak to endure that kind of withdrawal. I did painful withdrawals many times of narcotics, tylenol #3 when I go so sick of the side effects, but later the pain would get the best of me. then finally let them try out some of the psych meds on me, effexor, for anxiety related to trying to work a "widow maker" high stress sales job that had every man in the office on psych, and they were talented gifted agents with families and moral, emotional support, and worked on quitting that at the same time I was quitting elavil had such horrible and strange effects that I had to wean myself off of them both separately and over a long time and it was still a slow death like experience.
But Neurontin was worse, the elavil was really quite bad, I nicknamed it hellavil; but neurontin has it's own kind of hell.
anyway, I was just too weak, so I was very careful, perhaps because I got jumped on for going cold turkey on ms contin by my doctor, I realized it was stupid and wreckless disregard for my health, I looked at going cold turkey as good for my health, but the doctor showed me it was bad for my health,
often there is this guilty component that if you take medicine for pain, you are a bad person, or at least we understand, but really we think you are weak, a wimp, incapable of handling your own affairs.
Howard Hughes married Jean Peters, and said, I need to have a wife so they can't commit me, so she stayed faithful to him till he died, so they didn't have much of a marriage, but she was a really special lady who though drop dead good looking, stayed away from sexpot roles and got suspended from the studio because of it.

So I learned after 20 plus years to take better care of myself regarding sudden withdrawal, it's not good for your health.
I still battle with the if you take pain medicine you are weak, a wimp
I resolved to quit tylnol 4 yesterday, but today the pain called, it's just a nightmare, but you know

I wanted so desperately to get that electrical spinal stimulation that helped Jerry Lewis, passed the psych eval, my doctor approved me, the insurance company said no, the doctor was mad, but what could he do?
thanks for you kind words, steve

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Tramadol caused me really bad withdrawal the same as narcotics would a person who takes them the withdrawal is no different at all even tho tramadol is not a narcotic the withdrawal is the same as if I were taking narcotics which I was so careful not to ever take them because tramadol is not a narcotic I didn't think anything of it I took it for year this Med is not mant for long term use on anyone I decided to stop taking it an I've never been sicker in my life it was the worse ever I ended up going into treatment I'm coming up on a year in treatment an currently been decreasing my dose. (Methadone) I read they were trying to make tramadol a narcotic because soooo many people experience the same withdrawals as if it were a narcotic its sad people don't research before hand I know I will but it took a terrible lesson an its sad because it takes most a terrible lesson before deciding you'll never put anything in your body before knowing all about it first

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I have been on gabapentin for only five months. I was started on it for nervousness while detoxing from alcohol. I started at 100 3 x a day. It gave me a relaxed happy and kind of silly feeling. Since I have addiction issues of course I took more than prescribed. At that dose,when I ran out, I didn't notice any withdrawal at the time, but thinking back I did get anxious and drank wine which relieved it. I am now prescribed 400 3 x a day but have had extra because I would get new prescriptions when my dose went up. I really started noticing bad side effects as my dose went up; extreme stomach distention and weight gain, ( I look pregnant ) heaviness in my chest and shortness of breath at the slightest exertion, swollen face hands and feet. The only good thing is I have no desire to drink on it. Well the weight gain and other side effects got too bad so I decided t stop it. I weaned off over a week and have had headaches, chills, wake up soaking wet, anxiety ,depression, and general feeling of dread. I started taking it again yesterday and feel a little better but feel like a slug and still depressed. Oh I was also having a congested cough and episodes of heart racing and bad dreams while not taking it and my stomach was getting less distended. I was so happy to find something that makes me not want to drink. Now I feel like I have stumbled in to a nightmare. I am still going to try weaning off but more slowly. Thanks to all who have posted. It has helped me understand this drug. This needs to get to doctors so a protocol can be made for the withdrawal of it.

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I was on 24,000 mg a day. 30 eight hundred mg pills a day. Since you can only imagine the hell I was in getting off it, I pose this question.....what is a good natural remedy forr unexplainable panic attacks. No triggers, just happens. Any ideas?

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Yes. You were experiencing withdrawls. I tried to go off of the drug cold turkey but after a few days I went back on it and it took 2 months for me to get off the drug. I substituted Zyflamend by New Chapter for the pain I was suffering from along with Alpha Liporic Acid as I was suffering from diabetic neuropathy and arthritis. Neurotin damaged my liver and I had to go on a liver cleanse and I still put milk thisle in my nutra smoothies and drink dandelion root tea (infused from real kosher dandelion root) to keep my liver cleansed and recovering. In my opinion the adverse effects of neurotin on our bodies is not worth the price we pay for damaged organs. It is a dangerous drug and there are alternative holistic medications like essential oils that do a much better job to releive the cause of the pain we suffer.

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I'm currently going through withdrawal from neurontin. I have been extremely sick at my stomach. I have stomach ulcers from a high dosage of this drug and started taking less. I've cut dosage in half and today has been the first day I haven't felt like I was dying! I was told this drug is not addictive but I beg to differ. My doctor told me they use this drug to help people stop drinking or to help people get off drugs. I have never had this much trouble getting off any drug and since I'm bipolar I've been on many drugs. I've abused street drugs that weren't this hard to kick. I hope I can continue to lower the dose but it's hard to keep up with kids when you're deathly ill.

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I posted a message a few months back concerning withdrawls from neurotin. I am happy to say that the liver damage that the neurotin caused has been reversed through the natural herb "milk thislte" powder and dandelion root tea. Also I would like to say since I have been off of neurotin my glucose levels have come down and my kidney function has also improved. I only have one kidney because I had my right kidney removed due to kidney cancer. I will NEVER EVER take neurotin again and I am very disappointed with the medical community that prescribes this drug without telling you what it can do to you and also what happens when you try to come off of the drug. My doctor was so careless he told me to stop taking it cold turkey and prescribed another drug (that damages the liver also) to be taken in place of the neurotin. Needless to say I DIDNOT take the new drug --the samples went down the toilet --and ALL my blood tests have been normal now that I am not taking neurotin. I am taking zyflamend nighttime and daytime whole body and my pain is almost gone.

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