Sudden Withdrawal From Neurontin (Page 2) (Top voted first)

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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If you read the medication pamplets that are provided with the prescription, in the side effects that are listed with the prescription it list that it is important to take as prescribed and not miss a dose. Additionally there is information regarding Sudden WITHDRAWAL FROM THE DRUG CAN CAUSE SEIZURES. If you are running low on your Neurontin ask your doctor if he can prescribe you a short term presciption to get you thru the 5 day wait, or if you should space out your drugs so they will last for the full 5 days. Sometimes, your doctor can also provide you with samples to help you in these situations. Don't try to handle this on your own, but contact your doctor. I had a drug that I was running low on, and it was a necessary prescription...my mail order pharmacy sent it overnight mail due to the delay in the doctor's office getting the prescription to them. Let the health care provider and mail order pharmacy know your situation. They are there to help you and keep you healthy....

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Go to defective drugs.org and find the danger in this drug.

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i hve been on neurotin for yrs i weaned from 1600 mg to 400
i have recently broke up the capsule so i can only take a little.
iwaske up early and edgy. yesterday i was very shaky and felt like i was on speed. it was awful
i am trying to get new insurance so i can go the dr.
i lknow i am going through with drawal i have been on it for yrs.

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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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There's a little problem with Neurontin that really hasn't been addressed yet. Neurontin is fairly popular as a street drug among addicts; they're commonly called "Johnnies". Neurontin contains gabapentin as the active ingredient. Gabapentin is a synthetic analog of the neurotransmitter GABA, which produces a natural anti-anxiety effect in the brain. Valium and other drugs in the benzodiazepine family work by enhancing the effect of GABA. The little problem with Neurontin that I mentioned is that there's mounting evidence that this drug can cause physical dependency - addiction. Neurontin is a chemical cousin of Lyrica, which is already classified as a Schedule V drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Drugs in Schedule V are considered to be capable of producing a relatively low level of dependency. However, Schedule V drugs have the definite potential for abuse. Given the chemical and pharmacological similarities between Neurontin and Lyrica, I would not be shocked if Neuromtin ends up being classified as a Controlled Substance too. Your reaction to abruptly stopping Neurontin pretty much suggests a physical dependency.

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I cannot believe how bad I feel. It's a nightmare. Nauseous, cold chills, sweats, anxious and depressed, tinnitus. For over a year and a half I have been searching for a diagnosis. 2 neurologists, 2 psychiatrists, 3 endocrinologists, Mayo clinic. And last November, a suicide attempt. When I was reviewing my symptoms with multiple physicians the would always start with the medications I was on. Gabapentin being one of them was discussed, but the symptom lists did not include my symptoms. I did not mention to any doctor that I was going up and down the dosage from 1500 mg to 3600. Finally, after meeting with my primary care doctor once again, he said let's try getting off the gabapentin. When I was down to 1200 mg my symtoms worsened so I searched on "gabapentinwithdrawal" instead of side effects. And there it was...my answer. How the heck can this not be understood bt so many in the medical community. I'm on the drug for leg pain after 2 unsuccessful disc surgeries, the pain clinic claims the drug is tolerated well. It has to be that there is a small percentage of people that have issues, something has to explain all the hundreds of posts. I was a very healthy person and have no history of drugs, alcohol, mental illnesses that is suffering from this drug. I'm not a litigious person, but I feel like I need to find a way to get the word out there regarding this medication. Once I'm recovered from this withdrawal I'm going to write the FDA. I'm thankful to God that he brought me back last November. It wasn't my time. Here is a list of the symptoms I have had and at different degrees. Flu like, weak, freezing cold without the ability to warm, occasional hot flashes, buzzing sound in my head (tinnitus), nauseous, anxious. I have tapered down to 0 as of two days ago, and I'm at the worst I have ever been. But I have hope.

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1800mg a day for 9 months. Have gone cold turkey for 2 weeks. Biggest side effect of quitting has been insomnia.

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Whew-It's been 10 days since I took any gabapentin & the withdrawal is improving but still present. I'm less lethargic & cranky. I was seriously short fused the 1st week & fatigued. Still low energy but not nearly as irritable. My skin's been sensitive throughout this ordeal & I've experienced twitching like little electrical jolts in some of my back & neck muscles. I've felt the need to explain my erratic behavior to my loved ones who while sympathetic are also clueless as to why cessation of this med has caused the problems I'm experiencing. Doctors beware of casually prescribing gabapentin. Thanks to everyone here for your support & for sharing your experiences. Nice to know I'm not alone :)

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It's been 2 weeks since I took my last dose of gabapentin & each day I feel better. It surprises me that I've experienced so much withdrawal from it as I only took 300mg twice a day for 9 months. The irritability, fatigue, night sweats-heavy sweats, itching all over, aches & pains, etc... Yikes! I'm back to being pleasant & patient but still don't feel great & am tired which is probably because I'm not sleeping well due to the night sweats. I told my doctor about my experience & she seemed surprised although not skeptical. I'm a college graduate twice so I'm believable because I'm articulate-can't write worth a damn though lol. I tapered from 600mg to 300mg a day & if I had it to do all over again I'd drop the dose even lower before stopping completely. Good luck to everyone that's trying to stop taking this God awful medication. Pharmaceutical companies should be ashamed. There's a special place in hell for some of their employees be them as high as the highest management. God bless all of you for courageously sharing your stories & for offering your support. Good luck & stay strong!

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Even though this is an old post, I've personally experienced brutal withdrawals from Neurontin back in the past and they rival that of opiate withdrawals. Doctors can be some of the most misinformed people when it comes to medications. They look at the original information about the drug and unless a warning is personally sent to them have no clue about all possible side effects recently discovered outside of the original information.

I've conveyed to doctors in the past about certain side effects I was having on different medications and they went ignored. The doctor acted as though it was in my head and then later down the road discontinued said medication. Then to my surprise I see litigation commercials on TV for that drug... The doctor never said anything about any problem with the drug, but changed to a different medication. This unequivocally shows me that YES some/alot doctors help cover problems with drugs, just like they cover-up for each other.

If you personally don't keep up with facts about medications and your doctors answers to questions about them or procedures being done by your doctor to you, then you are nothing more than a lab rat... If you're seeing a doctor who doesn't like a well informed patient, the RUN away from that doctor as fast as you can!

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I take 800 mg 4Xday for the last 11 years and I ran out in between switching insurance it was the worst week and a half. It was like the flu times three and felt stressed out. I take strong narcotic pain medication and I ran out and the withdrawal was easy compared the gabapentin. So I know that's it no fun.

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I had went without my gabapentin for several days, 3-4 times, I take 300 mg three times a day. I get sick the first day without them. Really sick to my stomach, nausea, the shakes, no energy, want to sleep a lot, sometimes the diarrhea, I suffer horribly, especially with the nausea. So I do have your same symptoms.along with weakness, mood swings, etc.

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Re: ydoowmai (# 257)

Picked up a prescription today to start taking it for my back.... ain't no way I'll start this medication. Sounds like it's more trouble than it's worth! Thanks.

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Wow, I've just did some reading in the websites you graciously sent to me and am shocked and amazed! I am lucky I only experienced nervousness - it could have been so much worse! Thank you, this is the info I was trying to find! It is outrageous that such important information is withheld (or at least extremely hard to find.) I am going to use these websites to do more research about the other prescriptions I am taking. I clearly don't know how to do a search well - the websites I reached did not have anything much beyond what was in prescribing leaflets. d Best Regards, Sinda

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I have just been started on a low dose of Neurontin for pain of neuropathy, I assume. I really do not want to take another drug, (after reading the information and comments at this site) which does not specifically address my chronic discomfort from numbness, which is the only pain I experience for the most part. Has anyone any experience with Neurontin with the severe discomfort of neuropathy in my case?. I also recognized that certain drugs make my neuropathy worse. (Maybe even caused it to begin with). Again, has anyone had this specific problem?

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my husband has been going thru withdrawals from neurontin for just over a month!! so far no end in sight! thank you to drs for getting people hooked and let them go.i ordered his meds and the doc did NOT order them, my husband had no choice. after reading these things we fear the serious side effects. his withdrawal symptoms include inability to function, can not stay focused, stomach pain, sweating profusely,inability to sit still, extreme sense of any kind of feelng, cold weather now hurts,pain is now unreal. all we have learned is what awild ride and we were much better before neurontin. if you havent taken it, DO NOT!!!!!!

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I am weening off GABA now. I only took 200mg 1x nightly for 2 months. I am 2 weeks off this stuff and am having BAD headaches.......I am hoping that the headaches go away soon. Feels like when I miss my Starbucks! Also having stomach pain.. I am hoping things improve. The GABA did help my nerves pain from busted tailbone pretty well.

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I was taking neurontin 300mg, 3 times a day. Had to get off as it caused many side effects which the drug was supposed to help but didn't. Did a quick taper 5 weeks ago and almost immediately went into withdrawals. Profound fatigue, headaches, diahhreah, panic and anxiety, severe muscle and joint pain, nighttime seizures,fast heart beat and the list goes on and on. I am doing "The Road Back" program, a non-profit or. to help people get off this wicked drug and many others. You can download the book onto a kindle or order from amazon used. Without this program I think I would have went crazy. First you need to look up The Road Back/Neurontin and the information will tell you all about withdrawals and neurontin. I take the three products they recommend but you first you need the book. It is not expensive and the program has literally rescued me. I was skeptical at first but not anymore. Just judge for yourself and read the testimonties. God Bless and I hope the info. will encourage you that there is help.

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I absolutely hear you. I slow tapered from a 900-1200mg daily dose over 7 weeks. The last dose was in August and I have sporadic symptoms. Some days are fine while others are just as bad as when I was on the med. I gained 40lbs on 2 years I was on gabapentin and another 20lbs since going OFF. I still sweat (hair sopping wet, underarms too) for no reason, my skin is a mess, rash on my neck and chest, the arch of my left foot has itchy pustules (like tapioca under the skin), I sometimes lose my balance, concentration, memory and speech problems and I alternate between high anxiety/restless and fatigued. I also have indigestion/heartburn often and my blood pressure is very high. I have never had high bp in my LIFE, always low! My doctor is at his wits end trying to determine the cause...adamant it cannot be the gabapentin w/d. I just went in for my second round of blood tests and have been referred to a dermatologist.
I wonder when or IF this will ever end...

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I have been on neurontin for years now I am taking 800mg 3 times a day, sometimes 4.When I don't have it I feel so lifeless,stressed,agitated,very nervous,along with many other serious side affects including,I get very short tempered and the least little things tic me off causing me to out rage to where i can't even stand myself. I have no apatite,and it is the worse feeling I have ever felt, or been through in my life.
Other side affects while taking this awful drug includes dizziness,and extremely bad memory loss. Just about everybody in my family has taken this awful drug called neurontin. Obviously,most doctors don't realize the side affects, or risk of this awful drug when prescribing neurontin, otherwise it wouldnt be handed out so often.
I have been on many bad narcotics in my life, and have never experience side affects, or withdraws like I have with neurontin. My advise to anyone that has not yet taken this awful medication is that I would talk to my physician about other options.

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