whinerscircle: quitting Gabapentin after a decade

[whinerscircle]

Hi All,

 

I've been tentative to post here but thought I'd add my own experience in preparation to begin tapering off Gabapentin after ten years depending on it.

 

I've been on psychiatric medications since age 14 for GAD/MDD, a diagnoses which was later specified as BP II (though I take any diagnosis with heaps of salt given the likelihood of inter-rater bias).

 

From 14-18 was on a smorgasbord of various SSRIs, mood stabilizers, and anti-psychotics. Lots of medication churn because I was young and dumb and too impatient to give anything enough time to work.

That is until the first day of college orientation, and waves of crippling anxiety led me to try gabapentin from a family member scrip. It was also around this time that I settled down with one SSRI (Celexa -> Lexapro) at 20mg (subsequently raised to 30mg at age 22).

 

Gabapentin seemed to work, so I brought it up with my psych who agreed to prescribe it (no mention of dependence or withdrawal, obviously) and went on my merry way. Well, no so merry, as my mental health led to me leaving my hard-won spot at a liberal arts college and return home to attend CC while living with my parents. For the next 4 years my anxiety and depression were manageable, if only because I avoided any situations or experiences that I deemed too stressful or emotionally wrought, and I graduated from a state university with a degree in psychology (a major chosen due to my own struggles, and one I deeply regret). I then fell face first into the workforce six months before the coronavirus shut the country down.

 

My tendency to self-isolate became more insidious as I could argue for it on the grounds of public health. My alcohol intake also greatly increased.

Thankfully I met a friend through work who needed a new roommate, and moved in with them, though our subsequent romantic entanglement was ill-advised and devastating).

 

Fast-forward to early 2022, and an alcohol/benzo/relationship mediated suicide attempt leads me to first take time off work for outpatient treatment, then quit my well-paying job altogether. I used the time in the outpatient facility to taper off Lexapro and switch onto Wellbutrin. I speed-ran titration, going from 30mg to 0mg in just over a month. My thinking was that since I didn't have work or responsibilities,  it was the perfect time to go trough the hell of withdrawal. And honestly? It wasn't bad at all. I know I'm in the minority there, and extremely lucky.

 

Now I'm back living with my parents at 28, working on certificates to change careers, and working retail part-time for a quarter of what I previously made while struggling to pay off debts accrued when I was sure I wouldn't live long enough to see them collected.

 

So all that brings me to today, and my decision to taper off of gabapentin. I've read horror stories here, but I attribute their prevalence to response bias (i.e. folks who had a worse/memorable experience are far more likely to report it than those who had an easier time). That isn't to discredit the hell others have been through, but it does allow me to approach this taper with optimism. Since my last med decoupling was relatively painless, I'm hoping this will be similar.

 

Medications currently taken:

10 years - Gabapentin 600mg 1-2x daily (was on 1200-1800 daily until December 2021)

4 months - Wellbutrin XL 300mg daily

 

I'm planning to start tapering starting next Monday, going down by 10% every two weeks unless withdrawal symptoms become too severe.

 

Any insights, advice, experiences, or kind words would be amazing. Thanks for reading until the end  

[Frogie]

@whinerscircle

 

Welcome to SA. We are a volunteer ran site helping people taper off psychiatric medication or have tapered off and are now healing.

 

This is your introduction page where you will receive information, ask questions and meet other members. We ask that you only have one introduction page so we can keep all your information in one place.

 

First can you please create a signature.

 

 

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

 

It sounds like you had a really hard time for a while, and I am very sorry to hear that. But it also sounds like you have a plan to get back on your feet. That is great!

 

We don't suggest more than a 10% a month taper and a lot of members go much slower.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

The Brassmonkey Slide Method of Micro-tapering

 

Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

 

Dr. Joseph Glenmullen's withdrawal symptom checklist

 

Here is a link on how to taper off Gabapentin.

 

Tips for tapering off gabapentin (Neurontin)

 

We don't suggest supplements on here because they can be very stimulating, but you could try Magnesium and Omega. If you want to try these try one in a small amount and wait a few days before introducing the other.

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/15483-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

King of supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants

 

After reading the links provided please reach out with any questions you may have.