Jump to content
SurvivingAntidepressants.org is temporarily closed to new registrations until 1 April ×

Lelu: FB Lyrica/Gabapentin


Lelu

Recommended Posts

Hello,

My rocky journey started a little over a year ago.

In 2011 I was put on 900mg Gabapentin and 60mg of Cymbalta for Fibro. I didn’t really have any issues for many years. In 2019 I started getting very tired and would sleep all day long. I went to my doctor who prescribed Adderall 20mg twice a day. Most of the time I only took it once a day as I was sleeping till early afternoon and was trying not to stay up at night.  In 2020 I started having headaches so my doctor put me on Amitriptyline, I can’t remember the dose. A few months after the Amitriptyline she retired. I was still very tired, my sleep was very messed up and I just didn’t know what to do. Went to a young NP and told her my situation. She told me to stop the Amitriptyline and Cymbalta and to start.  Vraylar. I did what she told me as I was desperate for relief. Why I didn’t research the med I don’t know. I started at 1.5mg and things seemed to be ok. I had more energy, I wasn’t sleeping all the time any more. 
After 3 weeks she bumped me up to 3.0mg and that is when the trouble started. I started getting tingling and numbness in my feet and hands. I went for a pred shot in my shoulder and didn’t even feel it. The Vraylar really messed with my nerves. It also made me very agitated and anxious. I was sent to a Psych. A month later.

She decided I needed a mood stabilizer and put me on Lamictal. After a week, I felt like my head had exploded. I had a massive panic attack, which I had never had before and was vomiting. Went to the ER and they found nothing but anxiety. They gave me a dose of Ativan and sent me home. I was so freaked out, the next day I cold Turkey the Vraylar, Lamictal and Adderall. I was a mess. Tremors, SI, sweats, it was truly hell. I was convinced everyone around me was going to die and I would be alone. I couldn’t eat much and would vomit all the time. I lost over 30 pounds in a short amount of time. Looking back I’m pretty sure it was akathisia. To counter this I was given Klonopin. The psych originally wanted me to take 2mg but I was able to manage on 1. It took a lot of convincing to get me on it but I couldn’t live like that anymore.  My brain was starting to settle and I could think a bit better. I started wondering if some of the anxiety was coming from the Gabapentin I was still on and had been on for 10 years.  I asked the Psych to help me get off the Gaba. I had 300mg pills to make up the 900mg. She gave me 100mg pills and let me decide when to reduce. I started reducing 100mg every 2-3 weeks until I got down to 200mg. Then I switched to water titration. I am currently at 80mg.

I knew she would want me to come off the Klonopin at some point and I also wanted to do that at my own pace as well. After 2 months I decided to start reducing it  before she made me and stopped my Gaba taper while doing so. I came off of the Klonopin in August of 2021.

I ended up going to a neurologist when I got down to 300mg of Gaba because of numbness and tingling. I also had a lot of muscle spasms. He said for all I had been through I was lucky I was as good as I was. He did and MRI and tons of tests, all came back negative.  Now that I am about a year out, I still have tingling and spasms but they are much less and tolerable. I get some hot flashes and some spikes in anxiety but overall I am functional. I get more emotional than I would normally and I try to deal with that. I have a really great counselor who has helped a lot. I am really hoping to be completely off the Gaba by the end of the year but just going at a comfortable pace. I am scared of going back into that head space when I came off the 3 meds at once.

 

My Intro topic

2011-2020 Cymbalta cold Turkey in Dec

2011-present Gabapentin

2019 -2021 Adderall cold Turkey in March 

2020-2020 Amitriptyline cold Turkey Dec

Dec 2020- March2021 Vraylar

March 2021-Lamictal 

April 2021-August 2021 Klonopin 

March 2021 Cold Turkey Vraylar, Lamictal, and Adderall after trip to ER  
Put on Klonopin for anxiety from cold Turkey. Tapered it from June -August 2021
was on 900mg of Gabapentin which I started tapering April of 2021. Currently down to 80mg.

Link to comment
  • Moderator

@Lelu

 

Welcome to SA.

 

I'm going to give you a link to get you started and @MerryJayneFriday should be along with you soon.

 

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

PREVIOUS medications and discontinuations: Have been on medications since 1996. 

 Valium, Gabapentin, Lamictal, Prilosec and Zantac from 2000 to 2015 with a fast taper by a psychiatrist.

 Liquid Lexapro Nov, 2016 to 31-March, 2019 Lexapro free!!! (total Lexapro taper was 4 years-started with pill form)

---CURRENT MEDICATIONS:Supplements:Milk Thistle, Metamucil, Magnesium Citrate, Vitamin D3, Levothyroxine 25mcg, Vitamin C, Krill oil.

Xanax 1mg 3x day June, 2000 to 19-September, 2020 Went from .150 grams (average weight of 1 Xanax) 3x day to .003 grams 3x day. April 1, 2021 went back on 1mg a day. Started tapering May 19, 2023. July 28, 2023-approximately .87mg. Dr. fast tapered me at the end and realized he messed up. Prescribe it again and I am doing "slower than a turtle" taper.

19-September, 2020 Xanax free!!! (total Xanax taper was 15-1/2 months-1-June, 2019-19-September, 2020)

I am not a medical professional.

The suggestions I make are based on personal experience.

Link to comment
  • Moderator

Welcome @Lelu I'm so glad you are here. Sounds like you've really been thru it!  Wow. Good job for reducing the Gabapentin down to 80!!  Woo hoooo! Just a bit of advice, it's best to only taper one drug at a time and make sure to give your body time to heal before attempt a taper on another.  Hang in there and holler if you need more help XO 

 

MJF 

MerryJayneFriday

Polydrugged for many years after dx of Failed Back surgery.   Tapered from Lyrica from 2016 to 2020

Quit 10 mg oxycontin Sept 2021

currently taking 5mg oxycodone every 4 to 5 hours

Link to comment
  • ChessieCat changed the title to Lelu: FB Lyrica/Gabapentin

@Lelu

 

i have to say I am really impressed with what you have achieved, especially getting off a benzo. 
 

All power to your elbow, and try to relax about these nefarious tinglings and muscle spasms. They will become easier - but as a pentinoid survivor I confess to having suffered thus for a while. 
 

The odd neuro symptoms improved most when I corrected a very low ferritin level. This was found when a fellow member suggested I check all the mineral and Vit levels and corrected them. 
 

Best wishes 

 

OldDodgy

 

My Intro topic.  Was Dickie in FB gabapentinoids 

2020 January Stopped Quetiapine 150 at night in a fairly chaotic fashion with holds, jumping at 6mg 

2020 June Stopped Pregabalin 150 at night using Ashton Method Some holds. 

2021 December Stopped Mirtazipine 15 using Ashton Method. (Slower at end). 

Nov 21 - Given Quetiapine 12.5 for sleep. Reduced mid March 2022 to 6mg - Off 30/5/22

Feb 2022 Ongoing Diazepam 17.5, Blip at Christmas when took 22.5mg for a few days, now 24 FEB Stable 17.5 as advised. Had long covid. Now going to 16.25 from 8/7/22. 7% drop 

Oxazepam 10mg.STOPPED 10th FEB 2022  “Rescue dose x 2 in 2 months. 

Buccastem 3mg less than 1 a month for nausea. 

Past meds since 1969 -Approx dates only available. Tranxene 15, Clomipramine 150 for about 25 years. 1993 Paroxetine 20 AD change. Diazepam 20mg swap from Tranxene.

Oxazepam 10mg Prn since 1990's  1995 Trial of MAOIS. 2000 Escitaopram 10mg. 2015 trial of Trazadone. 2004 Pregabalin 150 at night.

2015 Started on Quetiapine 150 note, Mirtazipine 15 note. Diazepam increased to 30mg split dosing. 

Link to comment

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use Privacy Policy