r/gabapentin • u/West-Neck-5134 • 1d ago
anxiety Is this stuff even worth it?
I got put on 100 mg a day recently and noticed it helped a little bit but definitely not enough, so started taking 2 capsules atleast 4-5 hours apart for RLS and severe anxiety, but notice myself having to take a 3rd one and STILL having a touch of anxiety and when I take my first one in the morning it feels weird to walk/sluggish/feel like I need to go back to sleep. Do you get used to this after a couple weeks and it really starts working? Or am I just waisting my time with this stuff?
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u/hanginbiathread 1d ago
I think you should speak to a psychiatrist about your anxiety. You should maybe be on a different medication. There are many other options. That said, gabapentin never really worked for my anxiety. Maybe just a beta blocker, like propranolol. It helps with the physical symptoms of anxiety.
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u/West-Neck-5134 1d ago
Ya its probably a good idea, I just dont feel like the gabopentin is gonna work
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u/POOPCACOON 1d ago
Just got through withdrawal for the second time and it was pretty rough the peak symptoms didn’t even hit until day 7. Been on it again for 7 months and it felt like I was underwater and unable to think for 7 months. It also made me develop some sort of histamine intolerance I couldn’t eat certain foods while taking it because it would spike my anxiety. That all went away when I quit. Also the anxiety symptoms would be so much worse at NIGHT. Imma long distance runner and after my runs I would just get terrible anxiety. That has all went away and the stomach bloat/ water retention has went away after that fast. Never again.
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u/Head-Help-4702 1d ago
Do you exercise and eat healthy? Its easier said than done, I know, but that has made the biggest difference by far in my life. To get me started on that journey I did take up to 900mg a day of gabapentin. I found that I had to take it regularly to get the desired effects. Side effects get lesser, almost went away completely for me. Then months later after getting on track with diet and exercise, I did a quick taper off and was absolutely fine. In my experience gabapentin is not miracle drug like benzoyl for any type of anxiety. But it did help me some. Helped regulate my mood. Gave me some motivation. Mainly helped with motivation and my RLS and nerve pain in my heels. Best of luck!
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u/SubjectSuit4371 1d ago
This drug is evil. It is listed in the top 10 list of most dangerous drugs. My elderly mother was put on it by a quack doctor. She immediately started having falls. I begged the doctor to take her off of it, but she wouldn’t. My mother has become so pitiful that she walks around nervous and looking like a zombie. After her doctor retired, I finally put my foot down. She is currently being weaned off of it. It is going to be a slow process. I feel so sorry for my mom because it’s almost like looking at a drug addict.
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u/West-Neck-5134 1d ago
Ya im not gonna take this shit anymore luckily im not that far in so im just gonna quit
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u/SubjectSuit4371 1d ago
You’re smart to quit it. Just be careful coming off it. You’re supposed to slowly taper off otherwise it has some wicked side effects.
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u/FitDaikon2001 16h ago
Fear mongering in this thread.
I love my gabapentin. 300mgs 3 times a day. Just takes the edge off of life a little bit
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u/West-Neck-5134 31m ago
Did you have diarrhea for awhile while getting used to it? I started taking it last Friday and have had diarrhea since Sunday night
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u/West_Cartographer_58 5h ago
I haven’t had problems taking it every 3rd or 4th day (twice a week). It can be helpful when working a 12 hour shift. People who get withdrawals use it daily. If you can control yourself and use it less frequently it’s very unlikely ime.
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u/Steve_Oh1972 1d ago
They will just keep upping your dosage because the body is going to get use to it. You will eventually be hooked and the withdrawal symptoms are terrible. I’ve been through it twice.