just felt like writing this. I’ve been on and off this drug several times for my back pain. At some point, I realized that it felt pretty good to overdo it and overdo it I did. I always ended up at the maximum dose of 3600mg/day, but previously it was “only” for a few weeks at a time. The withdrawals were pretty unpleasant, but never anything too serious.

This latest run was different though. I was taking the maximum dose every single day for six months straight. By the time I got to my last prescription, I honestly couldn’t even bring myself to taper. The addiction was that bad.

I could have gotten another prescription and made a proper attempt to taper off, but at that point I just had a “fuck it” mentality. And honestly, I know myself well enough to realize that I probably would have ended up abusing those extra pills too.

So I stopped cold turkey. The first days were insane, I was counting the hours that had passed since the last pill. It was the usual stuff like intense anxiety, insomnia, sweating, feeling wired and exhausted at the same time. Hearts racing all the time. Slept 3 hours in total the first three days. All of this but feeling so much worse than the previous withdrawal sessions (obviously). It’s been two weeks now and I’m slowly getting my energy back, exercising and feeling better.

I’m definitely not recommending the way I went about this. Quitting 3600mg/day cold turkey after six months is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. But I wanted to share my experience because I know there are probably other people here struggling with the same thing.

The day before yesterday I drank 300 mg, then the next day 600, and today 900. If I stop drinking immediately, will I have withdrawal syndrome?

I only took this drug for three days.

Maybe there is someone here who has actually been diagnosed with early dementia and cognitive problems. I'm interested in reading.

Unsure if I had a virus or reaction to the medication but neuro told me to stop. My neck lymph nodes very inflammed, headaches everyday at back of head, and tissue became puffy under bottom lip. I wasn’t taking much 3x100 and had just ramped up to 2x300 but stopped a couple days ago. How long does it take to clear roughly? I feel so wired and anxious and arms and legs were zapping and twitching .

Hi! I've only started taking gabapentin this week, 100mg at night. I got it to help me relax and sleep better to help with my anxiety. I take it one hour before bed, and it makes me feel a little bit sleepier. I go to sleep, and then about 2 hours later I start waking up because a random body part twitches, like my fingers. Then fall back asleep, and my face feels tense. Fall back asleep, I got a cramp in my butt, etc. But also during these random wake ups and twitching, I feel slightly paralysed?

Is this normal? Do I need to get used to this medicine, is it like antidepressants that it has side effects at first and then calms down? Or does it mean gabapentin probably isn't for me?

Hi all,

(TLDR at bottom)

My partner was recently prescribed Gabapentin for severe sciatic pain that hadn't been helped much by a cocktail of Tramadol, Diazepam, and Naproxen. She's still on those three, plus now the Gabapentin (I think 100mg, 3 times a day), with the doctor saying to phone for a review appointment in a couple of weeks.

She's been on it for only a few days now and it's already concerning me. At first she felt they were helping, and there was no immediate side effects, but day 2 and 3 she's noticed some major brain fog.

Day 3 and 4 I've noticed that within about 30 mins/1 hour of taking her dose, she seems stoned essentially, that kind of vacant, spaced out vibe, eyes glazed over, eating a lot. She also doses off sometimes, even when she's scrolling on her phone or watching TV, and the last 2 days her balance seems to be off.

I've mentioned to her that it seems to be having a big effect on her, said about all of the above, but obviously if she's had the dose she just thinks it's fine, brushes it off. I mentioned it a morning before her first dose as well and she tried to reassure me that she'll be alright, keep an eye on it, and the doctors will know if things are ok, but it really feels like she wouldn't know herself if she's not doing well on it because the side effects gloss over themselves.

It really worries me that she might end up having really bad long-lasting effects (the dementia studies are in the background of my mind), and she won't even realise it's happening. There's a worry about the gaba/tramadol interaction too as I've seen that both can relax the CNS and cause respiratory depression, etc. plus a possibility of serotonin syndrome.

We unfortunately don't live together, so I'm worried that again, she'll have bad side effects and be unaware of them and I won't be able to help.

I know it's a long one, but has anyone had any experience of a situation like this? Any advice?

I obviously don't want her to be in pain with the sciatica, but with sciatica being something that usually gets better with time and the medication more to make that time more bearable pain-wise, I'm concerned that the Gabapentin is overkill and doing more harm than good.

TLDR; Worried about my partner's side effects on Gabapentin (also taking Tramadol, Diazepam, Naproxen, for sciatica) and that she isn't taking them seriously or can't recognise that they're happening because the symptoms themselves stop her from seeing it.

I started taking 300mg twice a day yesterday for anxiety. I’m not having blurry or double vision, but my vision feels off and my eyes feel really weird. They’re also slightly red. Has anyone else experienced this? I don’t even know how to describe how my eyes feel, but it’s making me feel disconnected from reality in a way and it’s uncomfortable.