Help Gabapentin

[Sherri]

Hello, been prescribed this medication on my last visit to the doctor, 100mg 3 times a day. Any feedback good or bad would be welcome . I'm taking 100mg x 3. Thank you.
@Chupacabra 44 sorry to tag you, but you do seem to have a lot of knowledge, hope you don't mind.

 

[Disappointered]

I don't know if you can switch to pregabalin but I think it has fewer side effects for most people and is pretty much the same thing.

 

[Sherri]

I don't know if you can switch to pregabalin but I think it has fewer side effects for most people and is pretty much the same thing.

Prob won't start taking this, way too many pills already. But thank you.

 

[lost_soul83]

Hello, been prescribed this medication on my last visit to the doctor, 100mg 3 times a day. Any feedback good or bad would be welcome . I'm taking 100mg x 3. Thank you.
@Chupacabra 44 sorry to tag you, but you do seem to have a lot of knowledge, hope you don't mind.

I never had much luck with gabapentin but I've been taking lyrica for over a decade. If the gabapentin doesn't work for you, you could ask the doctor to try that. Just a thought. Good luck!

 

[Sherri]

I never had much luck with gabapentin but I've been taking lyrica for over a decade. If the gabapentin doesn't work for you, you could ask the doctor to try that. Just a thought. Good luck!

Seems like it's a bad thing, thank you, that's why I love your comments rather than my doctors opinion.

 

[lost_soul83]

Seems like it's a bad thing, thank you, that's why I love your comments rather than my doctors opinion.

I really hope the gabapentin works for you honey. I don't like to see anyone suffering.

 

[Sherri]

I really hope the gabapentin works for you honey. I don't like to see anyone suffering.

Thank you lost, I don't know why my doc prescribed me that. But Im not taking any more meds. Seems this one is also not a good one.

 

[lost_soul83]

Thank you lost, I don't know why my doc prescribed me that. But Im not taking any more meds. Seems this one is also not a good one.

I would agree that gabapentin is not a good medication. And you have every right to not want to take any more meds. I stopped taking all my psych meds almost 10 years ago and I did okay for a while but then tried to ctb in early 2019 and after that failure, I was getting pressured to seek mental help (counseling, medication) but I refused. I've been on over 30 different psych meds in my life and have had several rounds of ECT and I just didn't wanna go through any of that again. I've never been truly happy and I'm hoping to ctb soon.

 

[LivingANDDying26]

I've been on gaba for 3 yrs now. My dose is a lot higher than yours. (900-1200mg a day).

My doctor at the time explained to me that while Lyrica and Gabapentin are the same, Gabapentin seems to be a more direct source of gaba. (That is just my understanding of something explained to me 2 yrs ago.) I've taken Lyrica as well. Feels different from Gabapentin for sure.

Either way I find it helps with my pain and anxiety as well. When you aren't used to it, it can make ya feel a bit sleepy. Tbh this is one medication I haven't had much issues with. Its pretty neutral.

It can however be abused and withdrawal is a thing. (I would look that up a bit) So, while I feel its given on a low risk basis there are some risks and quite a few personal accounts of those risks. I think theres even a specific subreddit.

Good luck if you choose to take it and I'm open to answering any questions of anything

 

[lost_soul83]

I've been on gaba for 3 yrs now. My dose is a lot higher than yours. (900-1200mg a day).

My doctor at the time explained to me that while Lyrica and Gabapentin are the same, Gabapentin seems to be a more direct source of gaba. (That is just my understanding of something explained to me 2 yrs ago.) I've taken Lyrica as well. Feels different from Gabapentin for sure.

Either way I find it helps with my pain and anxiety as well. When you aren't used to it, it can make ya feel a bit sleepy. Tbh this is one medication I haven't had much issues with. Its pretty neutral.

It can however be abused and withdrawal is a thing. (I would look that up a bit) So, while I feel its given on a low risk basis there are some risks and quite a few personal accounts of those risks. I think theres even a specific subreddit.

Good luck if you choose to take it and I'm open to answering any questions of anything

I am definitely addicted to my lyrica and have to try really hard not to take so much that I run out because withdrawal from it is absolutely horrendous!

 

[Sherri]

I've been on gaba for 3 yrs now. My dose is a lot higher than yours. (900-1200mg a day).

My doctor at the time explained to me that while Lyrica and Gabapentin are the same, Gabapentin seems to be a more direct source of gaba. (That is just my understanding of something explained to me 2 yrs ago.) I've taken Lyrica as well. Feels different from Gabapentin for sure.

Either way I find it helps with my pain and anxiety as well. When you aren't used to it, it can make ya feel a bit sleepy. Tbh this is one medication I haven't had much issues with. Its pretty neutral.

It can however be abused and withdrawal is a thing. (I would look that up a bit) So, while I feel its given on a low risk basis there are some risks and quite a few personal accounts of those risks. I think theres even a specific subreddit.

Good luck if you choose to take it and I'm open to answering any questions of anything

Hello, thank you for your advice, yes mine is a low dose, yours is 900-1200mg a day, what is exactly it's use on depression? I used to like my psych, but now he's going to a road I don't wanna follow. I think the anti depressants and sleeping pills are enough for me. He's been prescribing many things over the months that I don't take. Latest was olanzapine that made me feel like a zombie, with all respect to those who need to take it. Guess your advice is more precious than any doctor. Thank you

 

[Ghost2211]

I was on it for a while for migraines, and It didn't help at all. I was on the same dose they are giving you. Remembering meds 3 times a day was annoying, and weaning off was as well. I'm glad to be done with it.

 

[Chupacabra 44]

Hello, been prescribed this medication on my last visit to the doctor, 100mg 3 times a day. Any feedback good or bad would be welcome . I'm taking 100mg x 3. Thank you.
@Chupacabra 44 sorry to tag you, but you do seem to have a lot of knowledge, hope you don't mind.

Great timing, I'm just about to post a thread about Gabapentin.

I'm on again, off again, back on again Gabapentin for the past few days, so I'm reading more about it.

Also, feel free to tag me anytime, but the past two times you've tagged me, including this one, it's not notifying me for some reason. I'll start a ticket with a mod to see if they can figure out what is up.

 

[Teal_Blue_Dreams]

I would agree that gabapentin is not a good medication. And you have every right to not want to take any more meds. I stopped taking all my psych meds almost 10 years ago and I did okay for a while but then tried to ctb in early 2019 and after that failure, I was getting pressured to seek mental help (counseling, medication) but I refused. I've been on over 30 different psych meds in my life and have had several rounds of ECT and I just didn't wanna go through any of that again. I've never been truly happy and I'm hoping to ctb soon.

Hi! May I ask how the ECT was for you?

 

[lost_soul83]

Hi! May I ask how the ECT was for you?

The process itself was easy to go through as you are unconscious and feel nothing, but it caused me to lose a lot of memories, some of which I've recovered, but not all. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[Teal_Blue_Dreams]

The process itself was easy to go through as you are unconscious and feel nothing, but it caused me to lose a lot of memories, some of which I've recovered, but not all. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it.

thanks for letting me know. i had considered this but never moved on it bc i already am experiencing unexplained memory loss. im sorry that you lost memories and am glad to hear that you recovered some.
@Pookie Nancy is going to be PISSED that you are on here and not in dance class.

 

[Aap]

Why on earth would you value random advice here more than your doctor, particularly since you don't know why it was prescribed for you. This is confirmation bias at the worst and irresponsible for anyone to say "don't take it," particularly when you yourself don't even know what it was prescribed for.

 

[Sherri]

Why on earth would you value random advice here more than your doctor, particularly since you don't know why it was prescribed for you. This is confirmation bias at the worst and irresponsible for anyone to say "don't take it," particularly when you yourself don't even know what it was prescribed for.

Hi, it was prescribed to calm me down, but I'm already on Xanax, and other things. That's why I decided not to take it. I don't want to be sedated all day with all respect to your opinion obviously. Sorry.

 

[kkatt]

A lot of addicts take pregablin and it's very addictive. But gabapentin is a different thing.
Personally,I've been prescribed just about every psych med you can imagine and I was convinced they were giving me placebos because nothing touched me. Not even chlopromazine.
The only thing that's ever worked was Melleril (Thioridazine),which has been discontinued because of adverse effects on the heart.
I usually take a med for 2 weeks then fuck it off. I find noe I'm eating and sleeping better and getting exercise,I don't actually need meds

 

[Aap]

@Sherri, give me a break. "Don't want to be sedated all day," yet you take Xanax and abuse ambien? From one addict to another, that is bullshit. You are saying you wouldn't jump on lyrica, which is more abusable than gabapentin, yet you won't take a very low dose of neurontin because it would make you sleepy?

It matters not whether you take it, but at least call a spade a spade. You came here for confirmation bias, and your reason of not wanting a very low dose of neurontin because it makes you sleepy, when you already take Xanax and ambien by the truckload, is bullshit.

 

[Sherri]

@Sherri, give me a break. "Don't want to be sedated all day," yet you take Xanax and abuse ambien? From one addict to another, that is bullshit. You are saying you wouldn't jump on lyrica, which is more abusable than gabapentin, yet you won't take a very low dose of neurontin because it would make you sleepy?

It matters not whether you take it, but at least call a spade a spade. You came here for confirmation bias, and your reason of not wanting a very low dose of neurontin because it makes you sleepy, when you already take Xanax and ambien by the truckload, is bullshit.

Hi, I don't abuse Xanax anymore, if you knew well my posts I take no more than 3 a day now. I've struggled but I got to take 2 or 3 a day. Yes also abused on ambien, but been clean for a while. Yes I'm an addict, but I'm trying my best not to get hooked on more stuff, that's why I asked for this advice I know nothing of gababentin. My doc gave me 100mg and I know what I read here and google about it, my doc didn't give me specific info about it.

 

[Sinkinshyp]

many years ago I was prescribed 2400 mg gaba a day. It didn't help at all. I have been on lyrica for years now and it works much better. Gaba has become sort of a recreational drug these days-it has a tendency to make other drugs stronger. I'll admit to digging out some old bottles of gaba and adding it into my oxy xanax anti depressant mix after my son died-until I got a seizure from it. Lyrica works great. The one side effect from Lyrica you wont like is some possible weight gain. I can tell you the benefits of lyrica are well worth it. In fact with the nerve damage in my hand my doc just increased my lyrica.

 

[KuriGohan&Kamehameha]

Lyrica made me feel really dazed and out of it, especially once I started hitting above 200mg. Not quite the same feeling as benzos for me, but more like a mix of antihistamines and alcohol. I got it to take for nerve pain and it didn't end up relieving my pain, personally, but it did make me tired and sleepy without fail.

 

[Sherri]

many years ago I was prescribed 2400 mg gaba a day. It didn't help at all. I have been on lyrica for years now and it works much better. Gaba has become sort of a recreational drug these days-it has a tendency to make other drugs stronger. I'll admit to digging out some old bottles of gaba and adding it into my oxy xanax anti depressant mix after my son died-until I got a seizure from it. Lyrica works great. The one side effect from Lyrica you wont like is some possible weight gain. I can tell you the benefits of lyrica are well worth it. In fact with the nerve damage in my hand my doc just increased my lyrica.

Thank you @Sinkinshyp , my doc only prescribed 100mg 3 times a day. im not taking it. Gonna google Lyrica. Thank you hun.

 

[Chupacabra 44]

All these meds contain differing degrees of toxicity, and in a perfect world, the objective is to be on none of these. I think it wise to question the addition of any pharmaceutical prescribed from any physician. The risks often outweigh the potential marginal efficacy in many cases, especially for the prescriptions that are more elective in nature. Meaning conditions like a type one diabetic, a schizophrenic, etc., probably has no reasonable options besides pharmaceuticals. Many other health conditions should be closely scrutinized as to the potential cost/benefit of taking a pharmaceutical.

Once you're stacking one prescription on top of another, then you're amplifying the likelihood of adverse effects both in the short and long terms. There aren't randomized, double blind, placebo controlled studies to determine long term safety of the combining of the various half dozen, or so, meds that anyone of us might be prescribed. Plus, when stacking multiple meds, it becomes near impossible to sort out what is causing what effect.

With that said, we all need to do what we need to do in order to cope. If someone needs two or three daily Xanax, then I believe this is a much better alternative than potentially to be swinging dead from the rafters. Being on a suicide forum, this seemingly could be a real possibility.

@sheri if like most, you're not inclined to do your own research, then I would politely ask your physician "what does the research show as to the efficacy of using Gabapentin or Lyrica to induce calmness". I wouldn't be surprised if your physician has no idea and is just prescribing off-label based on what he's hearing from the cute pharmaceutical rep calling on his office to increase sales. Bottom line, if your physician is unaware and can't answer your question, then this should be an epiphany for you, and should reinforce my suggestion to scrutinize their recommendations more closely.

 

[Sherri]

All these meds contain differing degrees of toxicity, and in a perfect world, the objective is to be on none of these. I think it wise to question the addition of any pharmaceutical prescribed from any physician. The risks often outweigh the potential marginal efficacy in many cases, especially for the prescriptions that are more elective in nature. Meaning conditions like a type one diabetic, a schizophrenic, etc., probably has no reasonable options besides pharmaceuticals. Many other health conditions should be closely scrutinized as to the potential cost/benefit of taking a pharmaceutical.

Once you're stacking one prescription on top of another, then you're amplifying the likelihood of adverse effects both in the short and long terms. There aren't randomized, double blind, placebo controlled studies to determine long term safety of the combining of the various half dozen, or so, meds that anyone of us might be prescribed. Plus, when stacking multiple meds, it becomes near impossible to sort out what is causing what effect.

With that said, we all need to do what we need to do in order to cope. If someone needs two or three daily Xanax, then I believe this is a much better alternative than potentially to be swinging dead from the rafters. Being on a suicide forum, this seemingly could be a real possibility.

@sheri if like most, you're not inclined to do your own research, then I would politely ask your physician "what does the research show as to the efficacy of using Gabapentin or Lyrica to induce calmness". I wouldn't be surprised if your physician has no idea and is just prescribing off-label based on what he's hearing from the cute pharmaceutical rep calling on his office to increase sales. Bottom line, if your physician is unaware and can't answer your question, then this should be an epiphany for you, and should reinforce my suggestion to scrutinize their recommendations more closely.

Thank you @Chupacabra 44 , always like to read what you write, I did do research , red the leaflet , been to drugs,com and saw that nothing of those pills could be beneficial to me. That's why as a last resort I came here to ask for people who actually take it or took it. 100mg is a very low dose, I asked him what us it for, like you said he mumbled a few non sense, if it wasn't for the advice here I would be taking olanzapine which I don't need at all. Thank you once again.

 

[AutoTap]

My dog takes gabapentin for his arthritis
My dog takes gabapentin

 

[Disappointered]

I find lyrica to be way better personally for a few reasons that might be specific to me but the main downside of gabapentin for me is the impaired speech side effect...i mean that's awful. Even if it's only subtle it's horrible to want to enunciate and realize there's something preventing it from fully happening.

 

[Sherri]

I find lyrica to be way better personally for a few reasons that might be specific to me but the main downside of gabapentin for me is the impaired speech side effect...i mean that's awful. Even if it's only subtle it's horrible to want to enunciate and realize there's something preventing it from fully happening.

Thanks sweetie. I'll ask my doc for that in the next visit. He prescribed me only 100mg though.

 

[Aap]

Since you aren't actually here for advice from anyone who knows what they are talking about, I'll leave it at this - the exchange described by chupacabra (where everyone stands up and claps at the end) will likely go like this.

Sherri: (with big gotcha smile on her face) - what is the relative efficacy difference in inducing "calmness" between neurontin and lyrica
Doctor - it is an off label usage for both, but in my practice and that of my partners, we've seen more success, fewer side effects, and less abuse of neurontin compared to lyrica
Sherri - but the side effects of neurontin
Doctor - which ones
Sherri - no idea, I haven't taken it, please switch me to lyrica
Doctor - notes history of drug abuse, labels you drug seeking

The irony of this is that if you are actually honest with your doctor (about history of drug abuse and the fact you haven't taken the neurontin), the exchange will go very similar to the above. If you are deceptive with your doctor about either of those things, you've proved my point that your rationale is bullshit and you are just wanting a more abuseable medication. Again, I don't care if that's the case, just call a spade a spade.