Hi Adamo,

The effects you describe all sound like symptoms of anxiety to me. The good news is it does not sound as though you are seizing. If you should have symptoms like acute nausea, visual disturbances (things looking real big, real small, tilted), strong foul smells, or anything else you cannot explain, please call your doctor right away. It is clear that you are very sensitive to this medication.

Gabapentin and anticonvulsants in general are not considered addicitive in the usual sense. However, these and other "non-addictive" drugs do induce neurochemical changes that do not reverse spontaneously, so a slow suspension is required to avoid seizures. The rate of dose reduction depends on individual sensitivity. Anxiety and agitation are possible adverse effects during reduction.

However, I'd be very, very, leary of trying to "lessen" symptoms by introducing another drug. The only drugs I can think of that might help would be:

1. a different anticonvulsant, which might not help with the anxiety, however
2. a benzodiazepine like Klonopin -- VERY addictive, even in the "standard" sense

So basically, yes, I see a high risk of trading one "addiction" for another in your case. Your doctor might have other suggestions, however.

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Personally, I think your best bet is to go more slowly, just as Glenntaj described. Reducing every 3 days is apparently still too fast for you. You probably need a week, perhaps more, between decreases.

You might try this -- after each dosage decrease:

1. See how long it takes you to get comfortable at the new dosage
2. Once comfortable, wait the the same amount of time again, symptom free, before going down again.

The idea is to hold still at each new dose for twice the amount of time it took you to feel ok.

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That is super that the objective exams confirmed that the Valley Fever remitted!

Good luck with this discontinuation quest. I'll check back on you.

waves

p.s. You might want to see a different doctor. You said this guy prescribed gabapentin for your "mental state"? To my knowledge, it is not a first-line medication (or even approved!) for any "mental" state. Was there also a pain management situation involved?