My nickname has always been "Doc", and when my spine deteriorated (degenerative disc disease) and left me in chronic pain, Dr. Smith's catchphrase (to my warped sense of humor) seemed a natural, and has helped me deal with it.

I stuck gabapentin out for a month, then stopped due to the side effects I described (post #29). I know I didn't use anything to attenuate, and I tapered within a week. I was in a lot of pain at the time, and since the gabapentin wasn't helping it, the pain may have masked or overridden some or all of any withdrawal, if there was any. It was hell just to be on the stuff, so getting off of it was a relief, and I still felt foggy/unable to think properly for a few weeks afterward—maybe another month.

I have some cognitive trouble, and I'm a little slower than I used to be. I have difficulty with vocabulary, usage, grammar, and expressing myself. I don't write/communicate like I used to; I know that I know the words—I just can't always find/call them up like I used to, or decide on one, so I use a lot of slashes /. I thought it was just middle age—at least I hope so.

Doc