Withdrawl from neurontin is not going well:(
 

Been nauseated with hot flasses since yesterday afternoon. Maybe the neuro is having me cut too much too quickly. I have to leave in a half an hour and drive to Indianapolis (two hours) to pick up my sister and niece. I have really been looking forward to their arrival and now I feel lousy. And it is storming out right now. :mad:

Yes, I am feeling sorry for myself. I actually took my normal dose of neurontin this moring thinking I would taper it a bit more slowly. I remeber only adding one pill every five days when I was increasing my dosage and he has me cutting three pills a day in five days.

I'd decrease it exactly as I increased it. Very slowly.

I hope you feel better. :hug: I know how much you were looking forward to your sister and niece visiting. Maybe put off weaning the meds until after they leave?

:I-Agree:

If you are having a very hard time with the speed of the withdrawl, I would cut back more slowly. I would hate for you to miss a wonderful family visit because an MD is in a hurry.

Feel Better! :hug:

How have you been withdrawing the Neurontin? How many pills are you eliminating and how often?

What did your doctor say to so?

I have been taking 900 mg, three times per day (2700 mg total). He told me to take 600 mg three times per day for five days and then 300 mg, three times per day for five days and then nothing. I am feeling a bit better today. I took the 900 mg this morning and 600 mg this afternoon.

i vaguely remember going up slowly and coming off very slowly. i would cut back more slowly too and call the dr on mon to get his advice.

i hope you enjoy their visit.

In my book, that is way too fast.,,sheesh!!!!

Is there a possibility of your Doc giving you a small amount of Elivil while you are coming down off of neuronton?

When I was coming off of paxil, I was taking a small amount of Prozac and I had no problem with withdrawal. Of course, I don't know if these meds work that way or not??

Just stopped in to leave you a BIG HUG! :hug: Feel better! :)

Barb, it's tough. I was only ever on 600 of Neurontin at top dose, when I decreased, even slowly, I found the withdrawal of it difficult.

Like the others have mentioned, slow and slower if the side effects are quite bad.

Glad you decided to taper off more slowly. Sheesh! That is a big drop he had you do. :eek:

I must be the weird one here.....I virtually stopped taking Neurontin cold turkey and never had the first withdrawl sx. I've done that with other meds and never had a problem. Guess I'm just "special"......:o :p

I hope it gets easier for you, Barb. And I hope your visit with your sister and niece is enjoyable. If you feel you need to taper off more slowly then go with what feels right to you and then advise your doctor of your decision.

I have followed the doctor's suggestion today, and so far the nausea has stayed away. The burning in my head has gotten a bit worse. I am looking forward to when I am off this "evil" drug and trying the next one.:rolleyes: I am having lots of fun with my niece, but I am definitely going to be worn out by the end of the week.

She wants to know if I have a Scooby Doo on my computer. She is obsessed with Scooby. I just ordered a movie from Netflix for her.

I was on 3600 mg a day. I decreased one 300 mg capsule a week. Mostly from the a.m. dosing first. So I wasn't so dopey during the day. It took over 6months to do this. I worked out a schedule and stuck to it. I was so happy when I didn't need the last nightly dosage.

It wasn't helping for purposes intended anymore. I took it for 6 years. I started at 100 mg at night, then 200 mgs a night. Then I started the day dosages per my MS doctor.

I had containers of 100 mg capsules, and 300 mgs tablets, I think. Maybe some 600 mgs too. So I could vary them. He gave them out by the bucketful, in script to me.

I tried to stay at 1800 mgs unless I relapsed, and then I upped it slowly as needed. Then I tried to wean off completely. I did it. No withdrawal feelings. I did this between my old doctor and my new MS doctor.

I never told the old one I was doing this. My new MS doctor said good, I am glad you went off it. That surprised me.

Tapered down again today and once again I am dealing with major nausea, and just feel out of sorts. I wish I would have done this before my sister and niece came to visit. I am really tired and my sister just does not seem to get it because she says she is tired too. Went to the mall this morning and got back at 4:30. I layed down for a half hour but could not relax. I took 600 mg this morning and 300 this afternoon. I will take 300 tonight and then try 300 mg three times tomorrow. This is the pits!

I tapered off 100mg every week until I got to zero.

You should not be feeling the withdrawal. You are going too fast.

Take the 300 dose every 5 or 6 hours, 3 times like you said. So 900 mg a day for a few weeks. Keep the time you take it at the same time each day. It is strong medicine.

If you have caplets you can cut them in half later on when decreasing. Or ask you Neuro for the 100 mg capsules so you can go down slowly. Like now taking 3-100 mgs pills, 3 x a day. Same thing.

I was on 3600 mg a day. I dropped the 300 dosage a few times slowly but toward the end part like where you are now 1200 mgs, I lowered it by using the 200 mg for a quite a while and then by using the 100 mgs capsules.

Ex. When you get to the 200 mg 3 x a day for a while, then do 1x 100 mg and 2 x 200 mg a day. You have to change the dosage to low and equal mgs. Then you can start changing the 3x, to 2x, a day. Don't try to do both the times and the dosage.

Believe me your body craves that darn drug. It is habit forming. Go slow.

If you have a question please ask your doctor. I might have mixed you up with these dosages I just quoted. Good Luck.

I have been computer free for two weeks while visiting family. I am still dealing with issues. I have been off neurontin completely for two weeks. I know that my neuro had me come off too quickly. I am still dealing with some nausea and stomach pains. I also seem to be getting more hot flashes which makes the burning sensation worse. I also have been dizzy alot lately, but I do not know if that is due to the lack of neurontin, a sinsu infection or the other drug (elivil) that I tried for one week. I could not handle it.

I am sorry this is still going on. :hug:

I am just seeing this and am happy you didn't face any horrible side effects from coming off that med so fast. I say that because Jim faced head on 30 seizures from gabapentin withdrawl. Some resident decided to take him off it when he was in kidney failure and forgot to mention this to his neuro. I am so happy to hear this wasn't your case. :hug:

Aw Barb, sometimes I hate the meds we have to take and the side effects, both while on them and then trying to come off too. :(

I hope you'll feel better soon and hope they'll find a med that will be tolerable. :hug:

I take Cymbalta and it helps as a mild AD and also a bit with pain, only 30 mg which is a low dose.

Wiz -- I tried cymbalta a few years ago and could not handle the nausea. One good point to going off the neurontin is that I have lost 12 pounds in three weeks. Going to see pcp tomorrow about sinus issues...

Wondering what the PCP said about the neurontin issues and your sinuses? :hug:

Gave me a prescription for antibiotics. Gave me the impression that I tapered down more quickly than she would have recommended but would not directly say so. Nuasea could be due to sinus issues.

Leaving some Feel Better hugs for you, Barb. :hug::hug::hug:

Me too, feel better soon..:hug::hug:

:hug: hug for ya.

barb,
So maybe your problem was not withdrawal from Neurontin too fast, but definitely a sinus infection, they linger if untreated.

I think ABX (anti-B's) will do the trick for you. I hope you feel better very soon.

Congratulations on getting off the Neurontin when it wasn't helping you any longer.:)