Alright, came back from the doctor and talked about weaning off the Gabapentin. She suggested upping the Venlafaxine ER 75mg to twice a day during this. She said that I can reduce it to once or twice a day. But I want to go as slow as I can so I'm sticking to twice a day for about two weeks before going down to one. Having being on this med for about a month it has become apparent that it is more of a hindrance and unneeded.
Do you guys think I should start halfing after two weeks instead of dropping straight to one? I know that increasing the Venlafaxine is suppose to counteract any side effects. Still I'm wondering how long I will be taking two.
How long did it take you guys before you completely stopped this medicine? Did your doctor increase your Venlafaxine while doing so?
Hello...I was one of the lucky ones when it came to stopping gabapentin I stopped cold turkey because of a mix up at the pharmacy. It took about 9 days to clear up the confusion and during that time I had withdrawal symptoms that made me feel so sick. I felt like I had a bad flu and I had some sharp pains in my head for about a week. After consulting with my doctor I had decided not to take gabapentin any longer. I didn't realize how messed up that medication made me feel until I was off of it. The one downside was that my pain level went back up but the dizziness and stoned feeling was gone. I wish I never took that med because the side effects are not worth the hassle especially the horrible weight gain I experienced over the two year period I was on the medication. That all happened last September and I haven't looked back since then. Good luck with your weaning...drink plenty water and get plenty of rest
I would taper slowly. Though maybe your Venlafaxin may help minimize withdrawal? I don’t know, I would go with doctor’s advice, provided he/she knows about gabapentin and what withdrawal can be like.
I was prescribed gaba for neuropathy. Low dose, worked up to 100mg 3x/day for couple months. Got off within a week in December. Had withdrawals but got better. 3 weeks off now and today it all came back. I hear a slow taper is best. Best wishes, you’ll get through.