Hello- it is been quite a while since I have posted to this forum. Just a little update, once I started taking my gabapentin 600 mg three times a day along with baclofen 10 mg three times a day my pain has gone from a 10 to a zero. I am absolutely pain-free, and have been for about two months. My question is – can I start to ween myself off my medicine ? I do not like the fact that I have gained weight on my Gabapentin(about 20 pounds give or take a few pounds, in three months). I believe I have went into a period of remission – fingers crossed. What are your opinions or experiences? I would really like to stop taking all of this medicine.
Happy dance for you, Cheyane83! I’m sure there are plenty of people here who would be thrilled to be pain free. My gut reaction to your question is that stopping those meds has to be done very very carefully and gradually. Personally, I’d want my doctor supervising the tapering and the stopping. I’m guessing s/he will have a preferred order and rate for stopping the meds.
Something else to try is to post on this thread. (I found it using the search feature.) If you ask your question there, all of the people on the thread will get a notification. You may find that some really good discussion gets stirred up again.
That said, I have no direct experience with this, but there must be somebody here who does. The bad news is that most of the people who have successful experience like yours have probably gone home and don’t visit here that often.
Seenie from Moderator Support
1 Like
The neurologist I went to, suggested if I am pain free for two weeks, cut down one pill, if I am pain free another two weeks then cut down again and so on. So far I have not been pain free a week. Every day or so I get a small shock and sometimes it escalates into discomfort.
I think it is working the opposite for me.
WOW-pain-free.
Me-I would love one pain free hour to remind me what it feels like
Congrats.
Cheyane,
That is fantastic to hear! I am so happy for you. I don’t have any feedback on tapering, other than check with your doctor and go slow, but thanks so much for checking back and giving an update. Makes me think about trying gabapentin again…
Cheyane, are you there? Doing OK?
Thanks everyone for the well wishes! I am going to try to slowly play with my dose and see if the pain resurfaces. I really hope I am ok remission, it would be a fantastic thing for me. This time (most recent time I came out of remission) was the worst pain I ever had with this disease. Fingers (and toes) crossed. Haha.
Also-- even if I am pain free, I will continue to be as active as I can on this wonderful site. I have received so much great advice and so many people seem to really care and understand. I like being a part of that. Thank you all! 
️
2 Likes
I’m on the same regimine of gab, but can’t stomach baclofen. I take citalipram as an antidepressant, topiramate for headache/tn pain/antidepressant. Also take lorazepam, vitamin D (since I don’t get enough sunshine). I have tried the weening off bit with gab. Nope. But what does help is to work some of the pills at different intervals. Sometimes I take one of my afternoons late morning and the rest at the regular time. Changes like that. As for weight gain, I dropped 20 pounds fast after getting off baclofen. Gab may have initially cause weight gain, but dropping baclofen and getting on topiramate seemed to change my body’s metabolism. Baclofen works for many, but it made me sick.
Thanks for the hint about baclofen. I’m tired of being fat and always hungry.
Everybody’s body responds differently. Mine dropped weight once I got onto topiramate. The baclofene was an ugly thing for me though. Hate, hate, hated it. I think it was a weight gainer for sure, cause I always felt sick to my stomach on it. The topiramate helped me feel much better. The gab probably evened out after awhile after my mind and body became used to it. No, let me say, gab became what my body expected. I don’t like gab, but it is so far working well for me and to get off it would be very difficult. I prefer the no pain to the weening off. The future brings who knows what, so if it works now, great.
Great for you! I started taking Gabapentin a week ago and haven’t had any pain free days yet…but I am only taking 600mg total so maybe my doctor will increase my dosage so that I can be pain free.
hi there cheyane93
I was told to cut back on medication it went fine for a couple of weeks then hello pain was back ! so slowly building up again,I’ve decided. To wait a good6-8months before I try again as the pain is devastating ,so I’d like to know how you get on ,but wish you well
I wish you luck. Everytime I have tried to taper, I cut it down and about 5-7 days later I start having pain again. I also have to go through that sedation phase again to restart my Gab. Everyone is different, hope you are successful. Summer months are my best success yet! Good Luck!