So I am taking 1200 mg per day gabapentin for TN Type 2. Started a month ago at 300 a day and tapered up. On 1200 last 10 days to two weeks. Need to stop as ankles swelling badly (reminds me of when I was pregnant 25 years ago LOL), plus hate how it makes me feel anyway. I was going to taper slowly, like 900 a couple days, 600 a couple days, 300 a couple and then nothing. Asked doctor, and nurse says take 300 twice a day for two days and then stop completely. That seems way fast to me, but I have only been on the drug just shy of a month. And I assume the doctor knows what he’s talking about, but doesn’t that seem kind of quick to you guys? It will be interesting how my pain reacts. I still am in pain, but the location is more tolerable–not sure meds did that so much as my pain is always a moving target. Though I think it has abated a bit on the drug. Not worth it to feel so foggy, and the edema freaks me out.
They tell us our meds aren’t habbit forming and don’t give you withdrawal sort of side effects , well I felt horrible . Don’t be surprised if you do to . It will pass , good luck
OMG – that is WAY TOO FAST! You’ll put yourself in withdrawal. You need to come off the med as slowly (if not slower) than you went onto it.
It sounds like you have 300mg caps? I suggest dropping 300mg every 2 weeks until you’re back off the med.
I’m on gabepentin as well, I titrated onto it and maintain it with no side effects but had withdrawal immediately upon lowering my daily dose by just 100mg, which, as it turns out, seems not to be unusual. I had to do some digging to find this withdrawal symptom so I want to give you heads up: gabapentin can give you chills… you’ll be sitting around doing nothing and break out in goose pimples… it’s very odd but harmless. And it may not happen to you at all. Take it easy and take it slow as you come off it.
I took only 600 yesterday and was fine. And my ankles have pretty much come back and the edema is 90% gone. I took 300 this morning and will do 300 tonight,and then tomorrow nothing per doctor’s instructions. If I have issues (other than the tired feeling I have now, which I can cope with), I’ll take 300 a day for couple days. Thanks for heads up on the weird chilled feeling, as I would have worried if it happened and you had not mentioned it. I so much appreciate your help. So I will return to unmedicated. I see a neurosurgeon the 5th of April and am hoping that he will address the issue with me more effectively than the neurologist did, as to medications available, etc. On an unrelated note, my 24-year-old has been facing undiagnosed medical issues for almost a year, with terrible neglect by practitioners, and we finally found a fabulous doctor who has restored our faith! Too bad for me he’s not a neuro but “only” a general surgeon.