Has Anyone Had Experience with Neurontin for Opiate Withdrawal?

[ColleenToQuit]

I've read Neurontin works to relieve some opiate withdrawal symptoms. Does anyone have any experience with this? If so how many milligrams a day did/do you take and how long does it take for the Neurontin to start working? I'm currently taking about 70mg of hydrocodone/day and I want to stop. I hate being on opiate painkillers for so long. I have a prescription for 100mg of gabapentin to take 3x a day. Does anyone know how much to take for cold turkey opiate withdrawal? And should I let the gabapentin build up in my body before I stop taking the hydro? From what I've read gabapentin works like a neurotransmitter reuptake accelerator/inhibitor and needs to build up in the system for a few days before it works to its full potential.

[JmeLynn79]

Hello Everyone, I just wanted to add my 2 cents being I am 20 days clean off of Suboxone's and am currently taking the Neurontins to help with the WithDrawls. I was never addicted to painpills or heroin but got addicted to the Suboxones it's self. I got into a Suboxone clinic and ended up being on them for 3 yrs and 4 months, I always kept myself at one a day never abusing them Thank God, anyways I was born and raised in Pittsburgh 34 yrs and just currently moved to Florida I didn't do my research before coming hear and I came to find out they don't cover suboxones down hear on medical or the script so I was looking at spending 600 a month just to stay on them. I ended up quitting them cold turkey. My sister gave me a whole bottle of Neurontins to help with the Withdrawal and I seriously thought they weren't helping until I went one day without taking them and felt like Death that day. They definitely do help and would be lost with out them. I have the 300 mlg I take 3 as soon as I wake up and 3 more towards the evening.  I plan to stop taking the Neurontins after a month because that's when I was told the Suboxones should be out of my system?

[witchdoctor5]

I was on 70- 100mg of oxy a day.  30mg 2x/day of cotin and 10mg of percs/day for breakthrough pain. I found that GABA helped me with my wd symtoms totally by accident.  My doc gave me gaba to help me get deep sleep at night bc I'm an insomniac  from my PTSD.  GABA was a great alt to the ambien and I got off that with no prob.  Well I told my doc I also wanted to stop taking meds, and he told me to taper.  Well after 3 years of taking oxy it's not really possible to taper unless you have an incredible amount of self control and mental strength to go through the pain.  I dumped the taper after a week and just took them until I ran out.  I took the gaba the night I ran out and had no wd symptoms.  I didn't feel 100% but I wasn't dying like I had before when I'd run out.  1200mg every 12hrs subdued my wd.  Still had loose stool, but it wasn't more 2 times a day.  Much better than going every 3 hrs lol.  After 5 days I stopped 1200mg dose during the AM and started taking Procera AVH and B4 (fat burner not vitamin)  You can find both of those at GNC.  After taking those two when I woke up everyday I got my "drive" back and I'm not caring or worrying about the pain as much bc I simply don't care about it as much.  I'm still taking ibuprofen 800 twice a day for my pain and tylenol when it gets bad.  GABA will NOT help with phycological wd.  That is something you'll have to help with yourself.  I wanted to be off the pills and knew if I didn't I would die from either an od or gasto perfs.  I overcame it psychologically by telling myself I was better without them and stronger than my pain.  the Procera and B4 will help with the psychological part as well.  They are both cognitive enhancers.  The B4 is more of a stimulant used for preworkouts, but it's worked great for this.  I've been off oxy for a month.  Even had the bad dreams where I couldn't get my script filled. lol  I feel so much better without them.  I still want them, but I KNOW I don't need them.  Unless you are bed ridden with pain still after wd then you don't need them either.  You can manage without them.  Make sure you're getting out of the house and going on walks too.  Expect to have night sweats for a few weeks from your testosterone lvls coming back to normal.  You'll be ok and you'll feel like you have climbed everest after you've made it a month.  Also if you don't tell your docs that you want off of them then you'll allow yourself to fall back into it.  Knowing my doc isn't going to give me anymore is a big help too.  Also don't go put a nail through your hand to get the stuff in the er.  Just go for a walk instead.  I know ppl who have done that crap before when they were having second thoughts.   Stay strong and stay strong off opiates!!!  

P.S.  I don't know if my gaba dosage will work for anyone over 100mg of oxy a day.  If your over a 100mg consistently a day then you might have to up the dose of gaba.  Make sure you talk to your doc.  Let him know you want to get off it bc of the wd symptoms you had one time you ran out early.  Putting it that way will keep the drug seeker stamp off your file, and give your docter the green light to help you off them.  Win-Win!!  

[craycray60]

After reading your story I admire you.  I thought I had a brain disorder.  I am almost 60 years old and in the past have been on Vicodin for almost 2 years straight.  I did not know at the time I was withdrawing.  For approximately 1 month, I remember kissing my husband Goodbye in the morning, and then going back to bed.  Not eating or drinking anything all day.  Lost @ 30 lbs.  That was then, and this is now..... I gained all the weight back, but for 8 months I have been seeing a PM doctor getting lumbar & cervical facet & now radiofrequency injections due to my entire spine is a mess.  I see a therapist.  The drugs that I am taking you will not believe:  PM=gabapentin 300mg 2x per day, Tizanadine 2x per day for spasms, I was on 2mg of dialaudid 5x per day but he now prescribed a Fentanyl Patch 25mcg every 72 hours ( which I stopped after putting on the 2nd patch as directed and feeling like my heart was going to explode out of my chest).... therapist prescribes : duluxatine (cymbalta) 25mg 2x per day & zanex for my anxiety/panic attacks.
Since I no longer have the opioids I became so depressed and I did not know why.  I cried all day and stayed in bed.  Today, I realized before handing in my dialaudid to the PM doctor, I saved about 8 - 2mg pills.  I woke up depressed again today and remembered I had those pills and took 2- 2mg pills and I feel so much better.  I have a PCP appt. in 2 days and I NEED TO GET OFF THESE MEDS.  I have 3 grandchildren and twin daughters who all live in VA, I am in NY. I want to feel like myself without all of these meds.  I want to be alive and well to see them graduate college.

[monicanmark2013]

Hi I was just responding to the gabapentin. I used heroin and opiates for many years and after I derided by doctor put me on gabapentine. He gradually upped my dose. Now I take 1200mg 3X a day. You can take up to 4000mg. However I do take more. I take one big dose of the 600's in the morning and then pop 2 or 3 every few hours. Need less to say, I think it is the wonder drug for getting off opiates. Good luck :)

[Hamma86]

I am currently on about 120mg of Oxy/Hydro a day for two days but have been on as much as 250mg a day over the past week until two dys ago.  I want off these meds badly and have a taper schedule I'm following over the next 7-10 days.  I have read that neurontin will help with withdrawals.   I can go without any opiate for 12-13 hours without feeling any withdrawal symptoms.  Very surprising to me.  I started taking Neurontin 200mg during the day and 300mg at night yesterday.  I'm not sure if this is why I haven't felt w/d yet.  Does anyone know what the dose of neurontin should be and or how long should I take?   I have about 15 days worth of neurontin using the doses I mentioned.  Thank you all for your help and good luck!  

[Gottaquitnow]

Thanks for all of the comments. I am hooked on 30mg Oxycodone and I can't take it anymore. I got a script for neurontin and I am hoping it will help me get out of this hell. It ***** more than anything I have ever encountered.

Thank you all for making me realize I am not alone!

Frank

[Dizaster]

Agree with this.. Lethargy and Chills are still there, along with sweating a lot, but otherwise it really does help take the edge off...   If used along with Catapres to calm your heart rate/blood pressure, and Loperamide for upset stomach, it will see you through the worst of Withdrawals... Helped me HUGELY with restlessness that kept me from sleeping 3 nights in a row... Expect insomnia for quite a while, which Catapres is your long term friend in that respect, and slowly bring down the dosage of that over weeks, or even months (very limited, if any, side effects compared to other drugs you can get to help you sleep, so okay to take long term)...
My suggestion is to take 100mg 3 times per day as suggested, but in honesty with the hell kicks in, you may need to bump your dose each time to 300mg, 500mg, etc  The first day or 2 taking gaba has the most side effects, which isn't so bad as they counteract WD nicely, but do ease into taking them to know how your body reacts... But don't fear taking high doses if needed to get you through the worst of your pain... And don't stop taking them suddenly or dropping back down doses to drastically.. Slowly ease of them, even if you feel your Withdrawals from the Opiates is gone...