Really concerned.. need advice

[JBWallace]

Hi everyone,
I am a 40 year old woman with a beautiful family.  About 8-10 years ago I injured myself and started taking hydrocodone.  I know, typical story for most of us.  Well in the last few years of course my pill consumption has spun out of control.  I was taking anywhere from 15-20 10/325 Norco's per day, sometimes more.  I have wanted to quit for a very long time and have tried many times only to go back because of the misery of withdrawals.

  Well last Monday I took one pill in the morning and had not choice but to do it again because I was out.  I was in sheer panic mode and looked around for anything that would ease the withdrawal symptoms that I knew were inevitable.  Well I remembered that I had read something about Neurontin aka Gabapentin helping other people with withdrawals.  I had a bottle from something but had never taken them.  Well I tried it.  They are 300mg pills and the bottle said take 1 3 times a day so I started doing that (this was Monday evening).  Well Tuesday arrived and although I didn't feel like doing cartwheels I wasn't bad at all but I felt very knocked in the dirt from the Neurontin. They made me so sleepy and out of it.  So I made it through the week with little to no withdrawal.  I would even lean more towards the no withdrawal which is a miracle in itself.

  Now it's 8 days later and I feel fantastic!  Better than I have felt in forever.  I have so much energy and I am myself again.  My husband is floored because he hasn't seen this girl in a very very long time.

Ok so there is my long-winded story so now for my question.  I am taking approximately 1 Gabapentin a day now and I'm wondering if it is the reason I feel this way.  If I stop taking it am I going to withdrawal again???  I do not want to substitute one for another and I certainly don't want to get addicted to this.  Thanks so much for reading and I look forward to reading your opinions!! Hang in there everyone!!!

[CWKavinRAS]

Let me start by saying congratulations and you are a very lucky person. At this point you should be fine, the withdrawals should be behind you and your receptors should be opiate free.
I am sure you will inspire lots of people that have such withdrawal fear.
Thank you for your story and stay well.

[clean_in_ks]

Congrats on Day 8!  I'm a former hydro user and also a former gabapentin person.  Gabapentin is not addictive.  I was on 300 mg/3x a day, too.
At some point in my recovery, I decided to get off every single Rx I was on and see what I would be like w/o an antidepressant, pain med, muscle relaxer or gaba for my nerve damage.  I weaned off the gabap and stopped after a week at 1 300 mg/day.  It chose to take it at night to assist with my sleep.  If it has helped you, that's really great!  I've read others who also said gabap helped them too.
The gaba receptors in your brain are assisted in their electrical functions by gabapentin.  People who take high doses (not you) should wean so they don't risk seizure.  As long as you are aware it is NOT addictive and you are doing so well at 8 days, I wouldn't stress about it at all.  
You won't go into w/drawals again should you decide to stop taking it completely, but that doesn't mean you won't feel some symptoms when you aren't feeding it to your brain anymore.  I have some and have researched it a lot.  I want to also say that at 8 days your opiate receptors are still healing....it takes much longer than 8 days, but you are well thru the worst of the physcial w/d.  Now you need to get some aftercare in place so you have support for this new way of living.  
Blessings to you~
  

[cleanguy]

gabapentin at a lower dose is OK. I know you can have some withdrawal symptoms after prolonged use. My friend went through it, but he was on quadruple what you are taking for many years! Hang in there, you are still healing!

[JBWallace]

Well I just wanted to update.  I am on day 12 and still feeling fantastic.  I am still taking a minimal dose of Gaba but I have no withdrawals whatsoever and feel the best I have in years.  I have no desire or urge to go back to taking it.  I have no idea what happened and why this was not as hard as it should have been but I am so thankful.  The joy of not having to worry and count pills and worry!! OMG it is wonderful!  I plan to go enjoy life to the fullest!

[notordinary]

Gaba can be taken up to 1800mg a day max.
I know i was giving it after surgery. The pharmacy freaked out at that dose. Told me with my hydro use not to take the max dose. No hydro's it would be fine.
That is wonderful that it has help you. Your on day 12 i would be thinking of stopping it real soon. Because you are done with: your wd's.  
Good job.  Happy for you.   Enjoy your new life..  

[worried878]

Good 4 u!  Some folks dread WDs so bad tat they make themselves sick!  Gabapentin is a safe drug and I have been taking 300mgs each nights for 10 years or more.  If i skip it, no biggie.  I am supposed to take it 3 x a day but I work and it tens to make me a lil sleepy

Keep moving 4ward!