Symptoms: Akathisia, insomnia, suicidal ideation, neuropathy, severe anxiety/panic, internal vibrations, vision problems, muscle twitches, paresthesia
At the end of 2021, I developed long Covid neuropathy. Because this symptom started to interfere with my life, I reached out to my primary care physician, and he wrote me a prescription for the drug gabapentin. Having never heard of this medication before, I assumed it was like taking ibuprofen for nerve-related issues.
I slowly increased up to 300 mg over three weeks, and after about six weeks, I was told that I could jump up to 600 mg with no issue. Immediately after reaching 600 mg, I started experiencing blurry vision and panic attacks. I thought to myself that this drug was not for me. I reached out to my new neurologist and told him I wanted to stop it, and he assured me I could stop since I had only been on the medication for roughly two months.
I stopped gabapentin on Christmas Day of 2021. About 7 to 10 days after stopping, I started experiencing myoclonic jerks, muscle twitching, suicidal thoughts, insomnia, and akathisia.
Desperate for answers, I turned to the internet. While searching on Facebook, I came across a group called "Lyrica Survivors." I was shocked by what I found. Thousands of people were sharing their struggles with coming off gabapentin or Lyrica. I shared what I was experiencing, and through the guidance and encouragement of others in the group, I decided to reinstate gabapentin at 200 mg per day, 100 mg in the morning and 100 mg in the evening. Within about a week, I began to feel more stable.
I was eager to get off the medication. Since I had only been taking it for a few months, I felt confident trying another dosage reduction just two weeks after stabilizing at 200 mg. I assumed dropping from 200 mg to 100 mg would be manageable. Everything I found online seemed to support that approach. I was not stopping abruptly this time, so I believed I would be fine. I was wrong again.
The rest of my story can be found on the Mad in America website. I decided to share my story about gabapentin in September of 2022 because I wanted to save others from enduring what I had. My story now has over 215,000 views on the Mad in America website.
Almost four years have passed since I stopped gabapentin, and I still deal with issues daily. Unfortunately, I have had other medication issues during this time as well.
Because I have felt so isolated and alone during withdrawal, I decided to start helping support others going through withdrawal. I have been running a withdrawal coaching website for some years now, providing affordable support to those going through this nightmare. My goal is to help others dealing with protracted withdrawal symptoms for as long as I can.
The best way to describe psychiatric drug withdrawal is hell on Earth. I have lost both of my parents over the last few years, and watching them die is not even comparable to the nightmare of withdrawal.