2 replies to this topic

[foreseason]

I'm looking for a little help from you smart folks out there who understand brain chemistry way better than I do....

 

About 5 years ago I was prescribed gabapentin as a "safe, non addictive" alternative for anxiety.  Like so many medications, this turned out to be far from the truth.  .  As a recovering drug addict, I can attest that gabapentin withdrawal is easily up there with benzos and opiates.  A google search of gabapentin withdrawal will bring up countless horror stories from people trying to stop taking it. 

 

However, there are a handful of accounts which claim that supplementing a lot of magnesium (orally, epsom salt baths, magnesium oil) can greatly lessen or eliminate gabapentin withdrawal symptoms.  Apparently it attaches to the same receptor site as gabapentin???

 

So my question is:  Could memantine help with gabapentin withdrawals in a similar manner?  

 

From what I understand, memantine and magnesium are similar in a lot of ways and in mechanism of action.  Memantine also has a very long half life (60-100 hours)  Could memantine play a role in lessening my gabapentin withdrawals? Or, am I way off base here?

 

 

 

 

[Duchykins]

Why did you stop taking it suddenly?

 

Perhaps memantine could help, since part of your problem right now is partly uncontrolled glutamatergic activity.  It's not a replacement for magnesium though.

 

 

You should add some support to the taper, like magnesium & potassium, taurine, GABA itself (yes it works because getting through the BBB is not the primary mechanism of action), some calming teas, probiotics (gut flora secrete GABA and other neurotransmitters; your gut is chock full of GABA, serotonin, etc receptors).  

 

However, nothing is going to be as effective as properly tapering of off this drug.  I cannot wholly recommend anything other than that.  That is the safest and least miserable way to do it.

 

Good luck.

Edited by Duchykins, 05 August 2015 - 04:26 PM.

[foreseason]

Why did you stop taking it suddenly?

 

 

I  haven't.  I still plan on weaning off of it.  However, anything that would help the process a bit so it doesn't take another 6 months would be nice.  I'm just so eager to stop taking this crap.