Endless withdrawal from benzos and pregabalin

I found that magnesium helps me with sleep. It's such a difficult slog to get off of the benzos!

I am tapering on liquid form and at 180 mg gabapentin or 1.2 ml 3 times a day in equal parts. I am on a Facebook site for support and tapering lessons. I take l-theanine for anxiety at night plus it helps me sleep. I take mindfulness classes every Monday night. I did bloodwork today to see what vitamins I'm depleted in but have to time the supplementation properly so as not to reduce the effectiveness of the low dose of gabapentin. I do all this, yet I still have anxiety and so many other symptoms. It's not a drug of addiction unless you abuse it which i did not. It is a drug of dependency and messes with the neurotransmitters of the brain. I have never been above 400 mgs in the 2.5 years but I am suffering and taking hostages too. The doctors, including the neurologist that put me on this crap, are clueless so I am my own best advocate here. Gabapentin does not mix with benzo's or opiates and I've had to endure 2 major surgeries since October last year on Tylenol because I have breathing issues
This is just a quick summary of the hell I am going through, but my point is I keep fighting and I encourage you to do the same.

As an RN this makes me mad. Medicine 101. benzodiazepines very addictive. Watch the Netflix special on these drugs and how patients got themself off. Don’t despair. You literally have to wean down super slow and planned.

I had a really good Doc one time. I asked for just a few Ativan for some situation creating anxiety. She said no…not the answer as they are addictive. Thought she was going a bit overboard but she was right!

Hi. This is my first time here and or even on this post. @chaos I hope you’re well. I am two years into tapering from benzodiazepines and I’m 36 and I feel like I’ve lived in a war zone in my own body for so long. I hope with all of my heart that you are doing well and have found some peace.

@wildfirefly You dodged a real bullet even though it may have been disappointing at the time. My MD handed that poison out like candy and the withdrawal was rough.

Yes, they are. Neurontin (Gabapentin) is as well. Although I won't die from Gabapenting withdrawal, it made me extremely agitated and like I wanted to jump out of my skin. I have been on Gabapentin for almost 6 years now. I thought a couple of years ago, that I would just stop taking it. I wasn't informed that that was a bad idea. Figured it out around day 2. As a recovering addict, there are lots of medications that are "addictive", but the only two things I know will kill me are benzos and alcohol (withdrawal wise). I remember when they thought it was ok to just hand out xanax and other benzos. It has gotten some better but I also know that doctors are humans and some have their own addiction issues.

Thank you for your response. Good news, I hope, for sleep! RLS Foundation is asking Congress to assist in getting a bill geared toward SLEEP, or lack there of. The important thing now is that everyone is starting to realize how very important sleep is. I have spent so much time researching RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME, RLS. I am now reading lots of medical journals that are recommending LORAZEPAM. Very strange, I have had RLS, which is hereditary, my brother has it and my niece has it. I too just recently have been prescribed Trazodone. Had bad side effects. Then they prescribed Tramadol, and Codeine, to try. Codeine made me feel terrible! The Tramadol has worked! For the first time in so many many years I slept 5 hours. The bad side is addiction, as is with Codeine, and Trazodone. I keep thinking if I can continually get more hours of sleep, I will break this cycle of the 3 hours. Many Medical Journals recommend Clonazepam for SLEEP, the generic for Klonopin, which is very expensive. Hang in there, we have no other choices.

I am just now seeing this. I sincerely hope things have improved for you. I have been off Lorazepam since June 21, 2022, tapered with Clonazepam. Had a psychotic break when I stopped the Lorazepam, I was prescribed it for 17 years. My body was very angry with me, of course my sleep drastically dropped to 3 hours a night. Now, after 3-1/2 years off Lorazepam, I am now prescribed another drug to help me sleep, Tramadol. Not a good drug, but I am desperate, fortunately I have slept 5 hours for 3 nights now. I am being cautious because it is very addictive. Just want to break the 3 hour each night that has existed for 3-1/2 years. I have been prescribed all these different drugs which are for Parkinson's Disease. Some think it is a form of Parkinson's.

What are you tapering off of? Ive never heard tapering with gabapentin. What is theanine, never heard of that, and MAYO has underlined it in red? Fact is I think tapering is a new thing to Dr's. They prescribed me the incorrect dose to taper off the Lorazepam, it turned my whole life upside down. I kept telling the Dr. I am still going through withdrawal, her response, NO YOU CAN'T BE. What does a body do then, just suffer, my friend. I was taking Lorazepam 6MG every night for more than 10 years, I was tapered with Clonazepam .50MG, it should have been 3MG, thus my protracted withdrawal. I didn't find out til 12 months after I tapered. I asked Walgreens about my horrible dry mouth and other terrible symptoms after taper and he asked me questions about my dose from tapering. He was shocked when I told him. The only good news right now I have is, my Neurologist prescribed Tramadol for sleep, after several other drugs did not work, and it has worked for a few days now. I can't tell you how excited I am because I have slept for 5 hours, and for a few days. My wish is for me to be able to stop researching about Restless Legs Syndrome and printing, and searching and printing. My worry with the Tramadol which is an opioid, is going through a taper. I want to just break the cycle of 3 hrs, finger crossed I can do this.