G@bapentin/preg@balin for anxiety?

[thegreaseman]

Has anyone been prescribed either of these two medications for anxiety? I just am now seeing a new psychiatrist and she prescribed me 2 300 mg g@bapentin 3x a day when needed for anxiety. She expressed her reluctance to prescribe benz0s. If you have taken this before did it help you with anxiety? What is the addiction potential like? Any nasty side effects? I know tinnitus is one. Thank you.

[Glousck]

There have been studies conducted in which Preg in particular was shown to reduce both social anxiety and Generalosed Anxiety Disorder as much as commonly prescribed benzos and with less risk of unwanted sedation or memory issues at prescribed low doses. There will always be those who will choose benzos over Preg/Gab, whether that's because they suit their needs better or they are drawn towards the more sedating effects alongside anxiolytic relief. 

There is still a lot about Preg&Gab that we don't know about yet, for example the study I referre to earlier only assessed the benefits felt by participants of the study after a week which is very short term. On every leaflet in a pack of benzos there's a warning saying that they should not be taken for more than two weeks fore dependence starts. Benzos mechanism of action is through the upregulation of the GABAa part of your brain whilst PReg/Gab work on the upregulation of the GABAb side of things. The law of physics tells is what goes up must come down and that is important to keep in mind for the future. 

Please remember that none of us at IOP are here to judge you or tell you what to do - in fact I'm happy for you that you managed to a Psych appointment when you have anxiety, I know myself how daunting it can be! There have even been times when I've had to cancel my PDoc appointments because the thought of seeing him and being in a hospital setting was too overwhelming to even contemplate. Thankfully I have a much more understanding psych who works in a GP surgery close to my home, instead of the previous guy who was an hours train ride away from me and an hour back! Anyway, be proud of yourself for not just getting to the appointment but also being brave enough to sit down, talk about how you were feeling and open up your emotions which can be a draining experience. But you did it! You showed yourself that you are one tough cookie who knows that asking for help is always the right thing to do. Going forward, you can use this an an example if you ever need to ask for help that you are so very capable of being able to do so. You'd be surprised by just how ksny people want to help others in this world - although I know with anxiety it can often feel like the opposite. But anyway, well done you

Unlike antidepressants, Preg/G@ba don't take weeks or months to come into effect so your PDoc is spot on when he says take them as needed. From experience when my family member was prescribed them (I'll share her experience below) it took about half an hour to an hour to start feeling dissipation . if you are taking standard doses as prescribed this will minimise the risk of you running into any problematic side effects or potential dependence issues. The issues with these meds arise when a patient finds themselves itaking a higher dose than they were initially prescribed and proceeding to be in the unfortunate situation in which their body and brain requires the newly increased dose until the end of the day. With any medication, it must be treated with respect and caution so that we can use them to control our health, instead of allowing them to control us. I am slightly annoyed that your doctor didn't go through the list of side effects with you though, he/she has a responsibility of care to ensue you are informed as possible about any chemicals you put into your body. They are certsinly nowhere near as addictive as benzos but they still possess habit-forming qualities both physically and psychologically. Here is a list of side effects I found on G@bapentin:

Common side effects

These common side effects may happen in more than 1 in 100 people. They're usually mild and go away by themselves.
Keep taking the medicine but talk to your doctor if these side effects bother you or don't go away:

• tiredness or feeling sleepy
  
  
• dizziness or losing your co-ordination
  
  
• feeling sick or vomiting
  
  
• getting more infections than usual
  
  
• memory problems
  
  
• mood changes
  
  
• swollen arms and legs
  
  
• blurred vision
  
  
• dry mouth
  
  
• difficulties for men getting an erection
  
  
• weight gain - gabapentin can make you feel hungry
  

Serious side effects
Very few people taking gabapentin have serious problems.
Tell a doctor straight away if you have a serious side effect, including:

• thoughts of harming or killing yourself - a small number of people taking gabapentin have had suicidal thoughts, they can happen after only a week of treatment
  
  
• yellowing of your skin or whites of your eyes - these may be warning signs of jaundice
  
  
• unusual bruises or bleeding - these may be warning signs of a blood disorder
  
  
• long-lasting stomach pain, feeling sick or vomiting - these may be warning signs of an inflamed pancreas
  
  
• muscle pain or weakness and you are having dialysis treatment because of kidney failure
  

This list was devised by official NHS advice and guidelines so it's one of the most trustworthy sources you'll find as when putting together information on these meds because unlike certain American doctors or UK Private Practices who are in bed with pharmaceutical reps.0, the NHS gives out invaluable data because they are unbiased towards or against any drug. When you look through their website you will son realise their intention is to educate the public, not to sell anything to you or rob you blind whilst you're looking the other way. I would highly recommend reading everything they have to say regarding G@bapentin at:  

I'll add an anecdotal point of view from the perspective of my Mums experience to this thread to give a real life example of how these meds are helpful yet harmful if not treated with respect by those prescribing them, those taking them, or a combination of both. I may be biased but in this instance I believe the blame lies 100% on her GP. This doesn't make him a bad person, he obviously thought what he was doing was helping her but he should have educated himself on the long-term effects of prescribing G-pentin before his patient had to go through hell and back coming off them as a result of his lack of care and interest in her health and wellbeing. My Mum was prescribed them for chronic pain and social anxiety a while ago but had to come off them after a while because they were causing her severe cognitive impairments. A lot of the time during conversation she would experience a lot of brain fog and frequently forget what she was talking about mid sentence. She typically gets quite animated and passionate and can talk until the cows come home before starting her prescription but the cognitive decline combined with her flat mood (similar to what many of us have experienced as that 'zombie feeling' on antideoressants) led to her feeling helpless and experiencing symptoms of depersonalisation. The brain fog and memory problems thankfully vanished after she came off it. It's worth keeping in mind that she does not have an addictive personality and originally benefitted from taking a low dose, but because her pain is constant her psych chose to increase increased and increased her dose until she found herself having to take them in the morning, midday' evening and before bed. I believe Preg/Gab are safer overall for anxiety when taken as needed (you feel anxious all the time, whilst it is tempting to use meds to eliminate those feelings you will always benefit more from reasonable doses when absolute necessary so they don't become a crutch.


On a final note, when I used to volunteer at a refuge for homeless people last year, (can't go any further into the organisation to protect my identity) I was regularly speaking to homeless addicts about their current lifestyle as part of their arrival assessment, and through these conversations I've been able to find some patterns emerging amongst deprived communities, rural communities and people who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness and the conclusion I've arrived at is that because GPs and Psychiatrists are so reluctant to prescribe even low doses of benzos, they are prescribing either Pre or Gab instead. The people who are abusing these had previously acquired benzo scripts from people and found themselves addicted to Di@z and even LOr@z, and now that these are no longer as straightforward to acquire, folk have switched their addictions to Preg and Gab, with Preg making up the large majority of the homeless men and women's drug inventory when they arrived with us to be assessed. 

It's worth mentioning that in 100% of the cases where homeless people found themselves addicted to Pre/Gab it was always part of a polysubstance addidtion, But let this be a lesson to always be as careful as one possibly can with their meds and to look after ourselves to the best of our abilities. Nine of those people I spoke to chose to be addicted to Preg/Gab and none of them chose or ever wanted to be homeless, so we should never assume that any of us are ever immune to that tragic way of life regardless of how much you believe you're 'not the type' who falls to dependence, addiction  and the lifestyle that accompanies the dark side of meds. the homeless people I spoke to had achieved incredible things with their lives before prescription meds took over:university degrees, mortgages, families, marriages, workaholics with incredible salaries that cake wth it, kids and alongside other addictions combine with a preg/Gab, they used to think exactly the same - my life is good, ill never let myself get like that.

Always be mindful of what you're taking, and always be mindful of how you start to feel when you're not taking your meds. Most folk end up being totally fine but these warnings are necessary reminders to treat every prescription with the utmost respect and care.

[thegreaseman]

Wow Glousck. Thank you for such an informative and encompassing reply! I stopped seeing another therapist in December after only three sessions, I really couldn't manage it but after a few weeks of alone time my family helped support me and get into to see another doctor, I guess I'm accepting help more now.
Thank you for listing the side effects. Just to let you know for future reference, I meant to ask if anyone knows of unusual side effects not just the commonly listed ones.
The new psychiatrist seems cool and responsible. I just don't really like the idea of taking a nerve pain med for my anxiety! Both these medications have high abuse potential and I've read some horrifying withdrawl accounts. She was just so not willing to script me even the tiniest dose of any benz0. She said that benz0s work too well and that you basically don't have to deal with the situation or problem anymore. I understand as I've used @lp, l0r@zep@m, t3m@z3p@m, and many others in a clinical framework and yes they totally dissolve my anxiety. That's why I want it! I can't socialize at all without it, at least now.
As tragic as it is, I'm not surprised about your experiences with the homeless. I believe that while it may not be as high as benz0s the two aformentioned meds have a high abuse potential. Ofc people will switch over to that more and more.
Last little paragraph is a great safety reminder. Thanks.

[invisiblejungle]

My personal experience with gabapentinoids:

ioplist.org/showthread.php?tid=3892&pid=86998#pid86998
ioplist.org/showthread.php?tid=3916&pid=87653#pid87653
ioplist.org/showthread.php?tid=3916&pid=88033#pid88033

[cmdline]

from what i know its second in line to B#nzos and often used as taper to prevent seizures, that said its common now in some places for people to be abusing it and once addicted its same as benzos,not a fun ride either way, but does the job for anxiety and what not.

[thegreaseman]

My personal experience with gabapentinoids:

ioplist.org/showthread.php?tid=3892&pid=86998#pid86998
ioplist.org/showthread.php?tid=3916&pid=87653#pid87653
ioplist.org/showthread.php?tid=3916&pid=88033#pid88033

Thank you invisiblejungle. Do you mind me asking what you were using them for exactly? I don't think I will be on it long, it was just an initial script to help manage my anxiety while she starts to know me.

---

from what i know its second in line to B#nzos and often used as taper to prevent seizures, that said its common now in some places for people to be abusing it and once addicted its same as benzos,not a fun ride either way, but does the job for anxiety and what not.

Thanks cmdline! It seems to be used for many symptoms that benz0s are used for, but the two feel quite different. I definitely believe that gabap3nton01ds will be popular amongst users in the future.

[invisiblejungle]

My personal experience with gabapentinoids:

ioplist.org/showthread.php?tid=3892&pid=86998#pid86998
ioplist.org/showthread.php?tid=3916&pid=87653#pid87653
ioplist.org/showthread.php?tid=3916&pid=88033#pid88033

Thank you invisiblejungle. Do you mind me asking what you were using them for exactly? I don't think I will be on it long, it was just an initial script to help manage my anxiety while she starts to know me.

Hi Greaseman, I'm mostly homebound due to various health issues, and for several years, I would take gabapentinoids once in awhile (no more than 1x per week) because they give me energy while being anxiolytic/euphoric/sedating at the same time. I considered them to be my "emergency medicine."
Gabapentinoids are a strange breed. They can definitely be anxiolytic, so I do understand why more doctors are prescribing it for anxiety. However, I personally don't consider them to be any safer than benzos, and for some people, withdrawal from gabapentinoids can be tougher than withdrawal for benzos.
It's worth trying, but if it doesn't serve your needs, I would definitely try the benzo route. Their effects are not really similar at all.
One interesting side effect is that they can make you extremely hungry.

[thegreaseman]

My personal experience with gabapentinoids:

ioplist.org/showthread.php?tid=3892&pid=86998#pid86998
ioplist.org/showthread.php?tid=3916&pid=87653#pid87653
ioplist.org/showthread.php?tid=3916&pid=88033#pid88033

Thank you invisiblejungle. Do you mind me asking what you were using them for exactly? I don't think I will be on it long, it was just an initial script to help manage my anxiety while she starts to know me.

Hi Greaseman, I'm mostly homebound due to various health issues, and for several years, I would take gabapentinoids once in awhile (no more than 1x per week) because they give me energy while being anxiolytic/euphoric/sedating at the same time. I considered them to be my "emergency medicine."
Gabapentinoids are a strange breed. They can definitely be anxiolytic, so I do understand why more doctors are prescribing it for anxiety. However, I personally don't consider them to be any safer than benzos, and for some people, withdrawal from gabapentinoids can be tougher than withdrawal for benzos.
It's worth trying, but if it doesn't serve your needs, I would definitely try the benzo route. Their effects are not really similar at all.
One interesting side effect is that they can make you extremely hungry.

Thank you for the reply. So far I'm not a huge fan. It doesn't seem to kill my anxiety and I also do not like the feeling of the simultaneously stimulating and sedating buzz. I'll probably wait a little bit as I haven't gotten any negative side effects. I also do not consider them safer than benz0s. These are the benz0s of the future. I VASTLY prefer benz0s so far, no comparison. They work too well for me, @lp in particular.

[OldBoy]

It is the only med the VA will prescribe (well, other than SSRI's), for everything from GAD, to anxiety, to panic attacks, to PTSD.  They wouldn't allow their Docs to prescribe a benz@ in a million years.

I tried it a couple of years ago in one of my efforts to taper off X@anax, but it just didn't work for me.  Other vets I know swear by it...But I have to wonder, have they ever tried a benz@ to see if it works better for them?  Their business, I suppose - If the g@b@pentin works for them, then by all means they should stay on it.

[durango]

this is the first i've heard of gab or pregab used for behavioral health issues. i've gone through my fair share of psych cocktails for BP2 and have settled in on a mix that includes 3mg risperadol before bedtime for my anxiety-stayed away fron benz0s by choice. recently had shingles and am now dealing with PHN-Post Herpetic Neurolgia-and was prescribed gab for the pain. 2 weeks of 300mg x 3 a day and didn't so a thing. no euphoria, no pick me up feeling-nothing and certainly no pain relief. Dr then put me on gaba 150mg x 3 a day-same thing-no pain relief but BEWARE-it changed my personality and certainly led to suicidal thoughts, idiation and actual preparation for the act. people react differently to different meds and this is how i reacted to pregab. am staying as far away from it as possible, on Tegratol now...another anticonvulsent and it seems to be helping one kind of pain you get with PHN. but as for gab and pregab...uh-uh, no way. also didn't suffer any withdrawals at all after 5 weeks of taking the 2 and stopping cold turkey. but like i said...different folks react differently to the same meds.