Gabapentin (Neurontin)

@Alue
It was intense for me, I stopped it on the 6th day. It ramped up until I couldn’t hardly get out of bed. After my last dies, it took about a week for it to fully subside to the normal tinnitus. Not everything works for everybody. I seem to be highly sensitive to most medications. Almost all spike the tinnitus. This one was very bad though.

 

@Quiet please, did you have a worsening in tinnitus from GABA or Amitriptyline?

 

@Marko Nakovski
Almost every medication makes my Tinnitus worse. I have no idea why I’m so sensitive to medications now. I can take Tylenol & Xanax & that’s that’s about it.

Gabapentin is listed in the PDR as causing ringing in the ears.

 

What do you take the Gabapentin for?

 

vague speculation that it synergizes with Klonopin in terms of tinnitus, based on the speculation and published work of that one Shulman doctor in NYC?

It's much less worrying to me than Klonopin.

 

Since March 2019 I've been dealing with neuropathy and tinnitus and a whole host of symptoms. I finally got Gabapentin around August 20. It helps with the pain. It does nothing for my low frequency tinnitus. There are three frequencies to the tinnitus - one around 300 Hz, another one lower than that and a very low frequency rumble below that.

I've just seen the top ear specialist in Dallas and he said that there is nothing anyone can do for this.

I'm jumping on here to see if there is anything for this...

 

You’ve just entered a forum of a lot of people all looking for a cure, or trying to make one, etc. Read all of the sections on the website that have helpful tips and helpful advice. Unfortunately I have no exp with Gabapentin.

 

A doctor in NY recommends gabapentin AND clonazepam to lower the volume. But clonazepam is quite addictive so I wouldn't do this unless on the brink of suicide, and gabapentin can be hard to taper if taken for a long time.

EDIT see @linearb reply above

 

This is a very interesting thread. Clonazepam definitely took my tinnitus from a 10 to a 3. Other triggers bring it up, but I can identify them and spikes go down within 8 hours. I'm hooked on Clonazepam now after a year. I just today got prescribed Gabapentin for nerve pain. But I am 4 days away from being admitted into a detox facility for alcohol. I think after reading this I'll see if the detox causes a spike, then if not try the Gabapentin. Some people get tinnitus from detox. I'd love to not have severe nerve pain too... But tinnitus sucks alot worse. I have time to work this out.

My tinnitus is very annoying, but thank God/Yahwey I have this peace of mind people talk about. Learning to cope and live life on it's own terms. I'm sensitive to almost anything people say help, I've tried almost everything. But I found 1 or 2 things that help, and 99 things to stay away from. I'm at a 3 today, it changes all the time.

 

A recent spike has me thinking of taking Gabapentin again. I've taken a low dosage (100mg daily) before and it has helped. I won't touch Klonopin. What do you consider a high-dose of THC?

 

I should mention that Gabapentin did almost nothing for me without the Klonopin, and Dr. Shulman seems to think that Klonopin is somehow enhancing the action of the gabapentin. I do not think I would tolerate my THC regimen without the Klonopin. All that said, I totally understand why some people won't touch benzos, they're playing with fire instantly. In my case it was the best of a bunch of bad options.

It's hard for me to pin down numbers on THC since I grow my own organically and don't bother with lab testing, but I will say that when I've visited legal states it was trivial for me to consume 250-500mg of THC in a 24hr period, and I would guess my usual intake at home is in the 50-200mg/day range, depending on day. Also, half the stuff I grow is extremely high in CBD, so I am getting a lot of that, too.

There are companies here offering lab testing for home growers, but there's also someone selling a machine that can do THC quant analysis for $600 (gear like this used to cost 10's of 1000s). As soon as there's a similar machine that can also quantify CBD, CBG and CBN I will probably buy one.

 

May I ask why you are still taking the gabapentin? From what you write it seems clear that you are certain of the benefits of clonazepam and THC but not so sure about gabapentin. Have you tried stopping it to see if it is doing anything?
I am hooked on pregabalin, the more powerful sister of gabapentin, unfortunately, but it does nothing for my tinnitus (I'm wondering if it makes it worse). When I tried to taper I went through crazy symptoms similar or worse to benzo withdrawal. However, even 0.25mg of clonazepam give me one day of respite when added to pregabalin. My tinnitus is 8/10, I am still thinking how I may get off pregabalin without tinnitus going ballistic 10/10, as happened last time I tried, but I don't want to get hooked on clonazepam as well.

 

No, I have not tried. I might, at some point; I'm on it because it's a protocol that Dr. Shulman in NYC likes and thinks is "synergistic" for treating tinnitus, and basically the gabapentin worries me far less than the clonazepam does, and I also sort of think, well, if things are basically okay now, why rock the boat? This is the longest I've ever been on gabapentin but I withdrew from 600mg once prior after months of use, and the withdrawal was basically nonexistent, at least compared to the insane shitshow that is benzodiazepine withdrawal.

I might try dropping the AM 300mg and sticking to just the PM 300mg for a while, see what happens, go from there. It's quite possible the gabapentin is doing basically nothing, you're right, I have no way of knowing, and I did not try the Clonazepam/THC combo at this high dose of clonazepam before adding gabapentin to the mix.

 

You are right that "if it ain't broken don't fix it", and gabapentin seems less troublesome than pregabalin. I am familiar with Shulman at al. (2002).
I might attempt another pregabalin taper soon. I like your attitude and your posts a lot. Do you mind if I pm you with a few questions on withdrawal symptoms? I realize pregabalin and clonazepam are different but my withdrawal symptoms looked like benzo withdrawals a lot and I used the Ashton manual as a guide. @Star64 has also helped me with good advice. Let me know if this is ok.

 

Pretty sure my privacy settings prevent people from PMing me unless I PM them first, so I will happily PM you, but keep in mind I am not a doctor and definitely not qualified to give medical advice. Certainly happy to share anything from my own experience that's helpful, though!

 

My last post stated I was entering detox for alcohol. I'm 10 days sober and feeling amazing physically. I decreased my Clonazepam as soon as I got out, I've been steadily taking .5mgs for 5 days (started in January from 2mgs) and started taking Gabapentin 5 days ago, just 200mg at bedtime. My anxiety is fine. But the ringing has increased during night time hours, which makes me think it's the effects of the gabapentin. So I will taper a little quicker from the benzos than planned so I can stop taking the gabapentin for sleep quality. I know this sounds stupid, I got myself into a medical mess, but I'm set up pretty good to succeed before it gets to late, tinnitus wise and anxiety.

 

It could be also the clonazepam reduction. Be careful with gabapentin, trying to taper pregabalin, its more potent version, has sent my tinnitus through the roof and I am stuck with the medication

 

Can you do a super slow micro taper?

 

You should be proud of yourself, and I am so glad that you are feeling great physically... I have been thinking of you Just remember slow and steady tapers are usually the best way to go...

 

I just saw the ENT Dept at Johns Hopkins this past week and basically got the same info... very depressing! Recommended no medicine... headphone use at minimum 30 minutes a day lower volume than your tinnitus (hope is brain will lower volume of tinnitus as it strains to listen to music) and sound machine at night... also lower volume than tinnitus. I don't really know what caused my tinnitus, had it since July at nonstop high pitch. Began in May as intermittent. ENT had Hopkins thinks it's hearing loss as audiogram showed hearing loss at high decibels... not enough to ever need hearing aids. Many in this website say never use headphones so I feel very conflicted about headphone use as directed by Hopkins.

 

I did last time but at 50mg I ended up in the ER because tinnitus was too bad. My head was exploding. I'll have to taper even slower but i am quite afraid. Tinnitus gets worse and worse, whatever the dosage, I can barely function now. Maybe it's not the drug. Who knows. I feel trapped

 

I am very sorry that you do not have a Doctor that can help you with your taper, or even offer advice and reassurance.
I know many people experience tinnitus from lyrica, it is a powerful drug.

I know how you feel, withdrawal is horrendous, especially if you are getting worse effects whilst even staying on the drug at the same dosage. Yes you would feel trapped....However, many people have successfully come off this drug because they have had no choice, I have faith that you will be able to achieve this too but it may take a little longer than what you had hoped and your tinnitus might spike for awhile during the taper...

Try a very slow micro taper, this may help your body adjust to being without the drug...

 

Thank you Star, how slow is microslow? I had reached 1mg per week but was not stabilizing, perhaps I had gone down too fast earlier. If I taper at that pace it will take me years!
Do you know if the people who experienced tinnitus from Lyrica have any tips? Mine is extremely high pitched and piercing, it ramps up if I taper but did not go down when I updosed once, so I don't really know what to do. I'll consider going super-slow, like 1mg every week and then every 2 weeks, but if I get stuck again at low dosages I don't know what I will do this time. If you can get any tips from people who made it with Lyrica + Tinnitus that would be very helpful. I think the medication induces a very specific type of tinnitus. Mine does not respond to sound therapies, diets, supplements, steroids, vasodilators, antiviral, antibiotic... nothing. Hearing aids with white noise do not work. It seems the type of tinnitus described in the Ashton manual, but it also gets worse at low dosages, rather than getting better, and it never ever calms down a little, it's constant and slowly getting worse.
The Lyrica Facebook group had a lady who tapered down to 0 and then went back on the medication because the tinnitus was unbearable. This is a bloody drug, pure poison.

 

Based on some of the unpleasant stories in this thread, and the fact that I had a couple "bad days" last week and am not really convinced that the Gabapentin is actually doing anything, I have started reducing that, without touching my clonazepam or THC doses. One week after a 25% drop I feel exactly the same, so I am just going to slowly proceed. Note that I have been on 600mg only for ~2-3 months, had been on 300mg for ~2 months prior, and then on 1-200mg PRN with very infrequent use. So, I am being cautious, but I am not expecting this to be especially difficult.

If removing it makes no difference in the overall ebb and flow of my tinnitus, then perhaps it does nothing, or the effect has worn off. I might then re-introduce it ~4-6 months down the line to see if there is again an impact.

@Chinmoku when I tapered benzos last time I absolutely kept "hitting a wall" just trying to get off that last little bit. Eventually I decided it was just going to suck no matter HOW slowly I did it, and jumped and just held at 0mg, and got through it, but it was ~6-8 weeks I'd rather not relive.

 

I hope you find it is doing nothing and that you can get off smoothly.
May I ask you about the jump to 0? The question is also for @Star64 . Feel free to PM me if you'd rather discuss in private.

1. When you tapered the benzo before reaching 0, what happened to your tinnitus? Did it worsen temporarily and then stabilize back to the previous level, or stay worse?

2. When you jumped to 0, did your tinnitus worsen in those 6-8 hellish weeks? How bad was it?

I'm trying to understand what to expect. I can hardly function now, and when I tried to reduce 100 -> 75 tinnitus worsened a lot. In the past I had gotten to 50mg with a 6 months taper but it became unbearable. Perhaps I should have jumped to 0 at that point but I don't know if tinnitus would have calmed down in the end. I'm really desperate

 

My tinnitus has been through the roof since I hit tolerance on the benzo... The tinnitus is hard enough to cope with on its own but the other horrendous symptoms that occur during withdrawal complicate things and push you further into despair... I do not think there is an easy answer really about tapering.

The reason I suggested a slow taper is because it it usually what people say is more tolerable, but than again some of these people have minimal symptoms when they cut and hold so they stabilize on that dosage before they cut again.
I have never stabilized on any dosage, I have had screeching ears all the way through, some days it changes tones and can quieten down some but not for long.

So for me I have to just keep soldiering on with the taper... I was trying to taper faster but I was advised to be patient, and to go slower as the lower I got... It has been a long arduous process so I may as well take a bit more time before I take my final dose...

To answer your question on how long will tinnitus take to settle after withdrawal... Many factors probably come into play with this answer... Since I have not ceased the drug I can't answer this from my own personal experience, but many I have spoken too have said anywhere between a few months to years...

Hopefully for you, once you have come off the Lyrica things will settle quickly... If you have not been able to stabilize and are getting issues on your current dose, I think you may just have to push through and come off the drug as obviously it is not working for you anymore. I still think a slow taper is the best way to go, but it will not be easy.

I wish I had all the answers to your questions, I really feel for you, it is an awful horrendous predicament to be in...

 

It was more that the quality of the sound changed than the volume or pitch. Went from being a noise to being a laser drill into my brain. I don't remember it being a problem at all until I got to the lower doses, sub 5-6mg/day valium.

Everything had been awful for months at that point; I was never able to stabilize under 2mg/v. I'd keep going down, then back up to 2.5 and try again even more slowly. At some point I realized it was not going to get easier and this was a rip the bandaid off situation, so I did. Then the psychiatrist who'd been tapering me wanted me to try all sorts of other things when my life continued to fall apart, and I finally drew the line at Seroquel, stopped seeing him, found a weird super-anti-drug MD psychiatrist and sort of let him coax me through the next several months with various herbal snake oil bullshit.

Knowing what to do in this situations is almost impossible; knowing what someone else should be doing truly is. All I can say is listen to your body and don't push yourself too hard, but also realize that you're sort of stuck inside a rock wall and so you're going to have to push to get out.

I survived and kept my job and relationship intact because the alternatives were not acceptable to me, but, there was a big element of luck in all that, and of course... all of this was sort of for naught, because here I sit, dependent on benzos! I guess it gave me a decade of not using them very much, but it was a pretty shit decade.

 

@linearb , I was thinking of you and wondering how you have been doing with the gabapentin reduction?
On the pregabalin side, I dropped 25mg of pregabalin and the tinnitus went up a notch, plus my eye floaters became more prominent and I got restless leg type symptoms.

 

@Chinmoku I had no problem getting down to about 300mg, but once I went lower, the really nasty "metallic, grating, piercing" aspect of my tinnitus started to rear up again. I am unsure if that is a withdrawal effect, but I'm a little skeptical because that "metallic, gating, piercing" sound was what drove me the most insane about this condition for the number of years I was unmedicated, so it does look to me at this point like there is some synergy for me between GabaP and Klonopin.

I might try to tamp it down further again at some point, but, now back to ~400mg and feeling a lot more normal and thinking about tinnitus a lot less again... eh.... being on these drugs isn't great, but neither is being miserable all the time.

I've also been through a sort of insanely stressful couple weeks as far as a serious health scare with our kid and then my own exposure to tetanus along with a bad bite from a probable lyme tick, causing two different antibiotics. So, I am sure all that piled on, and if I reduce again it will be a month or so down the line when I've got a 6-8 week period of things being a lot more relaxed.

 

Whoa, you are a superhero @linearb. I read about your adventures with powered saws, motorbikes, snow, injuries, your kid (I hope she is well now) and I always wonder how on earth can this guy do all this stuff with tinnitus, visual snow etc when I struggle to get out of bed and get on a bus due to tinnitus, eye floaters and restless legs? I used to drive a motorcycle too pre-tinnitus, I hope I'll be able to drive again some day.

I am trying to reduce pregabalin again but the metallic grating tinnitus is exactly what I get, at an insanely high frequency. I am very concerned about what pregabalin can do to me and my brain in the long run, but if I need to live the next 20-30 years miserably all the time I may have to make a different choice, I understand that, but I would like to make at least an attempt to get off and stay off for a while. Apparently, both gabapentin/pregabalin and clonazepam work on gaba but through different mechanisms, gabapentin/pregabalin do not work on gaba receptors directly. I can see why Schulman thinks there is a sinergy, but who knows what happens to our brains. However your experience is interesting, you can have a good life while on those meds. It makes me think.