The gabapentin withdrawal timeline can include both physical and psychological symptoms. But there are ways to avoid this distressing experience or at least minimize your discomfort.
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What Is Gabapentin?
Gabapentin is a prescription medication that is sold under several brand names in the United States, including Neurontin, Gralise, and Horizant. It is also available as a generic.
First approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993, gabapentin is currently authorized to treat several conditions, including:
- Postoperative neuralgia (nerve pain)
- Nerve pain in the aftermath of shingles
- Moderate to severe restless leg syndrome
- Partial seizures
It is also sometimes prescribed on an off-label basis to treat:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Alcohol withdrawal symptoms
- Muscle rigidity and tremors due to Parkinson’s disease
- Antipsychotic-induced movement disorders
What Causes Gabapentin Withdrawal?
Experts aren’t entirely certain how gabapentin works, but it appears that the medication increases the amount of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain.
GABA is the body’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, which means that it slows the delivery of messages throughout the central nervous system. Increased GABA levels can produce a calming effect as well as an easing of pain.
When a person uses gabapentin for an extended period, their body will adapt to the continued presence of the medication and the resultant artificial boost in GABA. If they abruptly stop using the drug, their body will be unable to maintain the elevated GABA levels without gabapentin’s help.
This internal imbalance may cause gabapentin withdrawal symptoms.
What Are the Symptoms of Gabapentin Withdrawal?
Both the beneficial effects of gabapentin and the symptoms of gabapentin withdrawal can vary from one patient to the next, influenced by factors such as:
- How long they’ve been taking gabapentin
- How much they’ve been taking each day
- The symptoms they were treating with gabapentin
- If they have also been using other prescription or recreational drugs
- Their age, weight, metabolism, and overall health
Depending on these and other relevant factors, the gabapentin withdrawal timeline may include both physical and psychological distress, such as:
- Fatigue or exhaustion
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Headache
- Excessive perspiration
- Abnormal heart rate
- Increased sensitivity to light
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Agitation and restlessness
- Irritability
- Mood swings
What Is the Gabapentin Withdrawal Timeline?
The same factors that can influence what types of symptoms you experience can also impact the onset and duration of the gabapentin withdrawal timeline. Generally speaking, though:
- Initial symptoms can begin to occur as soon as 12 hours after your last dose of gabapentin, though it can sometimes take up to 48 hours (two days) before they set in.
- Once they’ve begun, your symptoms will likely intensify over the next 48-72 hours (two to three days).
- After peaking, symptoms should begin to slowly subside. This process usually takes seven to 14 days (one to two weeks).
- Some people deal with extended symptoms that persist for several weeks, or even months. This is sometimes referred to as post-acute withdrawal syndrome, or PAWS.
How Can You Avoid Gabapentin Withdrawal?
If you’ve been using gabapentin for a long time, it may be impossible to completely avoid all withdrawal symptoms. But there are steps you can take to minimize the severity and duration of these symptoms.
The most important step is to consult with your doctor before ending your gabapentin use. They can set up a tapering schedule to gradually reduce your dosage. This type of schedule can take several weeks, but it will help your body to adapt to decreasing amounts of gabapentin, which should preclude or alleviate many common withdrawal symptoms.
Your doctor can also advise you on how to manage any withdrawal symptoms that still occur. For significant challenges, they may prescribe medication. For less intense symptoms, basic self-care practices such as staying hydrated, following a healthy diet, and getting an appropriate amount of sleep each night can be beneficial.
Also, your doctor can help you explore alternate ways to manage the symptoms you were treating with gabapentin once you’ve stopped taking the medication. This may include switching you to a different med and/or referring you to a therapist or other type of mental healthcare provider.
Is Withdrawal a Sign of Gabapentin Addiction?
As defined in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), withdrawal symptoms are one of the criteria for addiction. However, to be accurately diagnosed with an addiction to gabapentin, you would also have to meet at least one of the following additional criteria:
- Using gabapentin in greater amounts or for a longer period of time than intended
- Having a persistent desire to stop using gabapentin, but being unable to do so
- Having powerful urges to use gabapentin
- Spending significant amounts of time acquiring and using gabapentin, as well as recovering from the drug’s effects
- Using gabapentin in circumstances that can be particularly hazardous, such as by combining it with alcohol or other drugs
- Continuing to use the drug even after you’ve incurred some type of physical or psychological harm that was either caused or worsened by your gabapentin use
- Continuing to use gabapentin even after going through social or relationship problems that were caused or worsened by prior use of the medication
- Failing to fulfill important responsibilities at home, in school, or at work because of your gabapentin use
- Developing tolerance, which means that you need to use more gabapentin than you used to in order to experience the drug’s effects
Find Treatment for Prescription Drug Addiction in Tampa Bay
If you’ve become addicted to gabapentin or any other prescription drug, Tampa Bay Recovery Center is here for you.
Treatment options at our addiction rehab include a partial hospitalization program (PHP), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), and a virtual IOP. We’ll work closely with you to understand how you’ve been impacted by addiction, so that we can select the programs and services that best align with your unique needs and goals.
To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Contact page or call us today.
