Alternatingly, gabapentin either works great and has barely noticeable withdrawal, or a hellish acid reflux suffering tablet with the worst withdrawal in the world and I am once again a victim of the opioid crisis.
My doctor suggested gabapentin when I asked for an anxiety med, cool idea or no? It's an off-label use so I might be a victim again. My impression so far is that it feels like a very lightweight version of loprazolam, goofy and relaxed. I'm still stimming ofc but I'm also calmly vibing, and I can still feel my emotions which is nice. Pls tell me how over it is ✨
Hmm, checking again now, I do see user reports of withdrawal symptoms. I don't know about super addictive, but there does appear to be an addiction/physical dependence potential and it could be particularly strong for certain individuals. With that said, in literature it is considered to have a comparatively low risk, and the primary alternative is benzos which are notoriously problematic.
One nice thing about gabapentin is that your body can only process so much of it, and you will develop a tolerance at high doses. So there isn't much reward for chasing the high (if you're one of people that gets a high from it) with higher and higher dosages. After a certain point, you basically have to quit it for awhile if you want it to have an effect again. This limits the abuse potential.
Pregabalin (a modified form of gabapentin) is an entirely different story. It is reported to be addictive, with more OD potential, and worse withdrawal symptoms. The body does not limit its metabolism. It's by no means the most addictive drug, but it is known to be much more troublesome than gabapentin.
I don't know how much gabapentin you are taking, your medical history, your age, your body weight, etc. I'm also not a doctor. However 0.3mg of melatonin is a very light dose and melatonin has a good safety profile. If you're at a few 100s of mg of gabapentin and don't experience any respiratory depression from it or 0.3mg of melatonin, then I believe they should be safe together. Refrain from driving if you feel drowsy or otherwise altered. Generally it's things like benzos, z-drugs, heavy alcohol consumption, opiates, and prescription sedatives that you need to be more careful about mixing with.
If you can, it's a good idea to get comfortable asking your doctor and pharmacist these questions, as they will be the best-equipped to answer them. Of course, doing some research of your own and asking around for others' experiences can also be good for additional context.
Yeah I ain't taking benzos fuck that shit. Tried em once, their capacity to make you feel pleasantly useless is too good. I am odd about withdrawal, I had no trouble coming off tramadol but sertraline is one of the worst things ever for it, jfc.
Good to know gabapentin has an upper limit, nice. Also I will not take pregabalin! Ty!
Oh right okay, it's only 100mg of gabapentin to start, and then 200 if it goes well. I am small so I get prescribed small doses a lot! I am young but above drinking age. Makes sense melatonin would be safe given it's naturally produced in the body, and I don't drive which is good. Respiratory depression sounds kinda scary...
Uh which questions specifically, but yeah I should make a list to bug my doctor with. I'm usually good about other stuff, I tend to do my own research a lil too much.
I see, that's pretty far on the "light" end of dosages.
It's not great lol.
The biggest risk of gabapentin is adding it to something else that already causes respiratory depression. Almost all gabapentin OD fatalities (which are already relatively few) involved combining it with other drugs that have higher risks. It's not at all a common issue with gabapentin on its own - even at doses 8-12x what you are currently taking.
Anything about medications and their interactions. Including addiction risks, adverse reactions to watch out for, dietary concerns, etc.
My pleasure. Good luck!