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The Signs of Gabapentin Withdrawal

Once the individual is physically dependent on the medicine gabapentin and they stop the intake of this drug then it can lead to withdrawal symptoms. This can occur even when the individual has used the medication as prescribed by the doctor but still there are a lot of chances of the individual becoming physically dependent on it. Mostly it is seen when the individual has been using it for longer durations. The withdrawal symptoms of gabapentin can turn out to be quite severe one wherein it can also lead to severe spells of insomnia, pain, anxiety, nausea and sweating. These symptoms can tend to occur just within 12 hours of the medicine being last used and they can also last for up to a week. In case if someone is using this drug for treating seizure disorder and it has been stopped all of a sudden then the frequency of seizures can also increase. Gabapentinis known to trigger depressive episodes; there can be compulsive thought thereby leading to changes in the mood of the individual.Gabapentin is also known to trigger mood episodes and few of the other mental health issues including anxiety attacks as well as suicidal tendencies. Young adults as well as children are known to be at high risk of withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms are known to lasts longer than the acute physical symptoms. They can even last for weeksor even months. Few of the common withdrawal symptoms have been explained in detail below:

  • Anxiety attacks: Few of the individuals who have stopped taking in gabapentin would experience subtle and severe cases of anxiety.
  • Change in the appetite: By quitting gabapentin, the individual may experience loss of appetite but in few of the other individuals case they may experience a significant amount of increase in their appetite.
  • Crying spells: Withdrawal of gabapentin is also linked with signs of depression which can in certain cases lead to extreme emotional reactions from the individual which can also include crying without any accurate reasons.
  • Depression: The individual who has stopped gabapentin may feel a little bit depressed even when the individual had not experienced any prior symptoms of emotional turmoil earlier in their life.
  • Feeling dizzy: The individual may experience dizziness even while walking but this symptom would go away gradually with time.
  • Signs of fatigue: There is depletion of the energy in the body due to which the individual experiences fatigue, tired all the time and lethargic. These symptoms are seen as a common phenomenon whenever any individual withdraws from this medicine.
  • Headaches: There can also be cases of migraine headaches being experienced by the individual post the withdrawal of the medicine.
  • Experiencing lack of sleep or insomnia: Insomnia is known to have a great impact on the sleep of the individual and again it is one of the common withdrawal symptoms seen in gabapentin.
  • Getting irritated too often: For those individuals who are withdrawing from this medicine may experience signs of irritation mostly during the acute phase of the withdrawal.
  • Changes in the appetite: The individual may experience a sudden increase or a decrease in the appetite which can also impact their overall weight.
  • Muscle pain:  The pain in the muscles are known to return back or it can start to be quiet noticeable after one stops taking this medicine.
  • Sweating: Individuals who stop this drug can experience excessive sweating mostly while they are sleeping.
  • Few of the other symptoms experienced by the individual may include a feeling of itching throughout the entire body, feeling restless, muscle spasms, feeling nauseous, pain in the stomach and suicidal tendencies.